Look at the Book
Romans 8:1–4: The Spirit Set You Free
In this third episode of Look at the Book on Romans 8, we're going to focus on one issue right there. How does that word "for" work? Father, I pray that you would help us understand the argument. You ordained that Paul would give us an argument, a reason, a basis, an understanding of how we are justified by faith, and I pray that you would make it clear. In Jesus' name, amen. So I said last time that we were going to try to understand how verse 2 is the basis. Let me remind us that first we saw that in Christ Jesus there is no condemnation. So there is a legal reality for being in Christ Jesus. In Christ Jesus has legal implications, verdict implications. Then in verse 2, the law of the Spirit of Life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. So this power, authority principle of the Spirit, which gives life, is overcoming the power of sin and we are receiving transformation. So in Christ Jesus there is a power dimension or a transformation, transformative dimension of in the Spirit. Now the question is how do they relate to each other? You might say this is the level of sanctification here where we are being made actually in our daily lives, being made wholly being freed from the power, the law of sin, and this is the level of justification by which we are declared not guilty. You may go from the courtroom free because there is no condemnation. How are they related by this little word for? The question is how does it function? First of the time when we see the word for, we think ground, and that's right, but ground or because can have at least two very different meanings. One would be the meaning of cause and the other would be the meaning of evidence for knowing something is the case. Get that right here. So for example I could say I'm hungry for I skipped breakfast or I could say I'm hungry for my stomach is growling. Now notice the difference, both are arguments, but they're arguments in very different ways. Skipping breakfast causes the hunger and so I mean when I say for I skip breakfast I mean that's the cause of the hunger. But my stomach growling doesn't cause the hunger, in fact it's the outcome, or you could say result it's the outcome of the hunger and thus it's an argument for the hunger not because it makes the hunger exist but because it makes us know that it exists. The evidence, this is evidence that I'm hungry. Now which of these kinds of grounds is happening here in verse 2, let's just paraphrase both of them. There is therefore now no condemnation, I have the verdict in the courtroom of not being guilty and the basis or the cause of that is that the Holy Spirit is at work in my life freeing me from the power of sin. And if that's what it means then it's making sanctification the basis and cause of justification. So that's a theoretical possibility or let's try the other way. There is therefore now no condemnation. I have received a verdict of not guilty. I can go free from the courtroom because God has not found me guilty and the evidence for that in my life is that the Holy Spirit is now at work in me setting me free from the law of sin and death in which case justification would be the basis of sanctification. Now the question is which of those is true and you shouldn't just solve it theologically. I have a theological answer based on other things I know but let's see if there's a contextual argument and the contextual argument is remarkable. The reason I included verses 3 and 4 is that the flow of thought here answers that question. For other argument now for this relationship for God has done what the law weakened by the flesh could not do by sending his own son and the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin God condemned and there's that keyword condemned relating back here to no condemnation. So the basis of this no condemnation is that God sent Christ and condemned sin my sin in the flesh. Jesus flesh. Jesus took my place received a penalty that I deserved and therefore I get no condemnation. So verse 3 here is a foundation of verse 1 here. This is a justification verse foundation of it. Now verse 4 says in order that a very important phrase here in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us. I'm going to argue later that this is love we'll see if that's the case that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh but according to the spirit. So this walk according to the spirit I'm going to suggest is the same as this being set free by the spirit from the law of sin and death which means this notice in order that says my walking according to the spirit here and thus fulfilling the requirement of the law in my life in my way of living of love my bearing the fruit of love by the power of the Holy Spirit is the outcome of Christ's paying my penalty and taking away my condemnation. And if that's the case that explains that this verses 3 through 4 is explaining for us this relationship up here this logical relationship namely the setting me free by the spirit from the power of sin and thus producing in me fruits of righteousness is the outcome not the cause of the verdict of no condemnation. So my answer to the question based on the flow of thought is that this for here is a for arguing as evidence that we are justified not giving the foundation or cause of our justification. the question. You
The word “for” is one of the most common in the Bible. In this lab, Pastor John explains the relationship between our justification and sanctification by focusing on those three letters: f-o-r.