Romans 8:1-11
3/12/08
In tonight’s epistle lesson the Apostle Paul
compares and contrasts two different spheres or domains of
existence. The one is called the “flesh,” the other
is called the “spirit.” As Christians, we have the
experience of having lived in both of these realms - first in the realm
of the flesh upon being born into this world, and now in the realm of
the spirit upon being born again into the kingdom of God by way of our
Baptism. Paul compares and contrasts these two realms here in
Romans, in order to make it clear to us just what we have been saved
from and what our condition was formerly, so that we might not return
to that state, but cling by faith to the One who has redeemed us with
His holy, precious blood and His innocent suffering and death.
What I’d like to do tonight, then, is take you
through this text, taking a look at Paul’s description of what
life is like in the flesh versus what life is like in the spirit, so
that we might give God thanks and praise for what He has done for us in
Christ and continue to die to the flesh and walk by the spirit as God
gives us the strength to do so by His Spirit.
The first descriptive word we come across in this
text is the word “condemnation.” Paul begins this
chapter by saying that there’s no condemnation for those who are
in Christ Jesus. By contrast, there is condemnation for those who
are not in Christ Jesus, and this was our condition when we lived in
the realm of the flesh. We came into this world as sinners,
having inherited Adam’s sinful nature, and as a result we were
under God’s sentence of condemnation. Living in the realm
of the flesh means living under God’s condemnation. But
living in the realm of the spirit as we do now, having been put in
Christ Jesus by way of our Baptism, there is no more condemnation for
us. Christ was condemned for us on the cross. He was
condemned by God in our place, so that we might be acquitted. We
can rejoice and give God thanks that living in the spirit as we do now
through faith in Christ we are no longer under God’s condemnation.
Next, Paul talks about being free in Christ
Jesus. Well, if we’re free now, it must mean that we were
not free at one time; rather, we were slaves. But Paul writes
that the Law of the Spirit of life has set us free in Christ Jesus from
the Law of sin and death. In the realm of the flesh we were
enslaved to sin and death, and it was the Law, the commandments of God,
that was the enforcer of this slavery. It both accused us of sin
and condemned us to death for it. Paul writes here that we could
not keep the Law, because we were weakened by the flesh. Some
think that God gave His Law as a means by which people could free
themselves from sin and death if they just tried hard enough. But
the Law’s main function is to show us that we are too weak to
keep it. Therefore, it always accuses and condemns us.
Jesus, however, did keep God’s Law perfectly, and yet allowed
Himself to become enslaved by sin and death. He allowed Himself
to fall under the accusations and punishment of the Law for us, so that
we might go free. Just as Jesus took Barabbas’ place on the
cross, so He has taken our place there too. There is another Law
now that overrules the Law of sin and death; it is the Law’s Law,
the Gospel, our emancipation proclamation. What condemned us has
now been condemned by Christ in His body on the cross. Now,
thanks be to God, living in the realm of the spirit that we are by
faith in Jesus Christ we are free from our former slavery to sin and
death in the realm of the flesh.
Along these lines, the righteousness that God
required by His Law has now been achieved for us and given to us by
Jesus. Living in the flesh meant we were not righteous in
God’s eyes, no matter how good we thought we lived. We were
guilty of having broken all of God’s laws. We did not fear,
love, and trust in God above all things, and we failed to love our
neighbors as ourselves. But by His obedience and His death on the
cross, Jesus fulfilled all righteousness for us, and in our Baptism He
gave that righteousness to us, clothing us with Himself. Now,
living in the spirit as we do, having been declared righteous by God
through faith in Jesus Christ, we are righteous in God’s
sight. Thanks be to God, our unrighteousness in the flesh has
been cleansed, washed away in the waters of Baptism.
