What is the meaning of Romans 8:4? So that Romans 8:3 sets up the purpose clause of verse 4: God “condemned sin in the flesh” by sending His Son, “so that” the goal in verse 4 could be reached. Think purpose: • God did not act merely to cancel a penalty but to produce a transformed people (John 3:17; Ephesians 2:8-10). • The cross is therefore the hinge between what we could never achieve and what God now accomplishes in us (2 Corinthians 5:21). In simple terms, “so that” means “here’s the reason God went to such lengths in Christ.” the righteous standard of the law The phrase points to the moral and spiritual demands embedded in God’s Law, demands Jesus affirmed when He said, “I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). Scripture repeatedly calls the Law “holy, righteous, and good” (Romans 7:12; Psalm 19:7). • The Law reveals God’s character. • Its righteous standard isn’t lowered in the gospel; it is met in a new way. Therefore, the question is not whether that standard counts, but how it will be satisfied. might be fulfilled in us Notice Paul does not say “by us” but “in us.” Fulfillment happens internally and relationally: • Christ lives in believers (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 1:27). • Under the new covenant God writes the law “on their hearts” (Hebrews 10:16), echoing Ezekiel 36:26-27 where He promises to “cause you to walk in My statutes.” The righteous life God requires is produced by His Spirit residing within, not by our independent effort. who do not walk according to the flesh “Walk” is daily conduct. “Flesh” is the old, sin-dominated mindset described in Galatians 5:19-21 and cautioned against in Romans 6:12-14. Paul is not speaking of occasional lapses but of a settled pattern: • Living for self-gratification. • Trusting human ability over divine power (1 John 2:16). Believers still battle the flesh, but they are no longer ruled by it. but according to the Spirit This contrast reveals the evidence of fulfilled righteousness: a life directed and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Key reminders: • The Spirit indwells us permanently (John 14:17). • He produces the fruit listed in Galatians 5:22-25, replacing the works of the flesh. • He enables obedience that flows from love rather than legalism (2 Corinthians 3:6). Walking “according to the Spirit” means keeping in step with His leading, depending on His strength, and displaying His character. summary Romans 8:4 teaches that God’s purpose in sending His Son was not merely to remove condemnation but to implant His own righteousness within believers. The unchanging standard of the Law is now fulfilled in those who rely on the Spirit rather than the flesh. Our daily walk, energized by the indwelling Spirit, becomes the living proof that Christ’s saving work reaches all the way from the penalty of sin to the practice of holiness. |
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