Internalizing the Spiritual Law

Isaiah speaks of a time in which he says many people will come and say, Let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, where He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths. And then he says, For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And so Isaiah speaks of a time that's completely different than the one that we have now, because it will be a time in which all the nations and all the people seek to learn God's law and to live according to it. And as a result, society will have a completely new orientation as they seek to God's instructions. And the very nature of man will change due to this law being poured out amongst them. And then Isaiah goes on to describe a role of the firstfruits. The role of the firstfruits will play at that time when they will teach those individuals of the law, and they will say, This is the way. Walk in it. And so with that incredible future responsibility that you and I have of directing the very steps of those who will be looking to obtain eternity, God's firstfruits for us now in this lifetime not only learn to live by God's law but to internalize it, to truly love it. We sing the songs, Oh, I love thy law. It is ever with me.

And in that song, there's a key phrase that says, I have more understanding because I dwell on it. And that's what we're going to do today. We're going to dwell on God's law and through the Scripture study and hopefully come away with a deeper understanding of fulfilling that future role that Isaiah spoke about. And also, we're going to see that our very salvation rests upon our attitude, understanding, and treatment of this holy law. Let's get started. Let's turn back to the very beginning and go to Romans 5, Romans 5 and verses 12 through 14.

Romans 5 and verses 12 through 14. This is a beginning of sorts as these Scriptures speak about the initial revelation of the law to mankind. And this is the perfect place to start as we look to understand the fullness of this. So Romans 5, we'll read verses 12 through 14.

It says, Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned, for until the law sin was in the world, but sin was not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who was a type of him who was to come. Let's stop there. What a set of Scriptures here.

In just a few Scriptures here, Paul is able to explain the very fullness of the revelation to man is why the law was given to them. And he says, what is he saying here? He says, Before we even knew it, we needed to be saved. We didn't even realize it. Death had spread to all men, and sin had done this. We were in this fatal condition.

And it says, Through one man sin entered, and sin brought with it what?

Death and death spread to all men. So at that point centuries ago, Adam and Eve decided to reject the commands of God and decide for themselves what was right or wrong. They could decide for themselves, they thought, their own instruction rely upon themselves to decide what's in or out, to depend on their own ways. And this was a law of the flesh, if you will. They decided to depend upon a law of the flesh, their own wisdom, instead of the spiritual commands of God.

And so therefore, living outside of God's commands, well, that's called sin. And sin brought with it death. And every man, woman, and child since Adam and Eve, death has been enacted. And so one of the first and foremost things that God had to do here in beginning this journey of the fullness of this understanding was to allow mankind to see the condition they were in. And the means by which God would reveal this to man that they were in this fatal condition was through the revelation of the law.

In verse 13 points out here, it says, for until the law sin was in the world. So in other words, for even before the law was given, prior to, up to, until the law, sin was in the world.

So even before the law had been written down and given to mankind by Moses, even before the tablets, sin was in the world. And that might not be shocking to us, but many believe that the law came into existence only after Moses gave it to the Israelites. But what this is making clear is that the law was also before, since the beginning of the world. How do we know this?

Because the charge had already been made. If there hadn't been a spiritual law in place prior to those tablets, then death from sin would not have been imputed. It wouldn't have been charged to mankind. It wouldn't have been accounted to men. But this says that death had been imputed because of one man decided to live outside of God's law and by his own law, decided to live by their own fleshly instruction and wisdom. And so as verse 14 here says, even if you hadn't sinned in like man or Adam, even if you hadn't sinned in that way, it doesn't matter. Death still reigned over you. But once again, we wouldn't innately know this. This eternal death condition that we're in, God had to reveal it to us that sin existed and it had done its damage. And so that alone, these two verses here, this is foundational.

This is absolutely foundational, and this is what we have to internalize as we go through this scripture because make no doubt we will be challenged on these matters.

So, let no man think there was no sin prior to the law being written to forbid it. The same acts that were forbidden after the written law was given were the same sinful acts before.

