pt2;
THE VITAL PRINCIPLE OF
A DYNAMIC SPIRITUAL LIFE
The law (principle) of life - The Holy Spirit is repeatedly described as the Source of spiritual life. Read Ro 8:10, 11; Jn 6:63; 7:38,39. Notice the "sphere" of this life - in Christ Jesus. Do you know and are you experiencing the Holy Spirit as your Source of life in Christ Jesus?
Paul is describing a principle of the spiritual life, like the law of gravity (see below), for one does not have to urge on the "law of gravity" to exert its effect. It does it because that is its natural function. It is like the heart beating. The principle is that it beats without having to be told to do so (excepting of course artificial means of stimulation). In the same way the "law of the Spirit of life" works constantly and will ultimately accomplish His goal of conforming each believer to the image of God's Son (see Ro 8:29, 8:3-note). One is reminded of God's promise to Jacob...
Vine notes that "The phrase “the Spirit of life,” is not subjective, “the Spirit who has life,” but objective, “the Spirit who gives life.” “It is the Spirit who quickeneth” (John 6:63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life."). (Vine, W. Collected writings of W. E. Vine. Nashville: Thomas Nelson)
Law (3551) (nomos) is used in this context to stand for the regulative principle which exercises a control over one. It is analogous to the phrase, the "law" of gravity. Law in this use is not a reference to the Mosaic law or to other divine commandments or requirements. Nomos is a general "principle" or rule, norm and/or standard of judging or acting. It is the principle by which something else operates (see note) Nomos is used in the sense of a principle of operation earlier in the letter, where he speaks of “a law of faith” (see Ro 3:27 note) and as he does in Galatians, where he speaks of “the law of Christ” (Gal 6:2). The law of the Spirit is higher and more powerful than the law of sin and death.
Webster's 1828 says principle is "In a general sense, the cause, source or origin of any thing; that from which a thing proceeds; as the principle of motion. Being that produces any thing; operative cause. The soul of man is an active principle. Tillotson."
Stated another way the law is not a written law but a regulative principle which exercises a control over the life of the believer. On the positive side, the regulative control over a believer's life is exercised by the Holy Spirit (although He can be resisted, quenched, grieved, etc which thwarts the efficacy of His supernatural power and work in one's life!). This control is in the form of the "supernatural energy" giving us both the desire and the power to do God’s will (see Ezekiel 36:27-note, Philippians 2:13-note).
The principle of the sin and its association with death is abundantly clear from Romans 7, where we saw the power of sin which brings death as demonstrated by every sin we commit and every cemetery we see. But now in the Risen Christ, Paul instructs us that the "operating principle" of the Spirit of life is stronger than that associated with Sin, and in fact has the inherent power to free us from the operating principle of sin and death, which controls all those who are still "in Adam" and which can still exert its deleterious effects upon those are now "in Christ". But Paul knows that the truth about these two principles has the potential to set his believing readers free to be all they have the potential to be "in Christ."
In short, the power of this new life is the Holy Spirit Who becomes the Almighty Agent within the believer, securing him wholly, making effectual in experience the deliverance which Paul saw when he cried in Romans 7:24-25:
Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free (rhuomai = rescue by drawing or snatching another to oneself and invariably from danger, evil or an enemy) from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.
Of course, the deliverance is through Christ, for it is Christ's Own risen life which every believer now shares ("Christ our life" - Col 3:4-note). But it is the blessed Holy Spirit as "the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus", Who makes the deliverance a reality in our everyday experience. It is the Spirit Who is constantly at work in us to make effectual the deliverance from the "law of sin and of death".
The "law (principle) of the Spirit" is analogous to the "law (principle) of aerodynamics" and it's effect on lifting a plane off the ground thus "countering" effects of the "law (principle) of gravity" (see F B Meyer's note). The Spirit similarly lifts believer's lives to a new plane, to "fly" at a new altitude that heretofore was not possible under the "law of sin and of death" when they tried to attain righteousness in their own power and/or by keeping the Law (or religious rules - anything that we do with the intent to try to make us more pleasing to God. God does not desire our fleshly works or sacrifices but obedience, a broken spirit, a broken heart). We were not justified by faith and we cannot be sanctified by faith (Gal 3:3)...it is a supernatural work of grace of the Holy Spirit of God (Gal 5:1,7). Observe that prior to Romans 8 the Spirit was only mentioned for four times in this letter, but in Romans 8 He is mentioned 19 times making Him clearly a "keyword"!
