Author : Elmer Moore (deceased)
reprinted by permission from Truth Magazine.
This is the second article of a series of lessons on Romans Chapter Eight. As noted in the previous article, Romans the eighth chapter occurs in a section of the letter showing the obligation of the baptized to live a righteous life. This section shows that the grace of God did not provide a license to sin,(Romans 5:20 & 6:1).
After using the figure of death to show that the child of God was raised to “walk in newness of life” (6:4), and that the body of sin (i.e. body devoted to sin) had been crucified, they were not to live any longer in bondage to sin (6:6). Sin was not to reign in their life (6:12).
The writer shows that even though they were under grace and not under (the) law (6:15), this was not a reason to think that they were released from an obligation to live right. He uses the servant-master relationship to show otherwise. Sin and righteousness are both personified in this section of the letter (6:19). He shows that they had been servants of sin and it had been their master, but they had changed masters and were now servants of righteousness (6:17-18). Even though they were under grace, this was no license to sin, for they had become servants to God and should bear fruit of a sanctified life (6:22).
In the seventh chapter the writer continues to show that, even though they were separated from the law, they still were not given a license to sin. He uses the marriage bond to illustrate a truth about the law. He points out that the death of a woman’s husband freed her from the law of her husband, and that she had the right to be married to another (7:1-3). The same was true about the Jew and the law of Moses. They had been made dead to the law by the death of Christ, (Ephesians 2:14-15); they had been discharged from the law and were to serve God according to the gospel (Romans 7: 4-6).
Paul then begins a discussion of the law (Romans 7:7-25). It becomes evident that he is discussing the Law of Moses (7:7). He points out that he was not writing in a derogatory manner about the law (7:7-12). In his discussion of the law, he introduces two laws which he calls, “the Law of God after the inward man” (7:22) and “the law in my members” (7:23). These two laws are opposites. He identifies “the law of God” as “the law of the mind” (7:23); and “the law in my members” (7:23) as “the law of sin in my members” (7:23). He drops these terms and affirms that “with the mind, I indeed serve the law of God; but with the flesh (serve) the law of sin, (7:25) (my emphases). In this struggle Paul is using himself as one under the law who realizes his failure to keep the law and the consequences thereof (Romans 10:5; Leviticus 18:5). Thus the question, “Wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me out of the body of this death… “ (7:24). Paul surely was not describing himself at the time of the writing of this letter. He is describing the condition of man’s soul that needs deliverance. He declares that this can be accomplished through Jesus Christ our Lord (7:25).
Romans the Eighth Chapter
We are now ready to look at the eighth chapter of Romans. The first verse indicates that he is going to reach some conclusion on what he had been writing. He states: “There is therefore…. “ (8:1). The word “therefore” indicates a continuation of the preceding discussion.
He declares that the frustration described in 7:24, because of condemnation, is removed from those who are in Christ Jesus and walk after the Spirit (Romans 8:1,4). In verse two the writer shows the reason there was no condemnation. Verse two is introduced by the word “for” to state a reason. Let’s look at verses 2 and 3. There are three laws discussed in these two verses: the “law of the Spirit” (8:2), “the law of sin and death” (8:2), and “the law” (8:3). Note that “the law of the Spirit” was able to do something that “the law” could not do. Whatever “the law of the Spirit” did is what “the law” could not do. The “law of the Spirit” freed man from “the law of sin and death.” Since “the law” is the opposite of “the law of the Spirit” it could not free man from “the law of sin and death.”
The “law of the Spirit” is the gospel of Christ. The Holy Spirit enabled men to reveal, speak, write, and confirm the word of Christ (John 14:26; 15:16; 16:12-14; Hebrews 2:1-4; 1 Peter 1:12). “The Law” was the law of Moses and “the law of sin and death” is the “law of sin in my members” (Romans 7:23).