And so God wanted us to be aware and have a complete understanding that those wages, the wages of sin, brought death and death had been imputed to all mankind. We all earned death eternal. And so through the law, God revealed this to us that sin brought this death and living without his spiritual law, living outside of his spiritual law, it's lawlessness. And that's the consequence that it brings. And so he said, here's the law. Now, you know. And so this is what Paul speaking about here in verse 12 through 14. And this is the reason why you and I dearly love it.

Because without it, how would we know? You know, you've heard that the law is a mirror, and that is a pretty good analogy. But when this mirror was held up to us, it revealed that we were dead. No hope. Gone hers. And so we sing about it and we thank God for it. And thank you for revealing this to us through the law. But we say, Father, I hope that the story doesn't end there.

Leads us to this next question. We say, thank you, Father, for showing us this through the law.

But let me ask, is there anything, Father, then that can be done about this condition that I'm in? Is there any way out of this? Father, I don't want to be presumptuous, but surely you didn't reveal to us that this eternal death condition without giving us a way out, without an escape. Well, of course not. No loving Father would allow his children to be in this condition without a remedy.

And here at the end of verse 14, we see just the smallest mention of the remedy, the cure, the response, the solution that God the Father has given us. Just the smallest mention of what holds the best news that you and I could hear. Verse 14 says, nevertheless you're dead. Death reigns from Adam to Moses. But Adam, though, being a type of someone who is to come. It says, Adam is a type of him who is to come. Ah! Well, what is this? Who is this? This one, this capital H here. Well, it would turn out that he would be the cure. It would turn out that he would be the one that would have the answer, the remedy, the resolution, the response to this eternal death condition that we have found ourselves in. He would be the great Savior who would now redeem us, recover us. He would be the one that would pull us out of the grips of death and the one that would give us life once again. But the Scripture tells it perfectly. I don't need to give those words. Let's see how the Scripture tells us about this one Jesus Christ and what he would do for us. Look at Romans 5, verse 6 through 11. Staying here in Romans.

Romans 5, verse 6. It says, For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

For scarcely a righteous man will one die, yet perhaps a good man, someone would even dare to die.

But God demonstrates His love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us, even before we knew we were dead. Even before we knew. Verse 9.

Much more than, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him, saved from death. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son. Much more having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

And not only that, but we rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we now have received the reconciliation. So we have been delivered, reconciled from this death.

It says it perfectly here. Do we grasp this? This is the key understanding in our preparation as future teachers here. By the time the law was held up to you and I, and we were able to see this wretched condition we were in, and this death eternal that we had earned, a solution had already been provided. We see here that a Savior by the name of Jesus Christ had already come and saved us, ironically, first through His death and then through His life as He was risen up. Let's read more about this rescue here. Verse 18. Romans 5 verse 18. It says, Therefore, as through one man's offense, judgment came to all men resulting in condemnation.

Even so, through one man's righteous act, a free gift came to all men, resulting in the justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience, many were made sinners, so also by one man's obedience, many will be made righteous. Let's stop there for a moment. So through one man's obedience, many will be made righteous. Obedience to what? Obedience to what? Christ's obedience to God's spiritual law was the catalyst to bring us back to life and to bring many to be made righteous.

Verse 20. Moreover, the law entered, it was revealed to us that the offense may abound, so that we may see it and see it abounded us, see the wretchedness, see the lawlessness.

But where sin abounded, then grace abounded much more. So that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

So let's stop there. So these are eternal life matters that we're speaking about today. So once again, once that mirror, once the law was given, it revealed the sin in us and it clearly showed us that that offense abounded in us. That offense then brought death to us, but a gift was already in place to be given. This gift of grace and that gift of grace from Jesus Christ would be applied to us and the result would be access to eternal life. His death and his rising up once again would be the act that would make this gift available to us. The gift of grace that would result in the justification of mankind to be brought back to life. It can now be justified for the Father to make life eternal available to mankind. It can be justified now. So grace, as it said, far outmatched sin, grace and life would have bound in us much more than sin and death ever could. They were no match. Grace, this undeserved favor shown to us that we receive from God and it includes this gift of forgiveness. And grace and forgiveness made possible through the blood of Jesus Christ, his death, and then he rose up again and his life would then have the power to extend to all men and all women. This is why the Father sent the Son, because Jesus Christ brought with him the solution to mankind's condition. And so law and grace together, they are both wonderful gifts of God. The law shows us our wretchedness of our evil sins that has been caused by us living outside of his spiritual law. And then grace, this favor is shown and applied to us to rescue us from that condition. And we've been able to see that all here in just a handful of scriptures in chapter 5.

