Romans 8:1-8 If we lose ourselves to follow Jesus, everything we do pleases Him

Romans 8:1-8 If we lose ourselves to follow Jesus, everything we do pleases Him

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Background

God banished Adam out of Eden not because he committed adultery or murder, but because he had intended to rule creation apart from God. Thus, Adam committed the original sin; which is arrogance. For he desired to be his own master. Subsequently, arrogance gave birth to murder, adultery, greed, lust, hate and anger. Ever since then, humanity was cursed with the bondage of arrogance; the law of sin and of death. Jesus came in the flesh and bore in His body the bondage of humanity. Indeed, where Adam failed, Jesus succeeded. Having received all power from the Father, Jesus did not want to rule the world apart from God (see John 13:3). Jesus submitted Himself under God’s rule saying, “Not my will but yours be done.” He defied the law of sin and death by handing Himself over to evil men to be tortured. In so doing, He destroyed the power of sin and arrogance on behalf of humanity. And all who follow Him are freed from the bondage of arrogance to rule creation with Christ. Having been freed from the bondage of sin, we begin to live a life that pleases Him. And God rewards those who seek to please Him (see Hebrews 11:6). Today’s devotion teaches us: If we lose ourselves to follow Jesus, everything we do pleases Him. 

Observation

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

“Condemnation” is not merely a feeling of guilt; it is the state of falling under divine disapproval. Just as an employee who is “condemned” within a company loses the favor of his superiors and experiences career stagnation, so also a person under God’s condemnation loses access to the grace needed for growth. In this condition, there is no hope of ever becoming the image of God.

“Those who are in Christ” refers to those who have surrendered their lives to Him. Only those who remain faithful to Christ—obeying His guidance and submitting to His lordship—are released from condemnation and restored to God’s favor.

Here, “the law” refers to a modus operandi—a governing principle or way of life. Just as different nations operate under different laws, there are distinct laws that govern hell, the earth, and the kingdom of God. Thus, “the law of the Spirit of life” describes the governing way of life in God’s kingdom.

Jesus Himself lived by this law of the kingdom when He said, “Not My will, but Yours be done.” In doing so, He fulfilled the true law—the law of the kingdom. Therefore, those who live under the “law of the Spirit of life”; the law of the kingdom devote themselves to aligning with God’s ideals, values, and purposes. Their deepest desire is to love God wholeheartedly and to love others by working to make the world a better, more righteous place.

On the other hand, “the law of sin and of death” refers to the governing way of life in hell, on the earth, and even in paradise—a realm still below the kingdom of God. In these realms, the dominant principle is self-preservation, even among those who may outwardly behave lawfully. Their relationship with God tends to be transactional, driven by the desire to fulfil their own ideals, dreams, and plans. Those who live under “the law of sin and of death” remain governed by their sinful instincts. They still undergo bodily death because they do not possess glorified bodies capable of dwelling in the kingdom of God.

What drove Adam to eat from the forbidden tree was the desire to live independently of God—this is the essence of the law of sin and of death. In contrast, what compelled Jesus to obey the Father, even unto the cross, was His unwavering desire to submit to God—the law of the Spirit of life. Therefore, all who follow the way of Jesus, living according to the law of the Spirit, are set free from the law of sin and of death and are enabled to live forever in the kingdom of God.

For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh,…

Here, “the Law” refers to the commandments—particularly the Mosaic Law, which contained both blessings and curses. The fundamental weakness of the Law lies in its inability to free a person from “the law of sin and of death.” Though the Mosaic Law can command righteousness, it cannot deliver a person from the inner power of sin. As a result, human actions remain trapped in a cycle of sinful passions and lawlessness. Paul writes:

“For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.” — Romans 7:22–23

The Law can regulate outward behavior, but its influence does not reach the heart. And yet it is precisely the heart that determines a person’s direction and destiny. Proverbs teaches, “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:23). Jesus likewise said, “For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.”(Matthew 12:34b)

The sobering truth is this: the human heart is spiritually dead, corrupted, and incapable of naturally embracing Christ’s ideals. Without inner regeneration, the Law can only expose sin and mete out its consequences—it cannot transform the person who remains bound under its verdict.

…God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin.

For humanity to experience true regeneration of the heart and learn to walk in God’s ways, God sent His own Son; One who operated according to the law of the Spirit, the way of life in the kingdom. He did not possess the sinful passions that drive humanity to live independently of God. Yet He was born under the Mosaic Law, having been circumcised on the eighth day. Jesus took on “the likeness of sinful flesh,” sharing in human instincts such as fear, sorrow, disappointment, doubt, hunger, and pain. But He carried none of the malicious passions like envy, hatred, the desire for power, or self-exaltation that form “the law of sin and of death” within fallen humanity. And like every human being, Jesus still had to make real choices when confronted with temptation.

