January 18

The Law Of The Spirit Of Life

For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set you free from the law of sin and death. — Rom 8:2 BSB

Even the simplest child understands something about gravity—the force that pulls weight toward weight. What gravity is to matter, the downward pull of the flesh is to the spirit. Anyone striving to live a better life is keenly aware of this pull. Just as the laws of gravity operate in the natural world, they have a counterpart in our inner experience. There is always a pull toward the self—toward what I want, what I choose, what I prefer. The fall of the soul toward the flesh, or self-life, accelerates with each yielding, and the downward velocity increases. If it weren’t for the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus, which sets us free from the law of sin and death, even the child of God would fall as swiftly as the most depraved sinner.

Overcoming the earth-pull can be seen in the flight of a bird. Consider the lark, which sings as it rises, or the gull that gracefully follows the motion of a ship at sea. Birds do not simply float; they balance their wings against their weight, defying the earth-pull. However, if a bird’s ability to fly is impaired, it falls helplessly to the ground or water. Tragically, a bird that lands on water contaminated by oil will have its wings rendered useless, leading to a miserable end.

The Spirit works according to a law—"the law of the Spirit of Life." Do not grieve Him through insincerity or hatred. If you sense a decline in His power, go back and find where you deviated from His gentle leading. Confess your failure and make things right, and once again, you will experience His life-giving power, which overcomes sin and death. Your soul will rise like an eagle, soaring upward like a lark, sunward, heavenward, and Godward. But you must take time to be holy—through meditation, prayer, and especially through time in the Bible.

Prayer

Help me, O Lord, to find the life You have promised. I thank You for implanting within me the seed of Your own nature. Do not leave or forsake me in my upward climb. Teach me to exchange my strength for Yours and to mount up with wings like eagles. Amen.