It's amazing and that's why this is the perfect place to go if you're ever needing to have an answer, to give an answer. So sin, and it's condemning us to death, no longer remains. A solution had been given. Life has now conquered and overtaken death. Life made possible through Jesus Christ. And so with Jesus Christ then and through him, there is no more condemnation to death.

But wait, we're going to see here and continue to read, and we're going to see that something comes along with having this condemnation lifted from us. We're about to see with regards to the lifting of this condemnation to death, that there's a requirement of the one who has this gift to give. There's a requirement of the one who has lifted this condemnation from us. Verse 18 says, it says that it's a free gift to all men, resulting in the justification of life. So Christ has this gift to give. He's holding this gift of justification back to life, this gift of grace. So the big question is, how do we receive this gift from Jesus Christ? Well, the answer is profoundly simple and plain to see. It's not hidden from you and I. And Romans 8 verse 1 speaks of this. So how do we receive this gift of grace, this gift of no condemnation?

Romans 8 verse 1, it says, There is therefore no condemnation, no condemnation to death, to those who are in Christ, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. Ah, these words.

These two scriptures here, they are not being directed to the world. This is speaking to the future teachers, those that are truly in Christ, those to whom God the Father has opened their eyes. This is speaking to the true Christian. If you are not in Christ, these words will mean nothing to you. You'll read them and they'll have no effect on you. But if you are, then these words and these two scriptures mean everything. The condemnation to death is only lifted from those who walk a certain way. The gift of no condemnation comes with a condition. The gift of no condemnation, the gift of grace, where favor is shown to you, only comes by one means. It comes and is given to those that are in Christ. And you are in Christ only when you walk a certain way. And that is the way of the Spirit and not the way of the flesh. Adam chose that way of the flesh, that law of sin and death. That's the way he chose. And he said, that's how Eve and I are going to walk, according to that. The world's pulpits teach of a belief in Christ, but they have no idea what it truly means to be in Christ. If they did, they wouldn't preach what they preach. That the law has been done away with. But what is the fullness of what we're reading here? Reading in full. There is therefore now no condemnation to who? To those who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. God's spiritual law was revealed who we were. The law revealed that we have been living outside of his spiritual law, and that lawlessness then brought us death. And so Christ came and he rescued us from death. And so now we have read, therefore to receive this gift of no condemnation, we cannot walk as the path that Adam and Eve set us upon. We must walk a new way and walk according to God's spiritual law that began this whole understanding. Are you ready?

Because we have been called to change the course of history. The course that we have been set upon, that Adam and Eve set us upon. That's not the course that we are to take. We have been called to change history. A new course you are to forge. Are you ready? This is your purpose.

This is why you've been chosen. So let's go back to Romans 8 verse 2 here. Romans 8 verse 2. It says, for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. This is such an interesting scripture. Most of Paul's writings can get quite convoluted, we know. It's to what he's trying to convey. But these two verses here really solidifies what Paul is trying to get across here. Paul speaks of two laws and how we can be free from one of them.

Again, verse 2. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. So what exactly is he speaking of here with these two laws?

Keep your finger here. We're going to come back to Romans. But turn over to Galatians 5 and verse 16 through 18. Galatians 5 and verse 16 through 18. We're going to see Paul here writing to the Galatians, and he's speaking about these same two laws again that were described there in Romans 8 verse 1 and 2. So let's see what he says to the Galatian church about these two laws, the law of the Spirit of life in Jesus Christ and the law of sin and death.

