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by Rose Murdock
"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 A law is this: For every action, there is a consequence. If there is no consequence, there is no law. The law of gravity says that what goes up, must come down. If something just goes up and there’s no assurance of it coming down every time then it’s not a law. This verse tell us that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus makes one free from the law of sin and death. There are two different laws here and the one overrules the other. The law of sin and death is that if you sin, you die. Sin leads to death-spiritual death. The law of the Spirit of life makes one free from that law, free from death as a consequences of sin. What is the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus? Notice it says, ‘the Spirit of life’, so rather than looking at this naturally or physically, look at this from a spiritual perspective. The Spirit of life, or the life of God, is imparted to you through Jesus Christ to your spirit. It begins in your spirit and from there affects you outwardly. This kind of life is not just physical life, but spiritual. James 2:26 says that the physical body is dead without the spirit. When someone dies their spirit leaves their body. Your body is not alive without your spirit. Now if your spirit has not had the life of God imparted to you, then your physical body is alive in the sense that you exist and function in this world but you are not alive spiritually and cannot live life to the extent that God intends for you. The law of sin and death reigns over those who do not have the law of the Spirit of life operating within them. Without the law of the Spirit of life upholding you, then the law of sin and death rules in your life. That means death, spiritual death, will come as a result of the sin in your life. Everyone sins, there is no one who hasn't besides Jesus, and all of us would have spiritual death ruling in us both here and in eternity if Jesus hadn't put the law of the Spirit of life into operation. Jesus said: "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and they they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10 Jesus came to give abundant life! The kind of life that doesn't have death hanging overhead. He also said:"It is the spirit that quickeneth, (makes alive), the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." John 6:63 He said, the words that He speaks are spirit and life. The words Jesus spoke are full of spiritual life! He goes on to say in verse 64, "But there are some of you that believe not..." It requires believing, or faith, on your part. As you believe in Jesus, the life of God will be imparted to you and the law of the Spirit of life can begin to overrule the law of sin and death."...The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach: That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Romans 10:8-10 Spiritual, eternal life is imparted to you as you believe the Word of God that was spoken or preached to you and then you confess Jesus as Lord of your life. This is the basis of salvation and it will increasingly bring the life of God to you as you continue in it. Jesus said that if you continue in His Word then the truth you come to know as a result of that will make you free. "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17 The word "word" in this scripture is "rhema". Meaning, ‘an utterance’. The words Jesus spoke are spirit and are life and they bring faith. The Word of God is not just a nice storybook. The Word of God is more than a guidebook for living. There is power in what Jesus said. There is life contained in those words. The things Jesus said & taught and the example He gave while living here, will bring life to you if you will follow that. Ephesians 6:17 says to take as part of your armor the ‘sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:’ Jesus spoke the Word to the devil when he came to tempt Him in the desert (Matt, 4:1-11). God spoke to bring into existence the world as we know it, (Hebrews 11:3). The words God speaks and has spoken have power to them and are a weapon for you when times are tough. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is that as you believe in Him, He brings His life to you. And this life does so much. It keeps death from ruling over you. It keeps the consequence of your sin from ruling over you. Not that God intends for you to sin all you want and avoid the consequence of it. If you continue in sin then it will eventually catch up with you. In the book of Galatians it says that if you "sow" to the flesh you will reap corruption, but if you "sow" to the spirit then you reap everlasting life. So your actions and motives will definitely reap a result. But the law of the Spirit of life keeps you from being driven by fear and guilt and allows you to be motivated by gratitude and love instead. You have the power, through the life of God within you, to overcome sin and to live the right life. The kind of life that God has known all along is right for you and that you know deep within. What does it mean to live according to the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus? It means that you receive His life into your life by believing in Jesus Christ. And because that law has made you free from the law of sin and death, you are free to make choices without fear or guilt driving you. You are free to pursue the life of Jesus because you want to and because you are grateful for what He has done for you. You have the power to live as your heart is leading you. You can overcome the obstacles and the traps that arise. You are free to creatively express your love and worship to God. And free to express yourself with the gifts He has given you. This is true freedom, true power and true life. God Bless you and have a great day!
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