#DailyDevotion There Is No Condemnation For Those Who Walk In The Forgiveness Of Sins.

January 17th

Read Rom 7:21—8:17

Rom 8:1-8  There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  (2)  For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.  (3)  For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,  (4)  in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.  (5)  For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.  (6)  For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.  (7)  For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.  (8)  Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

 

Let’s just start with the law.  Herein we see the doctrine of original sin even as we saw it in Romans 7.  We are born in the flesh there we in our original state cannot please God.  Yet we, while in the flesh may just try to please God.  But when we try to please God we try to please him according to the law.  Doing things according to the law is the way of the flesh.  The flesh thinks that if it does the works of the law then it is pleasing to God.  But the flesh never actually is able nor can it nor does it want to actually do the work of the law.  When it wants to do the work of the law it wants to do it on its own terms and this is the most important part, it wants to tries to do it without faith and trust in God or Christ.  So the flesh cannot please God. God is only pleased with faith and trust in Christ.

 

The good news is that in Christ Jesus there is no condemnation.  This is the Spirit and those who live in the Spirit live according to this statement.  When we trust God does not accuse or condemn us on account of Christ he accomplishes in us what the law could not do.  He makes us pleasing to himself.  God condemns sin in the flesh of his Son.  While the flesh of fallen man can do nothing, the flesh of God removes our sin.

 

So now we who are baptized into Christ, who have received the forgiveness sin, who have clothed with the righteousness of Jesus live according to this good news, i.e. the Spirit.  When we live according to the Spirit we actually try to live lives to please God and out of love for him.  When we live according to the law, i.e. the flesh, we may try to do good but not out of faith and trust.  We’re trying to get God’s approval on our terms and not his.  Not only that, but as we see in chapter seven, the very law which we may try to keep incites our passions to break the very law we are trying to keep.

 

So the life of flesh leads to death because the law leads to sin and sin causes death.  The life of the Spirit leads to life because it is the power of the gospel for salvation.  It gives life and salvation because it is forgiveness of sin.

 

Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank you for condemning sin in the flesh of Christ that we might life eternal.  Give us your faith that we might live by the Spirit and please you in our lives. Amen.