So Galatians 5 verse 16 through 18 says, Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary to one another, so that you don't do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

What law? Romans 8 verse 2 said we are free from the law. What law are we not under?

When we walk according to the Spirit. When we walk accordingirling with the Spirit of life in Jesus Christ, when we walk according to that law, what law, then, are we not under?

When we walk according to the Spirit, the Spirit of life in Jesus Christ, What law are we free from? We are free from and not under the law of sin and death. These two sets of Scriptures are so important. Romans 8, verses 1-2 says, Therefore there is no condemnation to death, to those that are in Christ who don't walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. And then he mentions these two laws. The law of the Spirit of life and Jesus Christ has made me free from the law of sin and death. And now we read here in Galatians 5, verse 16, that walk in the Spirit, and if you do, you won't walk according to the flesh, according to that law. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, they are contrary to one another. But again, Galatians 5, verse 18 says, If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Again, what law is Paul speaking of that if we walk according to the Spirit, that we are not under? Is he speaking about the law that Moses gave, the commandments? Is that the law that we're not under? Don't believe it. What are we reading here? When Paul speaks about not being under the law, he speaks about not being under the law of sin and death. We are no longer under the pool that that law pulls at us in the flesh. We are no longer under the bondage to sin. We are no longer under its control. That law, the law of the flesh, has no power over us. Why? Because we are under a far greater law, the law of the Spirit of life in Jesus Christ. That law, those commandments that have been written on our fleshly hearts, that law has made me free from the law of sin and death. Sin and death no longer rule over us. That law, the law of sin and death, no longer is a curse upon us. Through Jesus Christ, the believer, the true Christian, is free from sin's power and the consequence of death that it brings. It no longer rules over us.

Go back to Romans 6, verse 5. This is so fascinating here. Romans 6, verse 5. We're going to read more about how and why we are free from sin's power and the death that it tries to put upon us. With Christ, we are no longer slaves to that law of sin and death. Romans 6, verse 5 through 7. Beautiful words here. It says, For if we have been united together in the likeness of his death, certainly we should also be in the likeness of his resurrection.

Knowing this, that our old man was now crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin, for he who has died has been freed from sin. The old self is buried. So continuing here, verse 8.

Now if we truly died with Christ, we believe that we shall live with him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over him. For the death that he died, he died to sin once and for all. But the life that he lives, he lives to God. Likewise, likewise, you also reckon yourself to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey its lust. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourself to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall have no dominion over you, for you are not under law, but under grace. Let's stop there. What law are we not under? What law no longer has dominion over us? We don't obey that law, that law of the flesh leading to death. We don't let that law reign in us, that law that Adam chose. We have a different law reigning in us. The law of the spirit of life in Jesus Christ, that's who now we obey. The law that's been from the beginning of time, that was, and then later to be written down on those tablets. The law that's been given to generations after generations since Mount Sinai, that's the law that has dominion over us, and that is the law that we are under. And did you see this understanding here in verse 11? Romans 6 verse 11, it says, you also reckon yourself to be dead indeed to sin. This is the position that you and I now have. The method by which Christ solved the condition of us being slaves to this law of sin and death, that law of the flesh, is to bring us into the death with Him. As verse 5 said, united together in the likeness of His death. So we're brought into the death with Him.

And so that old man, that old woman, is gone. Who you used to be, reckon today that He is gone.

Reckon today that She is gone. They're crucified. They're brought into the death with Jesus Christ. And look upon yourself today as being dead to the appeal and power of sin.

Today is a new day, and we have the power to resist and not allow sin to establish itself and have control over us. We do not have to give in to its lust. With the law of the spirit of life of Jesus Christ living in us, sin can never be our master. You're no longer living under the law of sin and death. Your old self has come to an end. So when sin strikes, the analogy here is that it's striking a dead man or a dead woman. We're unresponsive to it. Totally unresponsive. And so the working of the law of the spirit of life in Jesus Christ has made me free from the downward pool of the flesh. The flesh that seeks to corrupt me and make me absolutely hopeless in the consequence of death. So we now have the life of Jesus Christ living in us, and so we don't walk that old way.

