What I'm learning from Roman's 8

I'm Free From the Law of Sin and Death

This is something I've just recently learned.  Until I learned it, I spent the majority of my life relying on myself to "do good" and not "mess up" and when I inevitably did, I spent the rest of my time feeling shameful about my own inadequacies.  Finally, as I told you before in a previous post, I read Romans 8 and for the first time really understood that God had taken care of all of that for me, and I should not be relying on myself for anything.   

The law is good and just, but if that's all there was it would be impossible to get to God by following it.  That's because we just can't manage it all on our own.  By ourselves we are naturally governed by the "flesh" or self fulfillment and that is always going to lead to sin.  Verse 7 says the "the mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God.  It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so."  We can't do it.  It's just not possible

But "what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.  And so he condemned sin in the flesh," - verse 3.  Jesus became a man just like us, but he is the only person who has ever been able to do it - meet the requirements of the law, and condemn sin once and for all.

Once we belong to Christ, the Spirit of God lives in us.  We will automatically have our "minds set on what the Spirit desires," verse 5.  The amazing thing is that once the Spirit of the one who was powerful enough to raise the dead actually lives inside of us, He is absolutely powerful enough to remove sin from our lives!

It's not to say that we will never sin again, because we are still flesh and weak, and we naturally have that self fulfilling desire.  "I can do it," or "I should be better".  That's when we will fail every time. We must learn to succumb to the Spirit that dwells within us.  It will guide us and lead us in what He desires.  And it will totally change your life!