When we understand that we are no longer condemned for sin, we trust God freely, standing in His grace, walking in His Spirit, doing His works.
This doesn't ring exactly true to me. There is something off about it.
Romans 4:23-5:2 KJV
23) Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
24) But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
25) Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
1)
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2)
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
We have peace with God through faith in Jesus, and also by faith in Jesus we have access into this grace wherein we stand. We stand in God's grace, and we access this grace by faith in Jesus, in the efficacy of His death and resurrection.
Romans 7:4-6 KJV
4) Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
5) For
when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
6)
But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
The motions of sin working in our members is "by the Law", that is, Law, legalistic living, that is, living according to the life/death requirement of rightousness causes the "motions of sins" to "work in our members". This idea that we may yet be condemned for our sins actually causes sin to be provoked within us.
Romans 7:7-8 KJV
7) What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
8) But
sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
Romans 7:13 KJV
13) Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that
sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
Romans 7:22-25 KJV
22) For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23) But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24) O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25) I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
This passage gives us the bottom line understanding of sin and righteousness in the Christian. The flesh body is corrupted by sin, and operates sinfully. The inward man - the new creature, the spirit child of God - lives according to the law of God. The flesh lives according to the law of sin.
Romans 7:13 KJV
13) Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that
sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
The commandment is to make sin exceedingly sinful, that is, no downplaying it, no denying it, just, absolutely sinful sin.
Romans 5:20 KJV
20) Moreover
the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
Law causes sin to increase. Because it provokes the flesh, because the flesh is God's enemy.
Romans 8:6-7 KJV
6) For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7) Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
So when you give the flesh the commandment of God, that becomes the target of rebellion, producing all manner if sinfulness.
1 Timothy 1:5 KJV
5) Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
The commandment ends when love comes. Love, a good conscience, and real faith.
1 Timothy 1:9 KJV
9) Knowing this, that
the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
If we try to serve Law, or to judge ourselves according to Law, to conform ourselves to our perceptions and understandings of Law, we put ourselves in the place of the ungodly, our flesh being provoked to sin, and we've put ourselves in the wrong fight.
Romans 7:4 KJV
4) Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
Because that's the way Law works, God removed us from that life, giving us a different life with different governing principles.
Romans 8:1-4 KJV
1) There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2) 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.
Works of Law will never make us righteous because we disqualify ourselves by disobedience, and all disobey. Righteousness is lost.
We are set free from that law of sin and death. Law condemns sin, but also provokes sin, and therefore kills us. Jesus satisfies the Law on our behalf, and removes us from under that system.
Now, instead of "sin and death", our governing principle is "the spirit of life in Christ Jesus". There is no condemnation because we are reconciled to God, have received that reconciliation, and have been rebirthed from God Himself, sharing His nature, just as we used to share Adam's nature. And of course physically we still do share Adam's nature, and that's where the trouble lies.
If you've read this far, I commend and thank you, just a little bit more.
1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 KJV
12) And the Lord make you
to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:
13)
To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
Love, increasing and abounding in love, this is how we are established unblameable in holiness before God.
1 John 4:16-19 KJV
16) And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
17) Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
18) There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment.
He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
19) We love him, because he first loved us.
Jude 1:20-21 KJV
20) But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
21)
Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
1 John 3:1-3 KJV
1) Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
2) Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but
we know that,
when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3) And
every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
Trusting that Jesus really did take away my sin, really did forgive me, really did recreate me, really did come to live with me, really will never leave me, This is the meaning in Galatians,
Galatians 3:1-5 KJV
1) O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
2) This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
3) Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
4) Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.
5) He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Ministering by the Spirit, working miracles, this is not the outcome of legalistic living, it is by the "hearing of faith".
Galatians 5:18 KJV
18) But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Galatians 6:13-16 KJV
13) For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.
14) But God forbid that I should glory,
save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
15) For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but
a new creature.
16) And
as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
Much love!
