Useful Bible Studies > Romans Commentary > chapter 8
Many people consider the Bible in general, and God’s law in particular, to be extremely severe. They can only see its message of God’s judgement against our sins (wrong and evil deeds). So, they could easily describe God’s law as a ‘law of sin and death’ (see Genesis 2:17; Deuteronomy 27:9-26; Ezekiel 18:20). Really, however, it is their own sin that brings death against them (6:23).
However, there are other people who truly love God’s law (Psalm 1:2; Psalm 119:97). That is not because they have a different opinion of God’s law as a set of rules. It is because they have a real relationship with God. They love God's law because they truly love God (Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Jeremiah 31:33-34; Mark 12:28-34).
Our natural state is not to love God, but to be his enemies (3:9-18; 5:10). In the same way, our natural desires and feelings do not generally cause us to obey God’s law, but rather to oppose it (Romans 8:5-8; Galatians 5:16-21). Therefore, we cannot obtain a right relationship with God by our own efforts (4:1-8). We can only receive such a relationship through the work of God’s Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9-11; Galatians 3:1-3).
That relationship is the result of what Christ did by his death (5:6-10; 8:3). Christ’s death changes our lives completely (2 Corinthians 5:14-17), when we trust in him (4:23-25). Instead of death, we have his certain promise of life that never ends (John 3:16; John 10:10; Romans 6:23). The law of God that seemed so severe, now gives us hope and life (2 Corinthians 3:6; 2 Corinthians 3:14-18). God’s Spirit, who formerly warned us of our sin (John 16:7-11), now leads us into life (8:11) and truth (John 16:13).
Next part: God sent Christ to die for us (Romans 8:3)
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© 2022, Keith Simons.