Part 2 - A New Paradigm

This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called The Flesh Strains, While Christ’s Love Constrains.

God is not today dealing with us as He dealt with Israel in “time past,” we are under grace, not law. Attempting to follow Israel’s Law program will only cause sin to dominate us. God’s grace-based acceptance system involves us placing our faith our Apostle’s epistles, Paul says Christ Jesus lives His life in us and desires to flow through us, thereby making our Christian life pleasing to God. We would do well to memorize, meditate on, and believe the following verses, as a wonderful encapsulation of the Christian life.

“For the love of Christ constraineth (motivates and impels) us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again (2 Cor. 5:14-15).

In Romans 7:15-25 (below), our Apostle, Paul, discussed how he strained to perform the Christian life. He struggled to do right, but he only sinned instead, no matter how hard he tried.

Please count or circle the word “I” as it appears in these Romans 7 verses.

15For that which I do I allow not: for what I would (that which I wish to do), that do I not; but what I hate, that do I…. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19 For the good that I would (that is, I wish to do) I do not: but the evil which I would not (that is, I wish not to do), that I do…. 21 I find then a law (the “Law of Sin and death” of Rom. 8:2), that when I would (that is, I wish) to do good, evil is present with me

Paul (above) is saved but still under the naïve idea the he must, of himself, keep “the Law,” which he cannot do because the law provokes and empowers sinning. “… the strength (power) of sin is the law.” (1 Cor. 15:56b)

Paul here is a saved man, delighting in the law of God after the inward (soul) man” (v2). However, he writes of a power that works in his flesh body that opposes his effort at law-keeping.

23 But I see another Law In Members (body parts), warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of Sin Which Is In My Members.
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the (sinful) body of this death?
25a I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord (delivers me).

25bSo (summarizing the frustration spoken of earlier) then with the mind I myself (try) serve the law of God; but (still I) with the flesh (serve) the law of sin.”

Note the phrase another Law In Members (body parts), warring against the law of my mind in v23. This indicates that Paul was trying to live the Christians life by his mind and will’s soul-power, which is no match for the power of the Sin-nature “in the flesh.” We can never live righteously by our independent self-effort for more than a short time. Thus, Paul cries out, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the (sinful) body of this death? The answer is not quite what Paul had expected. Then in the next chapter, 8, Paul has come to see the answer, which is based upon the new paradigm of pure Grace. His self-effort had brought him needless anguish because he had not realized he and we today are under a new program called “the gospel grace of God,” whereby God takes no account of our failures.

Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute (count) sin.” (Romans 4:7-8)

In this age of God’s pure grace, we live under the elevated rarified atmosphere of “NO Condemnation” when we fail at righteous living.

1There is therefore NOW no (frustrating self-) Condemnation (possible) to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

It’s impossible for us as weak, sinful creatures to live the Christian life in and of ourselves; Paul reminds us:

“For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would (Gal. 5:17, cf. Rom. 7:15, 18-19, 21).

Paul came to realize as seen in these verses, that the mind is important for victory over Sin in the flesh, but not to act by itself. The mind is to be subservient to the Spirit in us.

“That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit (mind) the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally (fleshly) minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is NOT subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” (Romans 8:4-9)

To live by self-effort is to live by ‘the flesh’ and always a failure. But to live in utter dependence upon Christ Spirit of life within us is the way of victory. Thus, we read the truth; “the just shall live by faith” (Heb 10:38)

Paul finally realized that struggling under the Mosaic Law, weighing his own performance, only produced defeat and misery. He then realized that Only Christ can live the Christian life! We have victory, not in our performance, but in Christ’s performance (Rom. 7:25a) that made us accepted and keeps us accepted.

Continuing from Romans 7:25 Romans 8:1-4 KJV explains the new paradigm under the grace gospel:

1 There is therefore now no (such self-) condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of (the automatic natural operation of) the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath (already) made me free from the law (spontaneous operation) of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through (due to) the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned  sin in the flesh (the cross judged and sentenced sin):
4 (So) That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled (completed) in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after (in accord with) the Spirit.”