Free from fhe Law of Sin and Death: Romans 8:1-16

8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit 

The second half of the verse is not in the original text. If you are in Christ Jesus, there should be no condemnation in your life. Jesus Christ bore your condemning sentence.  

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

The life of Christ sets us free from sin and death. Sin has been wiped away and death has lost its sting.  

3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,

There is nothing wrong with the law (it is holy, just and good) but we could never live it because of the weakness of our flesh. What the law couldn’t do, Christ did. The law could only condemn us for our sin, while Jesus dealt with our sin 

4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Now by walking in the Spirit we fulfill what the law was always after.

5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

We can live according to the Spirit in our spirit or we can living according to the flesh in our body. The hinging point is the mind. Where we set our minds makes all the difference. We choose where we set our mind. To know why you are in the particular bondage you're in or why you're doing what your doing – go back and look at your thoughts.

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Those who live according to the dictates of the flesh can not please God.

9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

When you become a followers of Jesus Christ, the Spirit of God comes to live in you and the flesh need no longer dominate you.

10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Jesus was our representative. When He died, we died to being controlled by the appetites of our body and the dictates of our flesh.

11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

There is coming a day when the flesh will be totally eradicated and our bodies will operate in total alignment with the Holy Spirit. That’s when we receive a resurrection body.

12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

We are not to live according to self-willing flesh and let our bodily appetite dominate us. Rather by the Spirit we die to what our flesh desires and our bodies drives us toward and we live according to the Spirit.

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

We are to follow the Spirit’s leading, which is a obvious indication we are sons of God.

15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

We were in bondage to sin, which was our harsh master. Now we are Sons of God, adopted into the family of our loving Heavenly Father.

16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

There is a bearing witness inside that we are indeed God’s children and therefore heirs of God and joint heir with Christ. Until the consummation of that reality at Christ's return - we will suffer in this life as aliens in a world that is really not our home.

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Any suffering we face in this life does not compare to the glory that is ahead.