Next, Paul makes a distinction between walking or
living according to the flesh versus walking/living according to the
spirit. To live according to the flesh is to have your mind set
on the things of the flesh. To live according to the spirit is to
have your mind set on the things of the spirit. To set the mind
on the flesh is death; to set the mind on the spirit is life and
peace. Well, what does it mean to set your mind on the things of
the flesh? Paul explains by saying that the mind set on the flesh
is hostile to God, because it doesn’t submit to God’s
Law. In fact, it can’t submit to God’s Law, and
therefore can’t please God. So, to set your mind on the
flesh is to think, say, and do such things that are contrary to
God’s Law. When we lived in the flesh, our minds were only
on such things. Even when we did outwardly good things for
people, we were still hostile towards God in our minds. Paul
writes that we were enemies of God, so that even our good deeds were
seen as filthy rags by God. They were done apart from the
righteousness that God gives us in Christ; they were stained with our
sin; therefore, they were unacceptable to God. Again, this is why
no one can try to use God’s Law as a means whereby he hopes to
become righteous and earn his salvation. The Law can’t save
you; it will always accuse and condemn you. With this accusation
and condemnation always hanging over our heads, no wonder we
couldn’t love God as we should, no wonder we were His
enemies. Who can love a God who’s always threatening
hell? So, to have your mind on the things of the flesh is to make
yourself your own god, living by your own set of rules, letting your
reason be lord of the Word of God, and letting your lusts drive you
instead of the Word of God. To live this way means death, not
just physical but eternal as well.
Having your mind set on the spirit by contrast means
letting God be God, letting His Word instead of your reason be the
authority, letting God’s Spirit direct you by the Word instead of
letting your lusts direct you, and above all, keeping your mind on
Christ and His salvation, reminding yourself of your Baptism, daily
dying and rising with Christ to newness of life, and feeding regularly
on His Word and His body and blood. This is living or walking by
the spirit, and its end is life and peace. Thanks be to God,
living in the realm of the spirit as you do now on account of the blood
of Christ sprinkled upon you at your Baptism, you are no longer enemies
of God, but His dear children, His beloved sons with whom He is
well-pleased in Christ.
Next, Paul contrasts life in the flesh with life in
the spirit by the fact that only those who are in the spirit have the
Spirit of God. We might also say that it’s because we have
the Spirit of God now, that we are in the spirit. Those who
don’t have the Spirit of Christ do not belong to Him; they are
still in the flesh - they still live in the flesh, they still have
their minds on the things of the flesh, they are still hostile towards
God. Thanks be to God, baptized as you are, you have been given
the Spirit of God. Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, with
whom you have been sealed for the day of redemption. He along
with the Father and the Son dwell in you by virtue of the fact that
God’s Name was put on you when you were baptized. The very
fact that you can confess Jesus as your Lord and believe in Him is
evidence of the fact that you have the Holy Spirit. So, when you
are unsure whether you have the Spirit or not or whether you belong to
the Lord or not, listen to His Word and His promises connected to your
Baptism. Then you’ll know for certain that you are the
Lord’s.
Finally, Paul describes the benefits of the
Spirit’s work in you. He says, “But if Christ is in
you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life
because of righteousness. If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus
from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead
will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells
in you.” Here we see that living in the flesh meant not
only physical death for us but eternal death as well. As Paul
writes earlier in this epistle, “The wages of sin is
death.” This death is both the separation of the body from
the soul as well as separation from God. In our former condition,
living in the flesh as we did, we were dead even while we lived, being
cut off from Him who is Life. We had no resurrection to eternal
life to look forward to. Had it not been for God’s mercy in
Jesus, we would have had to spend eternity in hell. But now,
thanks be to God, even though we still die physically as a result of
sin, we do not have to fear death and the grave, because we have the
sure promise of the resurrection and eternal life to look forward
to. This promise is sealed with Christ’s own bodily
resurrection. Just as God raised Him from the dead, so He will
raise you and me in whom the Spirit of God dwells, and give life to
these dead and decaying bodies, so that they will be like our
Lord’s glorious body.
And so, the Apostle Paul shows us where we are now
in Christ and where He has brought us from, so that we might not return
to our former condition, but repent of our sin, stand firm in the
faith, and hold onto Christ and His promises. Once we lived in
the flesh, walking in our lusts, enslaved to sin and death, hostile
towards God, under His condemnation and wrath. But now, thanks be
to God through Jesus Christ our Lord and on account of His work for us,
we live in the spirit, walking in the light of His Word, freed from sin
and death, alive to God, His beloved children, declared righteous, no
longer under His condemnation and wrath, but under His grace and mercy,
with the gift of His Spirit dwelling in us and the hope of the life of
the world to come to look forward to. What we could not do for
ourselves, God has done for us in His Son, Jesus Christ, who condemned
sin in His flesh on the cross, that the righteousness of the Law might
be fulfilled in us. All thanks and praise be to God through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.