THE VITAL PRINCIPLE OF
A DYNAMIC SPIRITUAL LIFE
The law (principle) of life - The Holy Spirit is repeatedly described as the Source of spiritual life. Read Ro 8:10, 11; Jn 6:63; 7:38,39. Notice the "sphere" of this life - in Christ Jesus. Do you know and are you experiencing the Holy Spirit as your Source of life in Christ Jesus?
Paul is describing a principle of the spiritual life, like the law of gravity (see below), for one does not have to urge on the "law of gravity" to exert its effect. It does it because that is its natural function. It is like the heart beating. The principle is that it beats without having to be told to do so (excepting of course artificial means of stimulation). In the same way the "law of the Spirit of life" works constantly and will ultimately accomplish His goal of conforming each believer to the image of God's Son (see Ro 8:29, 8:3-note). One is reminded of God's promise to Jacob...
"And behold, I am with you, and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." (Genesis 28:15)
So too the law of the Spirit will accomplish what God has promised (cp Phil 1:6-note). There is a new law for the new life., a new spiritual principal for a new spiritual life! This animating (life giving/producing) principle is the Holy Spirit Who acts as the Imparter of life (Jn 6:63).Vine notes that "The phrase “the Spirit of life,” is not subjective, “the Spirit who has life,” but objective, “the Spirit who gives life.” “It is the Spirit who quickeneth” (John 6:63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life."). (Vine, W. Collected writings of W. E. Vine. Nashville: Thomas Nelson)
Law (3551) (nomos) is used in this context to stand for the regulative principle which exercises a control over one. It is analogous to the phrase, the "law" of gravity. Law in this use is not a reference to the Mosaic law or to other divine commandments or requirements. Nomos is a general "principle" or rule, norm and/or standard of judging or acting. It is the principle by which something else operates (see note) Nomos is used in the sense of a principle of operation earlier in the letter, where he speaks of “a law of faith” (see Ro 3:27 note) and as he does in Galatians, where he speaks of “the law of Christ” (Gal 6:2). The law of the Spirit is higher and more powerful than the law of sin and death.
Webster's 1828 says principle is "In a general sense, the cause, source or origin of any thing; that from which a thing proceeds; as the principle of motion. Being that produces any thing; operative cause. The soul of man is an active principle. Tillotson."
Stated another way the law is not a written law but a regulative principle which exercises a control over the life of the believer. On the positive side, the regulative control over a believer's life is exercised by the Holy Spirit (although He can be resisted, quenched, grieved, etc which thwarts the efficacy of His supernatural power and work in one's life!). This control is in the form of the "supernatural energy" giving us both the desire and the power to do God’s will (see Ezekiel 36:27-note, Philippians 2:13-note).
The principle of the sin and its association with death is abundantly clear from Romans 7, where we saw the power of sin which brings death as demonstrated by every sin we commit and every cemetery we see. But now in the Risen Christ, Paul instructs us that the "operating principle" of the Spirit of life is stronger than that associated with Sin, and in fact has the inherent power to free us from the operating principle of sin and death, which controls all those who are still "in Adam" and which can still exert its deleterious effects upon those are now "in Christ". But Paul knows that the truth about these two principles has the potential to set his believing readers free to be all they have the potential to be "in Christ."
In short, the power of this new life is the Holy Spirit Who becomes the Almighty Agent within the believer, securing him wholly, making effectual in experience the deliverance which Paul saw when he cried in Romans 7:24-25:
Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free (rhuomai = rescue by drawing or snatching another to oneself and invariably from danger, evil or an enemy) from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.
Of course, the deliverance is through Christ, for it is Christ's Own risen life which every believer now shares ("Christ our life" - Col 3:4-note). But it is the blessed Holy Spirit as "the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus", Who makes the deliverance a reality in our everyday experience. It is the Spirit Who is constantly at work in us to make effectual the deliverance from the "law of sin and of death".
The "law (principle) of the Spirit" is analogous to the "law (principle) of aerodynamics" and it's effect on lifting a plane off the ground thus "countering" effects of the "law (principle) of gravity" (see F B Meyer's note). The Spirit similarly lifts believer's lives to a new plane, to "fly" at a new altitude that heretofore was not possible under the "law of sin and of death" when they tried to attain righteousness in their own power and/or by keeping the Law (or religious rules - anything that we do with the intent to try to make us more pleasing to God. God does not desire our fleshly works or sacrifices but obedience, a broken spirit, a broken heart). We were not justified by faith and we cannot be sanctified by faith (Gal 3:3)...it is a supernatural work of grace of the Holy Spirit of God (Gal 5:1,7). Observe that prior to Romans 8 the Spirit was only mentioned for four times in this letter, but in Romans 8 He is mentioned 19 times making Him clearly a "keyword"!
