Romans 8.4a-Christ Died So That The Christian Could Experience The Righteous Requirement Of The Law
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday October 19, 2008
Romans: Romans 8:4a-Christ Died So That The Christian Could Experience The Righteous Requirement Of The Law
Lesson # 244
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 8:1.
This morning we will study Romans 8:4a, which teaches that the Father’s purpose for sacrificing His Son on the Cross was so that the righteous requirement of the Law would be fulfilled in an “experiential” sense in the Christian.
Tuesday, we will note Romans 8:4b, which teaches that this is fulfilled specifically in those Christians who are not conducting their lives in submission to the sin nature but are conducting their lives in submission to the Spirit.
Romans 8:1-4, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
When approaching this passage, we must understand that Paul is speaking in the context of the Christian’s sanctification.
Beginning in Romans 6:1 and ending in Romans 8:39, Paul is speaking of the Christian’s sanctification in its three stages: (1) Positional (2) Experiential (3) Ultimate.
In Romans 6:1-7:6, Paul taught on all three aspects of sanctification, “positional,” “experiential” and “ultimate.”
However, in Romans 7:7-25, he dealt exclusively with the Christian’s problem in “experiencing” sanctification.
Then, in Romans 8:1-3, he reassures his readers that even though they fail at experiencing sanctification, they are still eternally secure.
Now, in Romans 8:4, he begins to teach how his readers can “experience” sanctification through the power of the Spirit and in particular occupying their minds with the desires of the Spirit rather than the desires of the sin nature.
In Romans 8:4, Paul teaches that in relation to “experiential” sanctification, the Father’s purpose in sacrificing His Son on the Cross was so that the righteous requirement of the Law would be fulfilled “experientially” in the Christian.
Specifically, in those Christians who are not conducting their lives in submission to the sin nature but in submission to the Spirit.
Romans 8:4, “so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
Romans 8:4 is a purpose-result clause, which emphasizes that it is an accomplished fact that God’s purpose in sacrificing His Son was so that the requirement of the Law would be fulfilled in the Christian in an experiential sense.
Specifically, in those Christians who are conducting their lives according to the Spirit.
It is already fulfilled in a positional sense through the Christian’s union and identification with Christ in His death and resurrection.
However, Paul is emphasizing in Romans 8:4 the experiential side of sanctification since verses 6-8 and Romans 7:14-25 make clear that Paul is teaching his readers how to resolve the problem of not experiencing sanctification.
“The requirement” is the noun dikaioma (dikaivwma) (dik-ah-yo-mah), which refers to perfect obedience, which the Law requires (See Galatians 3:10-12).
Romans 8:4, “so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
“Of the Law” is the noun nomos (novmo$) (nom-os), which refers once again to the Mosaic Law.
“Might be fulfilled” is the verb pleroo (plhrovw) (play-ro-o), which means, “to fulfill.”
“In us” indicates that the “location” in which the righteous requirements of the Law are fulfilled experientially is “in” Christians.
The Father sacrificed His Son on the Cross in order that the righteous requirements of the Law would be “fulfilled” in an experiential sense in the Christian.
Specifically, it is “fulfilled” in those Christians who are conducting their lives according to the Spirit rather than the sin nature.
As we have noted in the past, the Law required perfect obedience, however, the presence of the sin nature in men made it impossible for them to render perfect obedience.
Jesus Christ rendered perfect obedience to the Law and His death executed the sin nature from God’s perspective.
The Christian has been placed in union with Christ and identified with Him in His death and resurrection.
Therefore, in a positional sense, the righteous requirements of the Law are fulfilled in the Christian because of his union and identification with Christ in His death and resurrection.
It is fulfilled in an experiential sense through the Christian who submits to the Spirit by occupying his mind with the desires of the Spirit.
This is made possible because the Father executed the sin nature through the physical death of Christ and imputed Christ’s righteousness to them and identified them with Christ’s death through the baptism of the Spirit.
Christ’s perfect obedience to the Law has become the Christian’s perfect obedience because Christ’s death destroyed the sin nature and the baptism of the Spirit identified the Christian with Christ in His death and resurrection.
So there was an “exchange” in that Christ, as our substitute, suffered the penalty for what we are, sinners and we became what He is, perfectly righteous.
This exchange is the reason why Paul calls Christ the Christian’s wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, redemption and life (2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 3:1-4).
Therefore, in a “positional” sense, the Christian fulfills the requirements of the Law through His union and identification with Christ in His death and resurrection.
By “positional” I mean that God looks at the Christian as He looks at His Son, namely, perfectly righteous as He is.
That the righteous requirements of the Law are fulfilled in a “positional” sense in the Christian is indicated in that he no longer is under the dominion and authority of the sin nature but rather under the authority and dominion of grace and has been placed in union with Christ (Romans 6:1-2, 14, 7:4-6).
I say in a “positional” sense since it is possible for a Christian to be governed by his sin nature in an “experiential” sense as manifested by the many commands and prohibitions in the New Testament that are designed to prevent this very thing from happening (See Galatians 5:16-23).
The “fruit of the Spirit” spoken of by Paul in Galatians 5:22-23, demonstrates that the righteous requirements of the Law have been met in the Christian or in other words, that he is experiencing his union and identification with Christ, which constitutes fellowship with Christ.
It demonstrates that the Christian is experiencing that which is true of him positionally or in other words, it demonstrates that he is experiencing sanctification or in other words, he is living a life of holiness.
Therefore, Christ’s physical death was the basis for the justified sinner’s deliverance from the sin nature and real spiritual death and this deliverance was accomplished when the justified sinner was identified with Christ in His physical death through the baptism of the Spirit.
The omnipotence of the Spirit enables the Christian to experience this deliverance and to experience sanctification.
All this is brought out by Paul in Romans 8:5-11.
“Positional” sanctification is the requirement of the Law being fulfilled in a “positional” sense through the Christian’s in union and identification with Christ in His physical death and resurrection.
On the other hand, “experiential” sanctification is the requirement of the Law being fulfilled in the Christian in an “experiential” sense through the power of the Spirit.
Apart from the Spirit, Christians can’t fulfill the righteous requirements of the Law “experientially” as clearly delineated by Paul in Romans 7:14-25.
However, they can when they are in fellowship with God through the power of the Spirit.
Therefore, the Christian fulfills the righteous requirements of the Law, i.e. the perfect obedience of Christ to the Law positionally through his union and identification with Christ in His death and resurrection.
He experiences this union and identification by appropriating by faith through the power of the Spirit his union and identification with Christ in His death and resurrection.
This constitutes experiencing sanctification, salvation, righteousness and fellowship with God.