Postscript to Romans 8

I had wanted to include this in Freedom and Paul (part 1) but it wwould be too long. So I left it out, but felt pressed to include it as a postscript.

8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

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

3  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

4  That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

5  For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

8  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. That is a harsh word. It’s not that the unbeliever is as bad as he can be. Some are very moral people, some do a lot of good and nice things. Yet they cannot please God. Why? They are in the flesh.

A good picture of this is Israel in Egypt. They were in bondage in Egypt. They were slaves of Pharaoh. While they were in Egypt they were unable to serve the Lord. They were in Egypt and not the promised land – the wrong place – and they were servants of Pharaoh, not Yahweh – the wrong lord. They were not able to serve God. They had to be set free from Egypt so they could serve the Lord.

While they were in Egypt they had no choice, no option other than to serve Pharaoh. But once they were redeemed they were free to choose to serve Yahweh or Baal. It’s not that they were as bad as they could be, they were simply in the wrong place (Egypt) and under the wrong lord (Pharaoh) and therefore unable to serve God.

The unbeliever is in the same predicament. He is in the wrong position (the flesh) and under the wrong principle (sin). He needs to be set free. When he believes in Jesus he is then in the Spirit and is now able to walk after the Spirit and so please God.

Or, in modern technology, he is like a cell phone with no service plan. He can punch in all the right numbers in the right order, but it just will not work. He can sincerely believe that it will work, but it will not work. The only number that works on a cell phone with no service is 9-1-1. Isn’t that something, all he can do is call for help! All the unbeliever is able to do is call for help. But when you call for help, God answers!

Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.