Romans 8:2: For The Law Of The Spirit Of Life Has Set You Free In Christ Jesus

Romans 8:2
[2] For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. (ESV)

In today's verse the Apostle Paul introduces someone who will be a prominent player in the rest of the Chapter. Who am I talking about? The Holy Spirit! He refers to him as the "Spirit of life." In verse 1 Paul declares that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. This is because of the law of the Spirit of Life, not because of our following of God's Old Testament Law.

The Old Testament Law is referred to as the law of sin and death. Does this mean that Paul has a negative view of the Law? No. Paul has made very clear that God's Law is perfect. In the Old Testament God established a perfect standard that represented his holy and righteous requirements. Unfortunately, that Law could not be lived up to. The consequences for sin was death.

We know that we are in a constant struggle with sin. As Paul made clear in Chapter 7 of Romans we have a spiritual "mind" that wants to do right, while we have the members of our body desiring to wander off into sin. What if God, out of his love for us, provided his own strength for us to be victorious in this constant battle?

He has provided exactly that! The Holy Spirit is given to every believer. He lives within us and is there to encourage and empower us to walk this walk with Christ. In our own strength we will lose the battle with sin every time. Yet, we are not powerless. We have the power of God's very own Spirit within us. The issue is whether or not we will yield to his working or continue in our own efforts.

Take a moment and thank God that he has given you his precious Holy Spirit. Ask him to show you throughout the day the power that is available to you by yielding to the Spirit's power.

Comments

Romans 8:18: For I Consider That The Sufferings Of This Present Time Are Not Worth Comparing

Romans 8:18 [18] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (ESV) Perspective. What an important word. Let's be honest. We do not like the idea of suffering. We will do almost anything to avoid any kind of suffering. Some churches have gone so far as to preach against the idea of suffering, declaring it to not be a part of the true believer's life. Paul is not shy about the topic. Paul uses the sufferings of this present time as a means to consider the greater glory that awaits us. Perspective. Paul is not in any way attempting to diminish our suffering. A view toward eternity puts our suffering in a proper understanding. Yes, our suffering is terrible. In the grand scheme of eternity it is not even worth comparison. Maybe you are thinking that Paul does not know what he is talking about when it comes to suffering. In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul describes countless beatings, often near death,

Romans 15:20-21: And Thus I Make It My Ambition To Preach The Gospel, Not Where Christ Has Already Been Named

Romans 15:20–21 [20] and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, [21] but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” (ESV) We need to be reminded continually that the message of the Gospel is intended to move all across the world. Jesus said that his followers were to preach the Gospel, starting in Jerusalem, and continue preaching the Gospel to the whole world. Christians have not always been good at delivering the Gospel message as far and as often as they should. In the first century church it took intense persecution to motivate the disciples in Jerusalem to bring the Gospel to Judea and Samaria. Once the disciples fled to new regions they shared the Gospel wherever they went. Would the disciples have preached the Gospel without the persecution? We may never know. Some probably would have stayed in their co

James 2:18: I Will Show You My Faith By My Works

James 2:18 [18] But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. (ESV) There are certain things in life that go together. Peanut butter and jelly. Double stuff Oreo cookies and milk. Faith and works. James raises the point that someone might argue that faith and works can be separated. "One will say, "You have faith and I have works." Is it ok for works to be separated from faith? James is making the argument that faith and works are not to be separated. James is saying to the one who has faith only, with no works, that he wants them to see his faith by his works. In other words, if you are going to claim to have faith, but have no works, you have no evidence of faith. If I am to believe that a person has genuine faith I can only see that by their works. Faith brings action. There are so many people to claim to have some kind of faith, yet when it comes down to it, their

Every Day Devotion

Search This Blog