Romans Chapter 8

Weakness of the Law

Chapter 8, Verse 3,4

Rom. 8:3 "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh."  The law under consideration in this verse of scripture is the law given at the hand of Moses.  The law could not make anyone righteous or give spiritual life.  The reason that the law could not make anyone righteous or give spiritual life is the depravity of man's flesh.  Man was condemned because of sin under the law.  The law required perfection.  Anything less than perfection rendered those under the law unrighteous: Gal. 3:10 "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them."  The truth is that all of Adam's fallen race have sinned and come short of the glory of God. 

"God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh."  Christ came under the law: Gal. 4:4 "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons."  He came for the express purpose of redeeming his people from their sins: Matt. 1:20 "But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." 

Christ did not come in sinful flesh, but he came in the likeness of sinful flesh.  He was conceived in the womb of a virgin of the Holy Ghost.  His flesh was like our flesh except for the sin.  He had no sin.  He was that Holy One. 

God for (because of) sin condemned sin in the flesh.  Christ who knew no sin was made to be sin for us: 2 Cor. 5:21 "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."  Christ who had no sin and lived without sin and kept the law to perfection was made by God to be sin for us on the tree of the cross.  It was there that God poured out his wrath, condemning our sins in the flesh of Christ.  God executed his complete judgment upon our sins and Jesus suffered all that God's wrath demanded because of our sins. 

"That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."  There is a letter of the law and there is a spirit of the law: Rom. 7:6 "But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter."  Love is the fulfilling of the law: Rom. 13:9 "For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."  The righteousness of the law is to "love thy neighbour as thyself." 

We, who have been justified by the blood of Jesus and born of the Spirit, fulfill the law by walking after the Spirit and not after the letter.  Love is a fruit of the Spirit and when we walk after the Spirit we are manifesting love and loving our neighbour as ourself.  This fulfills the righteousness of the law.  While we can never work the law to perfection because of the weakness of the flesh, yet when we walk after the Spirit we can fulfill the righteousness of the law by loving our neighbour as ourself. 

Chapter 8, Verses 5-9

Rom. 8:5 "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." 

"For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit."  Once again, Paul is setting forth the two natures of man.  One nature, the flesh, is in all men.  The other nature, the spirit, is in only those that have been born of the Spirit. 

They that are after the flesh, which includes all men, do mind the things of the flesh.  In Jer. 13:23 the question is asked, "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil."  Paul stated previously, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing."  The works of the flesh are set forth in Gal. 5:19-21, "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."  When we walk after the flesh, our mind will be on the things of the flesh and will lead us to wicked actions.

They that are after the Spirit, which includes only those born of the Spirit, do mind the things of the Spirit.  The spiritual inner man is said to be incapable of sinning: 1 John 3:9, "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God."  The fruit of the Spirit is set forth for us in Gal. 5:22: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."  When we walk after the Spirit our mind will be on the things of the Spirit which will lead us to living uprightly. 

"For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace."  Jesus set forth the mind and actions of the two natures as two types of trees: Matt. 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit."  The carnal mind is incapable of even a good thought.  It is altogether wicked and "every imagination of the thoughts of carnal man's heart is only evil continually."  Man is by his fleshly nature, "dead in trespasses and sins:" Eph. 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." 

To dwell in the carnal mind is to dwell in death (separation from God).

The Spiritual mind is like the good tree.  It cannot bring forth evil thoughts or evil deeds.  When we dwell in the Spiritual mind, we are dwelling in life and peace (fellowship with God and the things of the Spirit). 

"Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be."  By this, we know that a person who has not been born of the Spirit is dwelling in a state of intense hatred (enmity) against God.  He has no desire for the things of God and in his heart; he has said, "There is no God."  Furthermore, he despises even the knowledge of God. 

The above does not teach that the carnal mind is not subject to the moral laws of God, for he is judged against those moral laws.  The law that he is not subject to is the "law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus."  Thus, having not the Spirit, the spirit has no direction over his actions or desires.  He is incapable of following the Spirit or of producing the fruit of the Spirit.  The gospel means nothing to him and the service of God is just foolishness to him, "so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God."  A person who has not been born of the Spirit cannot do anything to please God.  He is totally incapable of pleasing God.

"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you."  Here the terms, "in the flesh," and "in the Spirit," are defined for us.  A person is said to be "in the flesh" if he has not been born of the Spirit.  In contrast, a person is said to be "in the Spirit" if he has been born of the Spirit and thus the Spirit of God in dwelling in him.  We need to be careful that we do not confuse being "in the flesh" with "walking after the flesh."  A person who is "in the Spirit" can walk after the flesh, but he is not by definition "in the flesh."          

"Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."  Sometime during the life of every elect child of God, he will be born of the Spirit of Christ.  Someone who has not been born of the Spirit of Christ, nor never will be born of the Spirit of Christ has no part with Christ.  He is none of His.

Chapter 8, Verse 10

Rom. 8:10 "And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness."

The above verse speaks of Christ being in you.  This is the Spirit of Christ being in you as a direct result of the spiritual birth.  Through the miracle of the New Birth, we have the indwelling of the Spirit of Christ in us.  Being born of the Spirit of God gives us two natures.  We have the nature of the flesh through the natural birth.  We have the nature of the Spirit through the spiritual birth. 

"The body is dead because of sin."  Obviously, this is not talking about the natural death of the body, but it is speaking of the body being dead to the "law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus."  Sin has rendered our flesh incapable of seeking after God or understanding the things of the Spirit of God or of doing good.  It has also rendered our flesh incapable of fellowship with God and being comforted by the gospel.  Thus the body is dead in trespasses and sins. 

But the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Through the righteousness of Jesus Christ in fulfilling the law to a jot and a tittle and subsequently through his atoning sacrifice for us we have been made legally righteous.  Through the righteousness of Jesus Christ in executing the covenant of redemption and imparting spiritual life into us through the miracle of the New Birth we are made vitally righteous.  This spiritual life that we now have renders us capable of understanding the things of the Spirit of God.  It makes us capable of seeking after God.  It makes us capable of doing good and bearing the fruit of the Spirit.  It makes us capable of fellowshipping with God.  It places us in a position whereby we can receive comfort, peace, and hope through the gospel of Jesus Christ.  It makes us capable of pressing into the church kingdom of heaven here on earth.