In Jesus’ day, and no less in Paul’s day, with the law having been turned into a boundary marker that separated Israel from the surrounding nations, Paul insists that God necessarily and effectively relieved the condemnation for sin which was death, “By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh” (Romans 8:3b). Here, we note Paul’s use of “Son of God” terminology, bearing in mind the introduction of his letter, in which he sets forth the Gospel message, writing about the Son “Who was a descendant of David with reference to the flesh, Who was appointed Son-of-God-in-power according to the Holy Spirit by the Resurrection from the dead” (1:3b-4a). This descent from David, appointment to King-ship (Son of God being a royal, kingly term for Israel’s messiah), and Resurrection from the dead, therefore showed Him to be “Jesus Christ our Lord” (1:4b). Better said, He was shown forth to be Jesus, the anointed one of God (Christ/Messiah), Who is now the Lord of all the earth, with all authorities and powers subject to Him.
Returning to the eighth chapter, we find that “concerning sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous requirement of the law may be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (8:3b-4). We must carefully work through Paul’s thought process. To begin, we need to get a firm grasp on “sin” as it is presented here. Sin is that which causes us to be less than fully human. Sin is that which defeats us from bearing God’s image and not reflecting His glory into the world. As has been said, His glorification was God’s intention for those that He created to bear His image. The law was given to aid His covenant people in this endeavor, but when given this opportunity, Israel failed.
At that time, they were observing the requirements of the law, but because it was being used as a boundary (keeping non-Israelites outside of the covenant) rather than as an aid to blessing (bringing non-Israelites into the covenant), God was still not receiving the glory that He desired. Indeed, they were falling short, and doing it willfully and proudly. Jesus comes on the scene and condemns this sin of what was then termed as the “works of the flesh” (circumcision, food laws, Sabbath keeping), which were being ardently held to as a means of identifying those that were truly God’s people and who would be the beneficiaries of God’s expected action on behalf of His people. This continued to defeat God’s ultimate purposes for Israel, for His creation, and for the people of a renewed Israel (from every tribe and tongue) that He had chosen for Himself from before the foundations of the world.
The condemning of this sin of the flesh was brought about “so that the righteous requirement of the law may be fulfilled in us.” This “righteous requirement” pointed to the plan, rooted in God’s covenant faithfulness (first revealed to Abraham), to extend His blessings to all peoples, doing so through His covenant people. Through His faithfulness, and the faithfulness of His Messiah (Jesus of Nazareth), God was able to fulfill what it was that was required by His covenant, which was the creation of a covenant family that would encompass the peoples of the world. This covenant family would represent the living, breathing, serving kingdom of God, as in union with His Messiah through a faith-granted belief in Him they would be a people willingly submitted to Him as Lord. This submission crossed all boundaries of race, ethnicity, class, and social status, showing itself as the anti-thesis of that to which Israel had been holding to through that day.
Rounding out the thought of the fourth verse, we see that the righteous requirement is fulfilled in those “who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” This reinforces the point that has been being made, in that God’s covenant faithfulness is demonstrated, not in those who wanted to set up systems and hold to traditions of exclusivity, doing this in accordance with the flesh (works of the flesh); but rather, God’s covenant faithfulness is demonstrated by those that walk according to the Spirit. Those that are gifted to faith and belief by the Holy Spirit, believing in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, are a new creation in union with Christ. The works of the flesh (circumcision, etc…) were now irrelevant.
It is this new creation, empowered by the same Spirit that raised up Christ from the dead, that are those through whom God now works to continue to extend His covenant and bestow His blessings, with this accomplished first and foremost through the preaching of the Gospel (which must include crucifixion and Resurrection). As we continue to think about the works of the flesh that made for a continual separation of Israel from other peoples, we must also acknowledge that part of the work of the Spirit is the tearing down of those walls, so that “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female---for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:28-29).
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