January 17

Walking Not After The Flesh, But After The Spirit

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin. He thus condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous standard of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. — Rom 8:1-4 BSB

The apostle here is addressing the conditions of a holy life, and the condemnation he speaks of is the result of the constant failure so vividly described in the previous chapter. From my own experience, I know that introspection, especially during times of weakness or illness, can make us acutely aware of our shortcomings. We know that we are accepted in Christ and that our sins are forgiven for His sake, but we are painfully conscious that nothing good dwells in us—in our human nature (Rom 7:18).

The Reservoir of Eternal Life—"the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus." We understand physical life when we see a child filled with health and joy, and we recognize intellectual life as the mind develops through education. We also understand the moral life of someone who resists temptation through sheer willpower. But beyond all these, there is a Life that resides in Jesus Christ, overflowing in Him, which He longs to share with every soul that trusts in Him. Those who knew Jesus best testified that "God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life." This life more than compensates for the downward pull of our self-centered nature. The law of this life sets us free from the law of sin and death, for it has conquered death and the grave.

This Life is communicated and sustained by the Holy Spirit. We must be one with Christ—not just in our position but in our daily walk, like a sponge immersed in the ocean. We must be in Him, just as a branch is in the vine, and the vine’s life flows into the branch. This must not be just a theory but an hourly experience. We must abide in Him, and He in us. But how can this become our daily reality? Only through the cooperation of the Holy Spirit as we walk in Him (Gal 5:16). The Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus is what makes us free from the law of sin and death.

Prayer

Almighty God, I ask that You raise me from the death of sin to the life of righteousness, by the same power that raised the Lord Jesus from the dead. Help me to walk in newness of life through the aid of the Holy Spirit. Amen.