“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.”
Romans 8:1-17 NLT
Now we are heading to the main point of the entirety of the first half of Romans. This is the concept that we must separate ourselves from our sin nature. Paul concludes that this thing, we call sin, has enmeshed itself within us and we have been confused by its presence. Part of the benefit of knowing Christ is the fact that we are no longer intrinsically linked to it. We can separate from it. We can draw the distinction between the two natures and effectively hard reset our lives to a status where sin has no power over us. This is the opportunity afforded to anybody who has faith in Jesus and partakes in his grace. the Holy Spirit takes the place of the sin. The more we give to the spirit, the less control it has until it doesn’t have any. But first there must be a recognition that our own ways amount to nothing but more sin. Even those who are saved, when they choose to place their faith in the law and their own abilities, rather than the saving grace of Jesus… they must choose to succumb to his surgery of the spirit. The result of this is a realized faith that culminates in a refreshed spirit with freedom to live without guilt and sin and emnity with God. The result is that we no longer have a slave master’s providence, but instead we have that of a father who makes us heirs to his inheritance… to his glory. But this must be our choice. We must choose to die to self… but it cannot be overstated, that this choice is a choice that will have true and meaningful results if made in faith.
- Sin Nature Separation: Believers can separate from their sin nature through faith in Jesus and the Holy Spirit, gaining freedom from sin’s power.
- Holy Spirit’s Role: The Holy Spirit replaces the sin nature, and the more believers give to the Spirit, the less control sin has over them.
- Choice for Freedom: Believers must choose to die to self and rely on Jesus’ grace for freedom from sin, guilt, and enmity with God, becoming heirs to God’s inheritance.
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