FREED BY THE SPIRIT
ROMANS 8:1-4
1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
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Do you sometimes feel as though you're fighting a losing battle against sin? Just about the time you think you've got things under control you lose your temper or your lust runs wild.
When Paul spoke of the "law of sin and death" (v. 2), he wasn't referring to a rule or regulation. Instead, he was speaking of a principle that says sin and death always pull us down. They always compel us to do wrong. No matter how long a man knows Jesus Christ, he'll feel sin trying to pull him away from God.
But that doesn't mean defeat is inevitable. Jesus not only promises us victory, he assures it. Just as the principle of sin states that sin always pulls us down, so the principle of the Spirit of life states that the Spirit always lifts us up.
As the laws of aerodynamics liberate airplanes from the downward pull of gravity, so God's Spirit frees us from the downward pull of sin. The next time you're tempted to sin, turn to God's Spirit. Ask for his help to lift you above the power of sin.