Question 1

What does "no condemnation" mean in this passage?

Accepted Answer

"No condemnation" means that God no longer counts a believer’s sins against them in a way that brings a guilty verdict and punishment. The passage says this is true for those who are "in Christ Jesus," joined to him by faith. God has already dealt with their sin by sending his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and condemning sin there. So, even though believers still struggle with sin, they are not under its death sentence. They are seen in Christ, not in Adam, and live under grace, not under God’s condemning judgment.

Question 2

Who are the people who are "in Christ Jesus" here?

Accepted Answer

Those who are "in Christ Jesus" are people who are united to him by faith and shown to belong to him by the way they live. The passage describes them as those who "walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." This does not mean they live perfectly, but that the direction of their life is shaped by the Holy Spirit rather than by their old sinful desires. They mind the things of the Spirit, trust Christ’s work for them, and have the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ living in them.

Question 3

What is the "law of the Spirit of life" and how does it set us free?

Accepted Answer

The "law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" is the powerful work and rule of the Holy Spirit that brings spiritual life through Christ. It is set against the "law of sin and death," which speaks of sin’s power and the death sentence revealed by God’s commands. The Spirit sets believers free by joining them to Christ, applying his death and resurrection to them, and breaking sin’s rule so it no longer controls them. This freedom means they are no longer under the curse of the law, but are able to live for God in newness of life.

Question 4

What does it mean to walk "after the flesh" or "after the Spirit"?

Accepted Answer

To walk "after the flesh" means to live under the lead of our fallen nature, setting the mind on earthly desires and refusing God’s rule. The passage says this mindset is death and is hostile to God. To walk "after the Spirit" means to be led by the Holy Spirit, to value what God values, and to aim to obey him. Those who walk by the Spirit are described as spiritually minded, having life and peace. This walk does not earn their place in Christ, but shows that they truly belong to him and that the Spirit lives in them.

Question 5

Why does the passage say the law was weak through the flesh?

Accepted Answer

The law itself is not weak or bad, but it was "weak through the flesh" because of human sinfulness. God’s commands can show what is right and expose what is wrong, but they cannot change a sinful heart or give the power to obey. Instead, our corrupt nature twists the law and stirs up sin. Because of this, the law could not bring righteousness or life. So God did what the law could not do by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and dealing with sin in his flesh, so that the law’s righteous requirement could be fulfilled in believers.

Question 6

What does it mean that God condemned sin in the flesh of his Son?

Accepted Answer

When the passage says God condemned sin in the flesh, it means that God passed sentence on sin in the human nature of Christ. Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh, yet without sin. On the cross, God treated sin as guilty and punished it in Christ, our substitute. In this way, sin’s claim on believers was broken. The result is that sin no longer has the right to rule them, and the righteous demand of the law is counted as fulfilled in those who are joined to Christ and walk according to the Spirit.

Question 7

Why is being "carnally minded" called death in this passage?

Accepted Answer

Being "carnally minded" means having a mind set on the desires and values of our fallen nature. The passage says this mindset is death because it is hostility toward God, refuses to submit to his law, and cannot please him. It leads to separation from God now and to eternal death if unchanged. In contrast, being spiritually minded, having the mind shaped by the Spirit, is life and peace. It brings a present sense of peace with God and the hope of future resurrection, because the Spirit connects a person to Christ’s life.

Question 8

What does it mean to have the Spirit of God or the Spirit of Christ dwelling in you?

Accepted Answer

To have the Spirit of God or the Spirit of Christ dwelling in you means that God’s Spirit has taken up residence in your inner life. This is not just a feeling, but a real change. The Spirit brings faith in Christ, turns the heart away from sin, and produces new desires and obedience. The passage even says that if someone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to him. On the other hand, if the Spirit lives in a person, it shows they are not "in the flesh" but "in the Spirit" and are truly Christ’s.

Question 9

How does this passage give hope about our mortal bodies?

Accepted Answer

The passage says that if the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead lives in believers, that same God will give life to their mortal bodies. Right now, the body is marked by death because of sin, and believers still feel weakness and decay. But the Spirit in them is life because of righteousness. This means that just as God raised Christ, he will one day raise and renew believers’ bodies, removing all the remains of sin and death. The Spirit living in them now is like a pledge that their whole person will share in Christ’s resurrection.

Romans 8:1

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Walking by the Spirit

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Romans 8:1

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

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Walking by the Spirit

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