We walk. We fight that law of the flesh every day. The law of sin and death. We fight to the bitter end. And Paul sums up this battle perfectly between these two laws. Look at Romans 7, verses 21 through 25. Let's see what Paul writes about these two laws here.

Romans 7, verses 21 through 25. He says, I find then a law that is evil is present with me, and the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man, but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members, O wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death?

Well, I thank God through Christ Jesus, our Lord. So within with my mind, I serve the law of God, but with the flesh, the law of sin. We certainly feel that way sometimes, don't we? So Paul is speaking about the law of sin and death. He speaks about that law being in our flesh and making us want to walk according to it, but we don't, because we know that Jesus Christ will not give us that gift to lift that condemnation from us if we continue to walk under the law of sin and death.

But if we fight, this is what Paul is saying here, if we fight every day, if we fight to walk according to the law of the Spirit of life and Jesus Christ, there is no condemnation. Let's continue here. Let's go back to Romans 8 verse 3. What we're going to see here is Paul's now going to give us more understanding about this relationship of being in the flesh, but having this perfect spiritual law given to us. And the fact is, we lose this battle every day, but there's someone with us in this battle, thankfully.

Someone who, the only one who's ever conquered it. Let's read Romans 8 verse 2 again, leading into verse 3. For the law of the Spirit of life and Jesus Christ has made me free from the law of sin and death, but for what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending his son in the likeness of sinful flesh on account of sin.

He condemned sin in the flesh. So what's verse 3 saying here? The law is not weak, it was made weak through and because of the flesh. Prior to his conversion, Paul thought he was a pretty upstanding, law-abiding Jew. But now here in Romans he's expressing the very depths of his understanding now. Once the law was held up to him, he knew he was not who he was to be. He knew what he looked like now, and he was not who God wanted him to be.

He saw he needed saving, he saw that he was wretched, and there was only one that could save him. And so he's in this battle, this ever-evil present in him, and in his mind he's serving the spirit of law of Jesus Christ, that law, but in his flesh, this law of sin. But the spiritual law revealed who he was, and the law made it known, brought his wretchedness to light.

But the law in and of itself could not bring him back to life. Only one could. Only the one who came could do that. And so this beautiful, simple thank you he gives here. But even though the law could not save him, Paul made it so clear, he wanted to give this understanding that there is such great value and such great power that the law provides, in that it's able to define, it's able to reflect the sin that abounds in us.

The law says, this is the way walk in it. We can't determine ourselves. It's the first sin that Adam and Eve committed. The first mistake in thinking that they had the discernment to decide what was good or evil. That's the fruit that they ate of. But we reject that tree now. We reject that tree of relying on ourselves for that knowledge.

And now we turn to God through his spiritual law for that understanding. But when we come up against God's law, again, as we read here, the flesh weakens it because this perfect spiritual law is then written in this imperfect flesh.

And it actually stirs up and it provokes us. Did you know that this perfect law actually stirs up and creates this battle in us? The abundance of sin is brought forth. It's brought to light and it begins to show us. And this battle begins that Paul spoke about. Let's see this. Look at Romans 7, 5 through 6. Romans 7, 5 through 6. It says, For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit to death.

But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. Let's stop there. So the spiritual law from God actually stirred up in our members to bear fruit to death. So what does that mean? Well, when God's law was held up to us and shown to us innately, the flesh wants to do just the opposite, just as Adam did.

So the flesh pulls us in the opposite direction of what God's law has instructed us to do. And that revelation then actually stirs up in us fruit to death.

And what this scripture is saying is that only intensified when Christ came. That inner battle only intensified when Christ came because He expanded the oldness of the letter.

Because now the letter of the law was amplified. Now, just don't murder, but don't hate. And actually, Christ said, I'm not done there. You actually have to love those that hurt you. Love your enemies. And every one of the Ten Commandments was expanded and magnified in that way and then exposed to us, held up so we could see ourselves. And so the law provoked. It stirred up this sin in me, Paul says. And if you read these scriptures, you can think, well, I don't know. Is this a good thing? Is somehow this a bad thing? Is somehow this stirring up of sin in me? Not good. Let's continue. Verse 7. Chapter 7, verse 7.

