Victory over sin
In spite of the fact that there is a constant struggle in this life with sin, there is “no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus.” Chapter actually begins with a pronoun, ouden (“no one, not even one, absolutely not” which is used to negate a concept to mean it becomes “worthless, invalid or meaningless”), which is in the emphatic position and negates the possibility of any condemnation. Then Paul connects 7:25 with 8:1 by the connective “therefore” (ara, “transition in natural sequence thus accordingly,” FRIBERG) to show that the struggle with the propensity to sin in our bodies will not result in “condemnation” (katakrima, a technical term for the results of judging including the sentence and its execution, “sentence of doom,” FRIBERG). What do the following verses teach us about “condemnation”? John 3:19 John 3:38 John 5:24 Rom 5:18
• The key to the avoidance of this condemnation is in the phrase “in Christ,” which appears 76 times in the NT, this being the second occurrence (3:24) in Romans. Those who are “in Christ” must have been “placed into” Christ. In the Greek, “put into” translates the word baptizo, “to baptize.” Thus to be “in Christ” means that one must have previously been baptized into Christ. How does 1 Cor 12:13 make this clear?
• The last phrase of 8:1 found in the King James and New King James is omitted in most other translations. This is due to the fact some ancient manuscripts omit this phrase, but all manuscripts have the identical phrase at the end of v. 4.
8:2 Now begins a series of reasons why there is no condemnation to the believers in Christ. “For” connects this verse to the preceding verse introducing several explanations. The first reason is liberation that comes from the Spirit when the believer is “in Christ.” The believer is “set free” (eleutheroo, aorist active, “liberty from the dominion of another’s control”), in a once-and-for-all action. The “law of the life-giving Spirit” is in parallel to the “law of God” (7:25), which is in contrast to the “law of sin and death,” which is in parallel to the “law of sin” (7:25). Just as sure as the law of sin produces death, so the law of the life-giving Spirit results in a permanent new life. In the following verses what are the elements that produce liberation in the believer? John 8:32 John 8:36 Rom 6:17-18 Rom 8:21-23
8:3-4 The fact of our freedom is established, how is it made possible? The Law was never intended to liberate a person from sin, in fact quite the contrary. In the following verses write out the purposes of the Law: Rom 3:19 Rom 3:20 Rom 5:20 Rom 7:7 Gal 3:24
• The purpose of the Law is to make sin even more obvious and appear so bad that all hope of ever being “good enough” to be acceptable to God is vanished. All the Law can do is to tell you what you should do, but there is no provision for how to be fully obedient. Verse 3 declares the Law is “weak” (astheneo, “feeble, without strength, powerless”). The Law is “good,” and “holy,” but it must depend on the ability of the “flesh” (sarx) to fulfill it, but the human sinful corruption cannot consistently avoid the temptation to disobey, thus condemning all human beings. Man’s only hope has to be something outside of him. Understanding the grave reality of man’s disobedience and guilt should be like a “tutor” or “schoolmaster” (Gal 3:24) to teach us that acceptance before God is impossible through our obedience, but only possible through a Perfect Human substitute who did obey perfectly all the law. According to 2 Cor 5:21, how did God “condemn sin in the flesh?”
• Now, with the power of the Spirit within us, the law “may be fulfilled” in us (pleroo, aorist passive subjunctive, “cause to abound, complete, carry into effect” ). The condition for this victorious living is possible by being enabled to “walk” (peripateo, present active, habitually or continuously “make one’s way, progress”) by the Spirit. As a person begins to habitually obey the commandments, the Spirit gives the power