Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
Many people say that the New Covenant is not by keeping the commandments, and it is by being in Christ Jesus, walking in the Spirit.
Romans 8:2″For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”
Here they argue that since they are now “in the Spirit,” they are “free from the law,” and that “Spirit is life; and law is death.”
Looking at those two verses, it seems it is just what they say, right? But the question is, who are those who are “in the Spirit”? How can we identify them? Verse 1 tells us. It says that those who walk in the “Spirit” “walk not after the flesh.”
WHAT ARE THE WORKS OF THE FLESH?
Galatians 5:19 “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, [20] Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, [21] Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Looking at this list of actions that people who walk after the flesh do, does it not tell us that walking after the flesh is the opposite of keeping the Ten Commandment Law of God? Here’s another scripture for the works of the flesh:
Mark 7:21 “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, [22] Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:”
Again, looking at this list, we see that those who walk after the flesh are doing the opposite of keeping the Commandments of God. Let’s see if the Scriptures agree… Let’s find out who are the people who are really “in the Spirit”…
1 John 3:24 “And he that keepeth His Commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.”
It tells us plainly in that verse that we can KNOW that “Christ is in us” when we have the “Spirit” that empowers us to keep His commandments! And this is the opposite of doing the works of the flesh!
Galatians 5:17 “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”
The Scriptures agree! Won’t you look at that? Amazing! Notice, it also says that people who are after the lusts of the flesh “cannot do the things” that is after the Spirit, which is keeping the Commandments.
Now, with that knowledge, we see, then, that what Romans 8:1 is actually saying, is that those who are keeping the Commandments (walking after the Spirit) are now not under the condemnation of the Law, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2), but those who are not keeping the Commandments (walking after the lusts of the flesh) are still under the condemnation of the Law. Why?
Why are those who are keeping the commandments not under the condemnation of the Law, but those that are not keeping the commandments are still under the condemnation of the Law?
Because…
1 Timothy 1:9 says, “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, [10] For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;”
Before we move on, notice that the sins enumerated in this Scripture are sins against the Ten Commandments. “Ungodly” and “sinners” are sins against the first and second commandments; “unholy” and “profane” are sins against the third and fourth commandments; “murderers of fathers and mothers” are sins against the fifth commandment; “manslayers” is sin against the sixth commandment; “whoremongers” and “for them that defile themselves with mankind” are sins against the seventh commandment; “menstealers” is sin against the eighth commandment; “liars” and “perjured persons” are against the ninth commandment and desiring to do any of these with the motive of gaining something that belongs to your neighbor is against the tenth.
We also see that the 1 Timothy 1:9 tells us that the Law is more for those who are not keeping it than it is for us who are keeping it!
Let me give you an example. This is simple. Let’s say there are two men standing on the sidewalk, against a wall with a sign that says, “No Smoking.” One of them is smoking, and one of them is not. Now, to who among the two men does that law apply to, to the one who is smoking, or to the one who is not? To the one who is smoking, eh? Who is under the law, then? The one who is smoking — the one who did not obey, the one who breaks the law.
And that’s why…
Galatians 5:17 says, “But if ye be led of the Spirit (keeping the commandments), ye are not under the law.”
And this is also why…
Galations 5:22 said, “But the fruit of the Spirit (keeping the commandments) is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, [23] Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
We, commandment-keepers, are “free from the law of sin and death” because we are keeping it! Therefore, it has nothing against us!
Whereas for those who are under the law because they are going against it, and keep on sinning, they are still under the condemnation of death.
1 John 3:4 says, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”
and Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
You want eternal life?
Galatians 5:16 “This I say then, walk in the spirit (keep the commandments), and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” [24] “And they that are Christ’s (see 1 John 3:24 above again – keeping the commandments) have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” [25] “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit (keep the commandments).”
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