My son Josiah was learning to ride a bike as early as four. I would grab on to help him and he would say, “four can do anything.”
You can figure out the rest for yourself. That is indicative of an independent spirit. He refused to acknowledge his need for me as a source of help.
If we insist on doing it ourselves we get the alarming discovery of failure just as Paul did. But sometimes we need to reach the end of ourselves before we can look to Him and receive help.
When it comes to walking free from condemnation by walking according to the Spirit we must learn to identify with the right person, not the right thing.
Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Now we hear that there is a law of the spirit of life. This is not a law such as what we have on the side of the road on a large sign with a number.
This is a law such as the law of gravity. It just is. It cannot be changed by man. Gravity just is. You throw up a brick above your head I hope you move or have some Tylenol.
There is a law of the spirit of life. This law is not written on paper, it is not stored in a library somewhere. It is embodied, tucked away in a person.
Jesus said, “I have come to give life and to give it more abundantly.”
The law of sin and death, that just and holy law, the written code of moral conduct cannot give anyone life. It can only do what it was created to do. It proves all unrighteous before God.
I love how it says what the law could not do!
Why? Because it was weak through the flesh.
The law identifies with me and shows me how wrong I am. It cries out against me daily declaring I need to be better. But because it calls to me to fix myself it fails to fix me because it relies on my flesh to get it done. Thank God for the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
About The Author
- Tim Atchley
- Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
- I currently serve as Senior Pastor of Harvest Church in Knoxville, Tn. I was sent out from Trinity Chapel of Knoxville in 1993 accompanied by my wife Sheila our four children Sarah, Hannah, Josiah & Isaac and a handful of bold, brave and committed believers determined to plant our first church. Pioneering is hard work but well worth the journey. That is why we desire to make disciples of Christ who will, like us, also embrace the call to plant churches.
