One Victorious Principle The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus FREES the believer from bondage to indwelling sin. “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Rom.8:2). Paul gave his personal testimony of struggle and failure in Romans chapter seven to segue into the way of victory in chapter eight. At his lowest point of failure, he was ready – he was in just the right condition for God to introduce to him the law of the Spirit of LIFE in Christ Jesus… a principle (law) that was even more powerful than the law of sin and death that brought him into captivity. The “law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:2) is not a law in the legal sense. It is the principle of the old sinful nature that once dominated the believer. It stands parallel to the “law of sin” (which results in death) that Paul mentioned in the previous chapter (7:23). The law of sin and death is a spiritual principle that Paul observed: whenever he wanted to do good, he ended up doing evil (Rom.7:21). It happened time and time again. It is like gravity: if you drop a ball 1000 times and observe that the ball falls down every time, you have discovered a scientific law or principle: things fall down, not up. The law of sin and death continually reveals the enslaving power of the old Adamic life. Before we were saved we were slaves to sin - to this sinful Adamic nature. It had mastery over us. But once regenerated, we are positionally set FREE and are no more slaves. The chains have been torn asunder! The emancipation proclamation was signed in blood at the cross, and we are no longer slaves to the law of sin and death. Of course we can still yield ourselves over to that old master if we choose to (Rom.6:16), but the difference is that now we don’t HAVE to because we have been positionally set free. The believer in Christ is able to experience victory over the principle of sin and death because now we have a HIGHER, more powerful principle operating in our bodies: the law of the Spirit of LIFE! The law of sin and death is still present in our members as Christians; it is still powerful; it is more powerful than we are. But it is not more powerful than the Spirit of Life. The law of the Spirit of LIFE can overwhelm and overpower the principle of sin in our members in an instant. And it doesn’t take a 40 day program or a 12 step program. The Spirit of LIFE can work in us in the time it takes to repent and yield! Thus, there is another law that operates in the yielded believer: the law of the Spirit. The law of the Spirit IS life in Christ Jesus: new resurrection life empowered by the Spirit. It is a new principle of LIFE, a principle that enables us to walk in newness of life. The believer shall REIGN in life. “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ)” (Rom. 5:17). In Adam, death reigned. The principle of sin and death affected all those in Adam. It dominated the lives of all those in Adam. It ruled in their thoughts, their hearts, their emotions, their motives, the intentions of the heart, and in their choices. Paul’s argument here is that since death reigned in the first Adam, there must be a corresponding reign of LIFE in the Second Adam. This reign of life begins with regeneration and continues to reign in the yielded believer. It REIGNS in our thoughts, emotions, motives, and our choices. The law of the Spirit of life results in a reign of life in the believer and can be experienced by faith, moment by moment. And don’t miss the royal nature of the word “reign”. The verb is βασιλεύω. The term literally means to reign as a king. Strongs Concordance defines this in a metaphorical sense as “to exercise the highest influence, or to control. The principle of life in Christ Jesus ought to reign as king in the life of every blood bought child of God. The Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us FREE from bondage to the old principle of sin and death which used to reign as king… not because the old principle of sin and death was annihilated or removed, but because the new principle is much more powerful! “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof” (Rom. 6:12). Let not sin reign - what a command! No true believer WANTS sin to reign in his/her body, but too often it does (Rom.7:21-23). The good news is that we don’t have to let sin and death reign in our mortal bodies any more. We can now say NO to the old principle of sin and death, and experience victorious resurrection LIFE in its place. We don’t have to obey that old master any more. We died to sin and the old master has no jurisdiction over dead men. “Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God” (Rom. 6:13). We don’t have to yield the members of our body to that old master any more either. This is because we now have a new Master and a new principle reigning within: the law of the Spirit of LIFE in Christ Jesus. As we yield to God, as those who are alive from the dead, resurrection life reigns where once death reigned. Victory! Note (Rom.5:17) that the passage states that DEATH reigned by one, namely, Adam. But conversely, Paul does not say that in Christ, LIFE reigns. Rather, he states that WE reign in life BY Jesus Christ: Christ in you… by His indwelling life. In the first scenario we were under the reign of sin - an evil monarch; in the second scenario, we are the rulers… more than conquerors. We