However, Jesus did what no human has ever done: He overcame the law of sin and of death; the law of the earth by willingly giving Himself over to evil men to be executed. He went against the natural inclinations of humanity, which are selfish and independent of God’s will. By surrendering Himself and establishing the blood covenant, Jesus destroyed the power of sinful passions that reigned over all flesh; He condemned sin in the flesh.

By destroying the law of sin and of death, Jesus opens the way for His followers to walk in the ways of the kingdom; the law of the Spirit of life. The Mosaic Law cannot transform humanity because it has no power over the heart, but the Spirit knows no such limitation. Through the blood covenant, the Spirit is able to enter our hearts, freeing us from the law of sin and death and enabling us to be conformed to the law of the Spirit of life.

For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

There are two kinds of people: those who operate according to the law of hell, the earth, and paradise (according to the flesh) and those who operate in the kingdom of God (according to the Spirit). The distinction between these two categories is not determined by what a person professes, but by their desires and inclinations.

Those who walk in the Spirit are inclined to place God’s plan and the interests of the community above their own. They do not seek salvation, reward, or blessing for personal gain; rather, their pursuit of righteousness is motivated by a desire to bring healing, peace and justice to the world. They are willing to endure inconvenience and hardship in order to accomplish God’s will.

In contrast, those who operate according to the flesh are primarily driven by self-interest. Their pursuit of salvation and blessings is ultimately centered on themselves. Even if some consistently participate in charitable acts, they live lawfully, avoiding harm to others as the malicious might do, they remain under the same category, for their ultimate goal is personal gain. Paul unequivocally declares that such a way of life is hostile toward God. Their desires and thoughts stand in opposition to Him. Even when they appear outwardly pious, their motives reveal that they have rejected God. Unless they are willing to surrender themselves fully to serve Him, nothing they do can be truly acceptable in His sight.

Truth

If we lose ourselves to follow Jesus, everything we do pleases Him

The flip side is also true: If we do not lose ourselves to follow Jesus, nothing that we do will be acceptable to Him. God rejected Adam not because he committed adultery or murder, but because he was unwilling to lose himself to follow God. For he wanted to rule the world on his own. Thus, the law of sin and of death is at work from the day Adam was created. Therefore, the original sin (the law of sin and of death) is the desire to be one’s own master. Unless we repent from this dreadful and fleshly inclination, nothing that we do will please God. And nothing that we do will ever be of eternal value.

Many in the church seek to please God by participating in worship services, prayer meetings and bible studies. They served and contributed much to the ministry. Some practised strict discipline in reading the bible and keep themselves chaste from temptations. But their minds are made up concerning how they want to live. They have plans and are intent on fulfilling them. They kneel in servitude before God, but in their hearts, they have become the master and God, their servant. They “serve” God to exact His blessings and salvation. And if they do not get what they want, they will not hesitate to leave the church. Still, many asked God for guidance but with no intention of following Him. They prayed for a “good” job in hopes of gaining wealth and power. But when God gives them a position that will contribute to those in need, they reject it. Indeed, for those of impure motives, nothing that they do is pure. Titus 1:15-16 says,

To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed. – Titus 1:15-16

But for those who follow Jesus, everything they do pleases Him. God is not concerned about the scale of our works, but our heart’s posture. In the parable of the talents, both the one with the five talents and the one with the two talents received the exact same praise, “Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” – (Matthew 25:21,23). Therefore, we must never compare ourselves with another.

Even in the exercise of spiritual gifts, a pure heart is needed if we want to be found pleasing to Him. Paul said,

“If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.” – 1 Corinthians 13:2-3

How do we overcome the original sin?

In the beginning, there is only one commandment: Man must not eat from the forbidden tree. Failure to obey that single commandment resulted in the expulsion of humanity from paradise. To return to the place of bliss and blessing, man has to rise up from where he has fallen. He has to repent from the original sin that Adam has committed.

But that is not the case for many Christians. They focus on behavioural and ideological issues: of rights of gay and lesbians, of addiction to drugs, and gambling. Some who are more noble focus on moral issues: adultery, domestic violence and idolatry etc. That said, it remains that man must repent of Adam’s original sin; the desire to be one’s own master.

We must believe in Jesus by following Him. In other words, we have to deny our dreams and ideals to fulfil His plans for us. Jesus came to do just that: to undo the curse of the original sin by denying Himself of the right to live. Jesus said,

“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it…” – Matthew 16:24-25

If Christians follow Jesus by denying themselves and taking up the cross, we will overcome the darkness and addictions of the community.

Application

How much of your plans are conceived by you? Ask God to reveal to you your heart’s posture? 

We must discipline ourselves to hear what the Spirit is telling us to do for the day and the week. We must set our minds to accomplish what God has given us to do for our career, our family and our church. In so doing, we keep our eyes focused on the life of peace and fruitfulness that God has ordained for us.

Dear Lord, I lay down my plans and submit them to you. Guard my heart against all evil and cause me to be aware of Your lovingkindness. From morning till evening, cause my spirit to shine with Your heavenly light. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.