The beginning of Romans 8 is the full answer to the cry of wretchedness in chapter 7 — “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Rom. 7:2424O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? (Romans 7:24)). There are three great parts in deliverance: first, the setting free of the soul at the commencement of its career, then practical freedom in its course, and, finally, ultimate deliverance for the body in resurrection at the coming of the Lord.
Setting Free the Soul
Without spiritual freedom there can be no practical power, either in worship or in service. Let us then first consider the setting free of the soul. It must be noted that deliverance is distinct from quickening, and in Romans 7 we have the strongest proof of this. The one in Romans 7 is quickened, but not delivered. He is not careless or unawakened, but he is undelivered. He is not a natural man, but he is a carnal man. The natural man has no interest in the things of God, but the carnal man, while having new life, is not walking in the full enjoyment of it. In Romans 7 a struggle is described and fully argued out. It is a state, not of natural wickedness, but of spiritual powerlessness. Whenever he wants to do the will of God, the dead weight of evil within drags him down. He wakes up at length to the humbling fact that there is this constant inward evil ever seeking to break out and that having the blood of Jesus for his forgiveness does not fully deal with the case. An awakened conscience has given the law killing power, and he is slain in the conviction of sin, which he did not have as an unconverted man.
The experience of the soul is a valuable thing, and no soul ever values freedom without having known something of bondage. In the proper experience of every believer there is a most seasonable breaking down of self, which is the consequence of measuring ourselves before God. It cannot be learned by a mere effort of the mind. How is this necessary lesson learned? He tries to do what he should and what he desires, but he breaks down. He tries again, and he fails again. He has not yet learned to abandon himself and to rest in another. The truth is that the effect of sin is far deeper than we suppose. Deliverance comes after there has been practical proof, not merely that we are sinners, but that we are without strength, which is a much deeper thing. The man is finally brought to the point where he looks outside of himself, and this is the turning point. He had looked to the Lord to find rest and forgiveness, but when he had Christ, he thought, “I shall now be able to go on happily glorifying the Lord.” He finds out his weakness and at last looks beyond himself to Christ, where he finds that “there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:11There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:1)).
Dead and Risen With Christ
The Christian is not merely forgiven; he is identified with a dead Christ, and as such he is dead to sin. He is baptized unto Christ’s death, but as Christ is also risen, he is identified with a risen Christ. Thus the believer is dead to sin, but alive unto God, because he is seen as dead and risen with Christ. There can be no condemnation for the believer — he has absolute forgiveness. He is in Christ.
The Apostle gives two conclusive reasons for this. First, he says, “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:22For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2)). The expression “the law of the Spirit of life” means the fixed principle by which the Christian now lives. It is the place of deliverance that no one ever had until Christ died and rose again. When the Lord rose from the dead, He acted on this principle immediately by breathing on the disciples the breath of His own resurrection life (John 20:2222And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: (John 20:22)). Sin is no longer a law or principle under which the believer lives, for he is no longer in bondage to it. Nor is it true that he is doomed to die, as all men do naturally. Scripture says, “We shall not all sleep” (1 Cor. 15:51). Those alive when the Lord comes will be changed without dying. Of course, the Christian may die, just as he may sin, but neither is a necessity for the Christian. When life in the Spirit was given, there was power against sin, and when Christ comes, death shall disappear for all that are His. Consequently, we are entitled to have peace, joy, power and conscious victory now.
A Double Blessing
Second, “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” (Rom. 8:33For 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: (Romans 8:3)). Because of sin, there are two things appointed of God to man —death and judgment. Christ bore judgment as well as death, and now the believer receives a double blessing. Not only does he have life, in contrast with death, but also deliverance in Him risen, and no condemnation, because the condemnation has fallen on Christ. He was the holy One, yet became man — as truly man as He was God. He came “in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin.” This last expression means that He came as a sin offering. It was to deal with “sin,” not merely “sins,” that Christ was sent —to remove the root as well as the fruit. Sin in the flesh God condemned at the cross, for it is not pardon that is wanted for a sinful nature, but condemnation. This condemnation fell on Him who had no sin in Him, for “in Him is no sin” (1 John 3:55Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (John 3:5)). Being the holy One of God, the only One in whom was no sin, He could suffer, not only for sins, but for sin. Thus God condemned sin in the flesh.
The End Result
The moral end of all this is “that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Rom. 8:44That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:4)). Here is the walk of the Christian, in its proper order and true place. When his standing is a settled fact and when he knows himself consciously delivered, then a walk according to the Spirit follows. When we are not happy and free, everything goes wrong; we are vexed with circumstances, other people and ultimately with ourselves. Such is the condition of the soul in Romans 7. When by faith we recognize that we have died with Christ and are alive in Him to God, we are no longer self-tormentors because of the corruption within. We know that our old sinful self is totally evil, but we accept the blessed truth that it has already been condemned by God in Christ’s death. Now, by righteousness and in Christ, victory comes over self.
Of course, though one is delivered, he may not always walk in the Spirit. He may yield to the flesh and prove its bitter consequences. It is not the same wretchedness as that of Romans 7, but of a still deeper kind. What anguish to have forgotten and dishonored Him, after knowing such love and grace! Chapter 7 describes the sorrow of one not yet delivered, but the deeper affections of chapter 8 are awakened, not only in doing good, but also in sin, if the believer sins.
Thus there is the constant discerning between flesh and Spirit. We must not tolerate the least sprout of the old stock. We are to walk after the Spirit, not after the flesh. This is practically carried out by applying the blessed truth that I am entitled to reckon myself dead to sin, but alive unto God in Christ.
W. Kelly, adapted from
The Bible Treasury, 12:30-41