reign victoriously BY the principle of indwelling life. That is our new position. And note also the “much more.” The reign of life is much more powerful than the reign of sin and death. Commentators have illustrated this by comparing the law of gravity and the law of aerodynamics. The law of gravity states that a Boeing 747 (weighing in at a mere 358,000 pounds – empty!) ought to fall to the earth; but the law of aerodynamics overpowers the principle of gravity, and keeps the plane soaring in the heavenlies! Gravity is still there and it is still just as powerful, but another more powerful principle REIGNED OVER it. The victorious Christian is one whose life is dominated – overwhelmed by the much MORE powerful law of the indwelling LIFE of Christ… and he is thus able to walk in newness of life. The old Adamic nature is still there and just as powerful – it is much more powerful than we are. But it is easily overpowered and overwhelmed by the infinite power of the Spirit of LIFE! Death is powerful, but resurrection LIFE is much more powerful. The sin of the First Adam unleashed the principle of sin and death - the fallen Adamic sin nature - a cruel tyrant who ruled and reigned over us as an evil master and brought forth fruit unto death. But the resurrection of the Second Adam, unleashed another principle: the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus: the power of indwelling resurrection life. The pilot who wants his plane to soar into the heavenlies does not spend his time trying to eradicate the principle of gravity… or tying to lift up the heavy plane himself. That would be futile, frustrating, and would always result in failure. Instead, he turns his back on gravity and concentrates instead on the law of aerodynamics that enables his plane to soar. BELIEVING that the superior law is true and that it works, and therefore he acts on that belief by climbing into the plane; he can then comfortably REST in the law of aerodynamics which causes him to soar into the heavenlies. Likewise, the believer who wants to lead a victorious Christian life is not to waste time vainly attempting to defeat the law of sin and death. Rather, he is to reckon himself dead to that old law (Rom. 6:11) and trust in the law of the Spirit of LIFE in Christ Jesus. By yielding himself to God he too will soar and be enabled to walk in newness of life! He is simply to BELIEVE what God said: (1) the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus FREES us from bondage to the law of sin and death (Rom.8:2), (2) that life REIGNS in the yielded believer (Rom. 5:17), and (3) that God has already defeated and condemned sin (the nature) in the flesh (Rom.8:3). By simply trusting in the superior principle, and acting on it (taking a step of faith – like climbing in the plane) he is ABLE to experience the victorious resurrection LIFE of Christ and soar into the heavenlies! We reign in life IN Christ: risen with Him we have a perfect, unchangeable position of victory and life (Col.3:1-4). As we by faith abide in that glorious position, it has a dramatic effect on our earthly life. Our earthly condition is gradually transformed more and more into HIS likeness. We find in Him all we need for LIFE and godliness. We find in Him the power of a resurrected life. And when the storms of life are raging, and friends have forsaken you, and the mountains around you seem to be falling into the sea, the power of HIS indwelling LIFE invigorates us… quickens us… keeps us strong… safe… stable… steadfast… solid… fruitful… enabling us to face the deepest discouragement and adversity. Then we can be still and enjoy our living relationship with the Living God, hidden away with Him (Col.3:3). We can thus reign in life - but not by our own efforts, or wisdom, or ingenuity, but BY Christ Jesus… by His indwelling life. He is all we need. You see, when the branch is resting comfortably in the Vine, and enjoying the life and vitality of the Vine - that branch isn’t worried about HOW it will resist disease and insects and other enemies. It isn’t even worried about the storm raging outside. The branch simply rests where it was positioned - in the Vine - and enjoys the healthy, refreshing, invigorating, indwelling life that naturally flows from the Vine to the branch... moment by moment. Even a brand new babe in Christ has all he needs to rest in Christ by faith, enjoy His indwelling new life, and bear good fruit. He too is complete in Christ (Col. 2:10). He may be immature and untaught, but if he’s resting and abiding in Christ, he can be spiritually healthy and experience the power of indwelling life. Yes the principle of resurrection LIFE can and should reign in every yielded, surrendered child of God. There are two opposing principles are in every born again believer: the law of sin and death and the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus. Both are vying for the preeminent position and control. As Paul wrote: “To whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey” (Rom.6:16b). At any given moment, one principle or the other reigns supreme. But one principle is far more powerful: the principle of LIFE… the law of the Spirit of LIFE in Christ Jesus. As powerful and menacing as death is, there is something far more powerful: resurrection life!
Posted on: Fri, 15 Nov 2013 00:27:41 +0000
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