Join us as we unravel the theological depth of Romans 8, where Paul addresses the frailty of the law when confronted by human weakness. This episode sheds light on the true role of Jesus in fulfilling the law, not as an impetus for perfectionism but as the embodiment of our righteousness. We conclude with a reflective discussion on how reliance on the Spirit and faith in Jesus Christ redefines our spiritual identity, urging us away from legalism and toward a life rooted in grace and faith.
Paul’s giving us an intriguing passage here in the first part of chapter 8, which I pointed out the other day, is a continuation, really, of chapter 7, that is, being dead to the law, being delivered from the law, so that we serve, as Paul says in verse 2 of chapter 8, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. It’s not a law in the sense of Ten Commandments and rules and regulations. It’s the principle, the principle of life, the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, which has set us free from the law of sin and death. Remember that we are not set free from the law of sin and death, period, and just left to wander around. We are delivered from the law. We are delivered from the law of God and its judgment upon us. by being brought into this wonderful new life in Jesus Christ. But now Paul says some things that have been open to a lot of misinterpretation. So let’s take a look at it, because the context is what answers the issue. For, he says, what the law could not do… in that it was weak through the flesh, God did, by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Now this creates a tizzy for many, many people. They are delighted by the good news of being delivered from the law dead to the condemnation and judgment and identity of the law in chapter 7. In chapter 8, it says, And yet Paul then seems to confuse us by saying, okay, well, we get all this freedom so that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us finally, which brings up the idea that though We could not keep the law before we accepted Jesus. Jesus came to the world to die for our past sins, but then by the power of the Holy Spirit that he imparts through his resurrected life, we have power to keep the law and thus fulfill the just requirements of the law. That is an interpretation that many, many people give this passage. and I would venture to say it’s the wrong one. It used to torment me quite a lot in the early years, and that’s one of the reasons why I couldn’t face the book of Romans, because it seemed to offer with one hand such a liberty and freedom, that is, that we are justified without any works of the law, that we are justified even while we are ungodly, but then, when we receive Christ, we receive power, finally, to keep the law. Is that what Paul is saying? The whole context of the book of Romans is that it is not. Let’s look then at verse 3, for what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh. What’s that all about? Well, what that is all about is exactly what he has been describing in chapter 7, which is that I do what I will not to do, and I agree with the law that it’s good, but there’s a problem, and it’s my human nature. For I know that in me, that is in the flesh, nothing good dwells. For the good that I will to do, I do not do. But the evil I will not do is what I practice. This is the conundrum, the conflict, the dilemma that Paul finds himself in as a human being, who has faith in Jesus Christ, but is still living in a humanity that just will not work, and certainly will not work in relation to the law. So that is the background that is sort of all sewn up in this verse 3 when it says, for what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh. Let’s just stop there a minute. So what could the law not do? It could not produce righteousness in us. It could not produce a godly life. Why? Because it was weak or weakened by the flesh. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh. There was nothing wrong with the law. The law is righteous and good. But it comes into contact with humanity and it cannot produce in humanity what it was designed to do. because humanity has a weakened flesh, in other words, a fallen human nature. So let’s get that right from the start. Don’t think that the law suddenly changes its ability once we become Christians, because Paul has pointed out in chapter 7 that we still carry about this human nature. Verse 21, I find then a law that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man, that is the converted man, but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind. and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin and death. So, for what the law, coming back then to 8 verse 3, what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh. Right, okay. God did what the law could not do in humanity, God did by sending his own Son. What did his own Son do? Well, first of all, his own Son was in the likeness of sinful flesh. Now, notice that carefully. Jesus was not a sinner. He never sinned in his life. Who convicts me of sin, said Jesus? But he was in the likeness of sinful flesh. We can’t fully understand that. There’s a lot of controversy around it. Some people say Jesus came in the flesh of Adam after he fell, and some people say he came in the flesh of Adam before he fell. Well, I’m not going to get into that controversy. It’s endless, and it is unanswerable. But the Word of God says in the likeness of sinful flesh, not actually sinful flesh. But anyway, God did what the law could not do by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin. Notice that, for sin, or on account of sin. What is that saying? It is talking about the atonement of Jesus Christ for the sins of humanity. God sent his Son for sin, to take the judgment of sin upon himself. and also to live that godly life, and therefore he condemned sin in his own life in the flesh. Not, as some interpret it, well, Jesus came to prove that we could be perfect and keep the law, and thus he condemned sin in our flesh. No, no, that’s not what it’s saying. He condemned sin… by taking that condemnation upon the cross and dying for the sins of humanity on our behalf as our substitute sacrifice for sin. That’s what the phrase for sin means. So Jesus condemned sin in the flesh, not by doing it, by living a righteous life and saying, there you go, I’ve proven that you can obey God perfectly in this fallen human nature, so you go and do it too, and thus condemned sin in our flesh. No, that’s not what it means. Otherwise, the phrase for sin means nothing. Jesus condemned sin in his own flesh by his crucifixion on the cross, his taking the judgment of humanity upon himself. That, verse 4, the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us. Oh boy, there it is again. No, it isn’t. The righteous requirement of the law, what do you think it is? We have seen in this book from beginning to end that the law does not point to itself. The law does not say, come up higher and obey and see how perfect you can be. The law only reveals sin, as it says in chapter 3, verse 21. And then we looked at chapter 7, where not only does the law reveal sin, it arouses sin and It produces death in us, and it is an enormous trauma to our spirit and destroys our confidence before God. I mean, we’ve spent a lot of time seeing that in chapter 7. So don’t think that Paul can suddenly say that now the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us. No, he’s saying the righteous requirement of the law. What is it? It is Jesus Christ. The law was never meant to point to itself. You were never meant to concentrate on the law for righteousness. That is legalism, it is perfectionism, and it is killing to your spirit. It will finally discourage you and send you away from Christ and away from the church of believers. But once you know what the law is trying to do, then you have confidence. The law is revealing and exciting your sin and my sin so that we might look to Jesus Christ, who then becomes the righteousness. that we live by, and who then becomes or is the righteousness of the law, the law pointing to Christ, not to itself. And so, because Christ came and took the judgment of sin upon himself, for sin, you recall verse 3 there of chapter 8, he condemned sin in the flesh, in his flesh, not ours, in his flesh he condemned sin, and thus the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in us, the righteous requirement of the law, which is the call to Jesus Christ, as we put faith in him, we are counted as having fulfilled the law, its requirement, that is, Jesus Christ and our righteousness. Because we now do not walk according to the flesh and its values and its judgment and its identity, but according to the Spirit, and that identity is Jesus Christ. So get the right interpretation and you will get the right hope. Jesus is our hope and our life. Thanks so much for joining me today. Colin Cook here and How It Happens. And you can hear this program any time of the day or night and the whole archives of other programs that I’ve recorded on soundcloud.com or podbean.com. When you get there, simply key in how it happens with Colin Cook. And if you would consider a donation, it would be so helpful. Our funds are low at the moment. We support families overseas as well in Nigeria. And with this little ministry, which is now 27 years old. Well, the radio broadcast is 27. The ministry is 27. Oh, nearly 40, I think. This ministry does a lot for the smallness that it is. But thank you for your support. You can send your donation to Faith Quest P.O. Box 366, Littleton, Colorado, 80160, or make your donation online at faithquestradio.com. Thanks. See you next time. Cheerio and God bless.