It asks that same question. What shall we say then? Chapter 7, verse 7. What shall we say then?

Is law sin? Is the law somehow sin now because it does this? Certainly not. On the contrary, I would have not known sin except through the law. For I would not have known about covetousness, and unless the law had said, you shall not covet. But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desires, that fleshly desire to go against God's law.

For apart from the law, sin was dead. And I was alive once without the law. But when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found brought death. For sin, taken occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. Therefore, the law is holy, God's law, and the commandment holy, just and good. Let's stop there. So our flesh has a desire to be sinners, a desire to live outside of God's law. The flesh innately has a desire to be transgressors against that which we're told to walk. So what's happening here is that sin is taking advantage of the holy law through our flesh. This holy law is just and good. Sin takes that law and then twists it and perverts it to serve its own purposes. And sin says, you decide what's right or wrong. Eat from that tree and from which the first man and woman ate from. So the problem is what he's saying here is not the holy, just, and good law from God. The problem is that it falls on the flesh.

But for what the law was powerless to do, not because it was unholy or unrighteous, not because it was not good, but because it was weakened by sinful nature, what the law was powerless to do, God did through Jesus Christ. And so again, Romans 8 verse 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.

Perfect God, perfect law, in perfect flesh. He sent his only begotten son in the likeness of sinful flesh. When the father sent his son, he brought him in the closest manner that he could in the closest relationship to sinful humanity possible without the son becoming sinful himself.

God made him in the likeness of sinful man, and he was man in every aspect, except he would be the only one who would not be tainted by sin despite living in the same sinful flesh that you and I live in. And because the sinless Savior died and rose again, then God is able to look upon him and impart you. Isn't that incredible? That's what the son did for us. God is able to look upon him because he sacrificed, he brought himself and took on that penalty for us. So God is able to look upon him and his righteousness and his overcoming and imparting you and me. Incredible. He was under the curse from God for nothing he did. He was under that curse that we might be granted life once again. It is incredible, but it gets even better. There's something else that incredible that occurs in this process. Something occurs that when you and I are walking under this law, the law of the spirit of life and Jesus Christ, God has then allowed us to participate in something and have an incredible privilege. And it's found in this next verse here, Romans 8 verse 4. Let's see the something that God has allowed us to participate in. Romans 8 verse 4. He says, He condemned sin in the flesh 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. Incredible. He condemned the flesh in sinful man in order that... Did you see that? In order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us who walk according to the spirit. You see, every day that we overcome the law of sin and death, every day that we remove ourselves from being under it, every day that we demonstrate that we are free from that law of sin and death, then every day that we fight and turn back to God, turn back to His law, the spirit of life in Jesus Christ, every time we do that then, the righteous requirement of the law is being fulfilled in you. Christ fulfilled all that God demanded of Him in the perfection of His life. He offered Himself up. And so now we, as a result, how thankful we are, don't walk according to the old way.

We are to walk according to a new way. The result of that law living in us, the spirit of life in Jesus Christ, it is us, the result is us turning back and back to that law, never giving up.

And when we do so, we begin to fulfill the righteous requirement of that law. Christ does that through us. Those righteous requirements of the law begin to be met in us. Can you believe it? That's incredible.

And so the world is able to see this perfect Savior reflected in how we are living.

They're able to see that what Jesus Christ did through us, through our example, through our effort, through our striving to show Him back to love and how grateful we are for what we've been given.

Well, let's conclude here. Let's conclude. We're going to read Romans 8, verse 12 through 14.

And we're going to see here that because of this knowledge that there is an obligation.

We are willing, living debtors. We were chosen to change the course of history that Adam set us upon.

So let's conclude here. Romans 8, verse 12 through 14. It says, Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh to live according to the flesh.

For if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if you live by the Spirit, you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.