In Romans 8:2, Paul draws a sharp contrast between the law of the Spirit of life and the law of sin and death with this statement: “For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death” (ESV). Both of these laws are mentioned in the previous chapter: “We have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code” (Romans 7:6). God has taken action to free those who place their faith in Christ. We are no longer under the condemnation of the law (Romans 8:1); rather, we follow the law of the Spirit of life.
The law of sin and death refers to the Mosaic Law. The law revealed God’s standard, our shortcomings, the consequences of falling short, and even our innate proclivity to reject God and defy His standard. Romans 7:10–11 speaks of how sin, death, and the law are connected: “The commandment [the law] that was meant for life resulted in death for me. For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me.”
In contrast to the law of sin and death, the law of the Spirit of life brings about a reversal of the wages of sin (Romans 6:23). The NIV presents this new law in Romans 8:2 as “the law of the Spirit who gives life.” The Good News Translation has “the law of the Spirit, which brings us life in union with Christ Jesus.” Just as sin, in rebellion to the law of God, leads to death, the Spirit gives life in conformity to the will of God. Much like how God breathed life into Adam, He infuses new life into the regenerated soul (Genesis 2:7; Titus 3:5–6). This is tied to God’s grace, as revealed in the gospel.
The Spirit is the one who gives life, and He does so through Jesus Christ (see John 3:5–8). With the new life comes freedom from the old law—a law we could not keep and thus only led to sin and death. We are now under a new law that brings life. Such is the power of the gospel to save (see Romans 1:16).
We note several things about “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:2, ESV):
• The law is of the Spirit. That is, the Holy Spirit is the one who prompts us to believe the gospel, and He brings His law to bear in our hearts. We are now under the authority of a new Lord and Master. We yield to the Spirit in order that we “will not carry out the desire of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16, NASB).
• The Spirit brings life. That is, the divine law imposed by the Spirit imparts life—an everlasting spiritual vitality. Jesus likened this to “a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14). We have truly been “made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1, NKJV).
• The law of the Spirit of life is liberating. That is, the gospel sets us free from the Mosaic Law. The rules, rituals, and regulations of the law could never justify us (Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16). The law of the Spirit of life does what the law could not do.
• The law of the Spirit of life is liberating in Christ Jesus. That is, the gospel is inseparable from the person and work of Jesus. He laid down His life for ours, and “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). The person who has faith in Christ is, through the agency of the indwelling Holy Spirit, made a member of Christ. Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches; He is the head, and we are the body. The Son of God has “life in himself” (John 5:26), and since we are in the Son, we are given life, too.
Bible teacher Warren Wiersbe provides a simple outline of Romans 8:1–4 concerning our born-again relationship to the law:
2) The law cannot condemn you (Romans 8:3).
3) The law cannot control you (Romans 8:4). (The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, David C. Cook, 2007, p. 429)
Praise the Lord for the law of the Spirit of life. It’s all about grace. It’s all about the gospel.
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