Stepping in the Light

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2

The word condemnation in the verse above refers to a sentence or a verdict. Because of our sins, we are condemned. Not only are we condemned before God; our own conscience condemns us, and sometimes the people around us condemn us for the things that we do wrong. God’s gift of salvation frees us from the eternal consequences of sin, but sin still has a devastating effect on us. If it is true that we are sinners by nature and that we still have our carnal nature after we are saved, how can we ever hope to please God at all? This passage gives us the answer. We must walk in the Spirit. When we are saved, the Holy Spirit takes up residence within our being. God’s Spirit works within us to convict us of sin, to aid us in understanding the Bible, to guide us in making decisions and interacting with others, and to empower us to tell others about the good news of Jesus Christ. Because of the work of the Holy Spirit, we have the continual possibility of pleasing God. In any given situation, we have the ability to choose to do the right thing. When we evaluate our options based on God’s Word and make our choices following the influence of the Holy Spirit, we are walking in the Spirit. As we walk in the Spirit, we will please God, and thus we do not experience condemnation. The secret to the Christian life then, is walking in the Spirit. 

“For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 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.” Romans 7:22-23

In the first several chapters of the book of Romans, Paul thoroughly demonstrates that every person is a sinner. He makes it clear that we must realize our sinful condition before we can truly understand our need for salvation. After we accept Christ, our sins are forgiven. We are justified in the sight of God. Because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, our sins are no longer recorded to our account. The Holy Spirit comes to live inside of us, and we become a new creature in Christ. In the verses above, however, Paul points out that we still have a problem. The law of sin still reigns in our flesh. We still have our carnal appetites, attitudes, and desires. We are still capable of being angry, bitter, unkind, lustful, untruthful, vengeful, hateful, and even murderous. A careful reading of this chapter reveals a struggle between our old nature and our new nature. Many would regard the Apostle Paul as the greatest Christian who ever lived, and yet he says that the things that he wants to do, he doesn’t do; and the things that he doesn’t want to do, he does. He expresses a deep desire to please God with his actions, but he acknowledges the challenge that he personally faced in dealing with his own carnal nature. If we are going to experience success in obeying God’s Word, we must remember that we will never achieve sinless perfection. Every moment of the day, we face a battle against our sinful nature.