What is the Law of the Spirit of Life?

Do you feel condemned even though you know that you are forgiven? Do you feel the pressure to perform even though you know about grace? Do you struggle to reconcile God’s grace with your own effort?

These challenges are faced by those who are not fully acquainted with the law of the Spirit of life

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. (Romans 8:2)

The entire human race lives under one of two laws. In Adam, you were governed by the law of sin and death, but in Christ, you are governed by the law of the Spirit of life. A new law signifies a new king. Formerly, you were a captive of sin, but now you belong to God.

Okay, sweet. But what does that mean for your everyday life?

What is the law of the Spirit of life?

The law of the Spirit of life refers to the rule or influence of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The main way his influence is felt is through the outpouring of the Father’s love in our hearts

The love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5:5)

The love of God is like air for us. We need it to live and the Holy Spirit gives it to us.

God’s love inspires us to trust him, be our true selves, and tell others the good news. When the love of God captures your heart, you will no longer use words like “debt,” “duty,” and “responsibility” to describe your Christian walk. Living religiously is a drudge, but living righteously becomes easy when we are empowered by the Spirit of the Father’s grace.

When you were born again or put into Christ, you received his Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come. The Spirit of Christ poured out the Father’s love and set you free from the law of sin and of death.

What is the law of sin and of death?

The law of sin and of death refers to the rule or influence of sin and its destructive effects. In the same way a sheriff is the law of a town, the world is in thrall to the rule of sin (Rom. 6:14, 20. “Sin entered the world… sin reigned through death” (Rom. 5:12, 21).

Sin is like a force of nature pulling you down into the Adamic life of independent living. It does this by feeding our fears, tempting our flesh with counterfeit pleasures, and spreading lies about our identity and our needs.

Sin would have you believe that there is something wrong with you or that you must fix yourself. Sin will leave you sweating on the treadmill of self-effort and wearing a mask that hides your brokenness and shame.

What does it mean to be free from the law of sin?

A believer has had a change in master and this changes everything. Formerly, when you sinned, you were condemned by the law as a sinner. Now, when you sin, you do not reap the condemnation of the law, but the righteous affirmation of the Spirit of life.

There are still consequences to sinning, but punishment and condemnation are not among them. Nothing can separate you from God’s love.

Which is really good news!

What is your part in this? You must believe that “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” If you do not believe – and sadly, many Christians don’t – it will be as though nothing has changed – even though everything has changed.

Imagine an albatross that doesn’t know how to fly. It has enormous wings, but it walks everywhere. This is not what God intended for the mighty albatross.

The non-flying albatross is a picture of the Christian who lives as though they were still under the law of sin and death. When they stumble, they condemn themselves and try to do better next time. This is not what God intended for his sons and daughters.

Many Christians live like grounded albatrosses—they’re free in Christ, yet still walking under a law that no longer rules them.

God has set you free so that you might live under the law of the Spirit of life. So renew your mind and learn to conform to the new reality of the new creation. Change the way you see yourself. Learn how to walk in the spirit. You have been set free from the power of sin, which means you can live free and fly!

In Christ, we are no longer captive to our lusts and appetites. The heavy weight of the law that crushed us has been removed. Unburdened and unbound, we have nothing to prove and everything to live for.

—

Today marks the 12th anniversary of my award-winning book The Hypergrace Gospel. To celebrate, you can get all 3 ebooks in the hypergrace series – The Hypergrace Gospel, The Gospel in Ten Words, and The Gospel in Twenty Questions – for just $3. These multi award-winning books are ideal for those who are new to the message of grace and leaders looking to help others grow in grace. Be quick. This offer ends Sunday.