Romans 8:1 (KJV)
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
At first glance a person might think walking after the Spirit, not the flesh is a condition for being in Christ and thus, not condemned. In reality it is not a condition but a description. The person who is in Christ Jesus doesn’t walk after the flesh but after the Spirit.
This doesn’t mean he/she does that perfectly. We are so prone to putting all the responsibility on ourselves (because that gives us control) that we look at this as a way to make things happen:
- I don’t want to feel/be condemned
- I will therefore be in Christ and
- I will do that by walking after the Spirit not the flesh
Truth is, this is beyond us. The rest of the chapter describes the process that is happening in us as the Spirit of God transforms us into the image of God. This is a work we are so incapable of doing in our own power that we don’t even know how to properly pray for it. This is a work of the Holy Spirit.
What can we do then? Besides calling upon the Lord and trusting Him alone for salvation we can:
- Submit to the Spirit’s leading and work
- Wait upon Him to reveal Himself “line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little there a little” until we are home. And
- Rest in the truth declared in verse one and confirmed in verses thirty one through thirty nine that, though we are a work in progress, we are not condemned.
To my readers:
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Romans 8:1 What Can We Do?
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