GRACE UNVEILED: “Law of the Spirit of Life; The Law of Sin and Death” | Jim Hammond
Recap
Pastor Jim presented his 30th installment in his series on the book of Romans entitled, “Grace Unveiled.” The book of Romans has been deemed one of the most priceless literary treasures in the world. In fact, many secular colleges study the book of Romans just for its literary value. Many scholars call Paul’s letter to the Romans the Definitive Statement of the Christian Doctrine. Presently, our study of Romans brings us to chapter 8—a chapter scholars claim to be one of the most powerful chapters in all the Bible.
Dive Deeper
The first seven chapters of Romans reads like a letter, where we learn we have been removed from the penalty of sin by justification through Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.
You are justified before God if you believe in Jesus’ death on the cross, His burial, and His resurrection from the dead. That means if you’re a Chrisitan, the penalty of sin has been removed.
Chapter eight transitions into the subject of deliverance. It’s about getting yourself out from under the power of sin—or you could call it “the law of sin and death.” It has to do with the scripture in Romans chapter 7 regarding mental, emotional, and spiritual warfare against the law of your mind.
Most scholars view Romans chapter 8 as the “high point” of the epistle of Romans.
In chapter seven, we read how the Apostle Paul confessed to feeling powerless to do what he wants to do but keeps doing the thing he hates to do.
There is a path we all have to walk called “sanctification.” Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit in the regenerated life of the believer.
Chapter eight tells us we can have a godly life insured by the Holy Spirit; being saved by faith is being justified in God’s eyes. But the walk that we have to walk, you are only able to obtain that walk with the help of the Holy Spirit.
That is the mission of the Holy Spirit—to work within us. Chapter eight addressed the confrontations we have with realities we face moment by moment… In fact, every second of every day, day in and day out!
The Holy Spirit has a dominant presence in chapter eight. In chapter five, the Holy Spirit is only mentioned once. But in chapter eight, the Holy Spirit is mentioned 19 times!
Romans chapter eight begins, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”
The first phrase reads “There is therefore now…” The word “now” is present tense. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Jesus.”
Look at the next phrase: “Who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit.” Don’t pay attention to that phrase. That phrase was added by a translator in the sixth century.
Pastor Jim said, “I can give you the name of the translator that decided he should just add that phrase to the Bible.” The early New Testament manuscripts do not have that phrase. The Apostle Paul did not write that phrase. So without that phrase, this verse is stating across the board that there’s no condemnation from any source, for any reason, at any time that comes from God. People need to know that. Especially those who live their lives feeling condemned.
If you are that person that feels condemned all the time, then you are approaching God from a platform that is not going to work out well for you. It means you have no faith. You do not believe His promises are for you because you believe He’s condemning you. The promise of no condemnation is a gift.
A person that feels condemned all the time doesn’t understand the love of God.
Reminder: Chapter eight begins by explaining to you “there is no possibility of condemnation for you from God if you believe in the death, burial, and resurrection.”
Now let’s jump forward to the last verse in chapter eight: “Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The chapter starts with “there’s no condemnation in Jesus Christ.” And then it closes with “nothing can take you from the love of God.”
Verse two says, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”
The law of the spirit of life does not function in the life of a Christian like it’s supposed to function if the Christian is frustrating the law of the spirit of life by operating and obeying the law of sin and death.
Unfortunately, many Christians try to overcome sin through their own strength, by their own self-effort (i.e. the flesh). They are actually bringing in the law of sin and death more prominently.
How does the law of the spirit of life in Christ actually keep a person free from the law of sin and death? Jesus on the cross, His sacrifice is “the means” through which grace comes to you, His undeserved favor.
Look what Hebrews 8:12 has to say about your sin: “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.”
God does not remember your sins and iniquities. Pastor Jim said, “The Creator of the Universe can cause Himself not to even remember what you did yesterday. He does it for His own good! It’s part of our covenant with Him.”
Read About It
Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
Romans 8:2, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”
Romans 8:39, “Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Hebrews 8:12 says, “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.”
Discussion Questions
Why do Bible scholars refer to Romans chapter 8 as “one of the most powerful chapters in all the Bible.”
Romans chapter 8 addresses the topic of deliverance. Deliverance from what?
In the first verse of Romans 8 [“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.] why did Pastor Jim tell us to ignore the phrase “who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit.”