Romans 8:2-4 // Life v. Death

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:2-4)

The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. What law is this? What rules does it consist of? Who polices this law? These are confusing questions. The truth is that Paul uses the word "law" in more than one way. Here he is using it in the scientific sense. The law of gravity. The laws of thermodynamics. Murphy's law. This kind of law can otherwise be called a force in this context to avoid confusion.

So there is a force from the Holy Spirit who gives life through Jesus and this force frees me from the force (power, law) of sin and death in my life. This means that the previous passages in Romans 7 were not Paul's present state but his past state. Paul described the convicted but unconverted man's struggle with his sinfulness and inability to overcome it. Paul himself, has overcome the force of sin by the force of Christ.

Now Paul uses law in the other sense. God's holy law was unable to stop me from breaking it because it is not a living creature, it is only as strong as the person who tries to keep it, and I was too weak. The law is no more capable of making me obey it than a mirror is capable of rubbing a man's face clean. Funny thought.

But this failure to keep the law is reversed by Jesus who was sent to overcome sin while loaded with our human weakness, and some extra burden as well. The purpose of all this was so that we would be able to follow his example and overcome sin in our human weakness. This is what the Word of God says.

The way we are to do this is not by focussing on keeping the law, that is walking after the flesh, and a sure way to fail. But rather to focus on Jesus and the mission he has given us. "As I survey the wondrous cross, on which the Prince of Glory died. My richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride." Not only the cross, but all aspects of true theology and true love for God and humans (a little different to "humanity") will bring you closer in line with God's law.

Becoming more obedient to God's law is the sign that you are getting closer to God.