Romans 8:1-13
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
In 1st Samuel (or one Samuel as Donald Trump would say) the Israelites and the Philistines were at war. But like Hunger Games, representatives or in this case a representative was sent out from each side to fight and the winner was to determine which side would serve the other side - which side would be the victor sparing further bloodshed. The problem was that the Philistines sent out the terminator (Goliath) and the Israelites had no one that remotely matched up. Enter David. David trusted solely in the Lord. Even though the Israelites were weak and unable to defeat Goliath, God was so much bigger than him so David knew that if He could let God do the fighting for him, it was no match. We all know the outcome.
In a like manner, the law to us, is an unbeatable opponent. It mocks us for our weakness. It exposes our frailty and we live in fear and slavery to it. The moment we entertain the thought that we might be able to beat it, the law flexes a muscle - like covetousness, envy, or jealousy and we go back to our hole and hide from it because who isn't covetous, not even Paul (chap.7). Along comes God to fight our battle against the opponent we can't beat. Jesus defeated the law by fulfilling all it's requirements. Like The Last Starfighter, he defeated the unbeatable video game and fought the battle for us. If we just align ourselves with Him, we are victorious. We identify with Him. We say "I am no longer under condemnation, a slave to fear, a slave to evil but I am with Jesus".
If you or I are living in condemnation, guilt, fear - anything but joy, freedom, and victory - we really don't understand our victory. We don't understand grace. We are still trying to fight Goliath and we can't win. Don't you know that he has already been defeated. Come follow Jesus today in freedom and victory.
Lord, You have taken away all the sins of my past. I am a new creation. Any condemnation I feel and any past guilt is being placed on me by myself. Help me to trust what You have done for me and in me through your Son and through Your Spirit. Amen
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