Romans 8:1-13

The New Man in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:1. Therefore now sin's captive escapes! No condemnation: Romans 1:18 to Romans 3:20; Romans 7:14 was all condemnation! Those in Christ Jesus; see Romans 6:3.

Romans 8:2. The law of the Spirit (cf. law of faith, Romans 3:27 *). emancipated me (cf. Romans 6:18) from the law of sin and death (Romans 5:12 *, Romans 7:5; Romans 7:22; Romans 7:24).

Romans 8:3 f. Through the mission of Christ God has inflicted on sin the condemnation which the law, disabled by the flesh, endeavoured vainly, and did it in that very flesh which was sin's stronghold (Romans 6:6; Romans 7:18, etc.).Likeness of sinful flesh signifies a life incarnate but sinless; the elliptical (sacrifice) for sin (see Lev., passim) adds the Atonement to the Incarnation (see Romans 4:25; Romans 5:6; also Hebrews 5:3; Hebrews 10:6, where the phrase reappears): together they wrought God's judgment upon sin, in such a way that the righteous demand of the law might be fulfilled in us, etc. God's holy law, after all, gets its own (cf. Romans 3:31); while our sin is condemned, we pass through justification into a new life of righteousness under the Spirit's rule.The (Holy) Spirit appeared incidentally in Romans 5:5; Romans 8 is the chapter of the Holy Ghost.

Romans 8:5 contrasts the spiritual with the carnal walk in their respective temper (mind), and their issue, death, in contrast with life and peace (cf. Romans 6:23, Romans 5:1). Death results from the fleshly mind, because it is enmity toward God, insubordination to His law, and consequent incapacity to please Him (Romans 8:7 f.; Psalms 90:7; Psalms 92:9, etc.).

Romans 8:9. Those in whom the Spirit of God dwells (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:16) the vital element common to Head and members (cf. Romans 9:6 with 1 Corinthians 6:17; 1 Corinthians 12:12 f., Ephesians 4:3) have escaped this fatal condition. In ch. 6 faith, here the Spirit, identifies men with Christ.

Romans 8:10 f. The body too will share in this redemption. For the present, the living spirit (cf. Romans 6:10 f.) inhabits a moribund body; righteousness characterises the one, while sin dooms the other. But the resurrection of Jesus promises, the indwelling Spirit guarantees, life even to the mortal body (cf. Romans 8:23; 2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13 f.). Read, in Romans 8:11, because of His Spirit (mg.).

Romans 8:12 f. On the above grounds, you recognise no obligation to the flesh, but only to the Spirit, by whose aid you must put to death those doings of the body (cf. Romans 6:6, Romans 7:18; Colossians 3:5) the practice of which meant death for you (cf. Romans 2:6, Ephesians 2:1). See pp. 811 f.