THE SECOND PART: A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
The Epistle of Paul to Romans
Message Three—The Law of the Spirit of Life
Scripture Reading: Rom. 7:15—8:2, 4, 6
I. The key to being an overcomer is the law of the Spirit of life in Romans 8, a chapter for desperate seekers—7:24—8:2, 28-29: (2009 WT, msg. 6)
A. Romans 7 is the experience of being “in the flesh”; Romans 8 is the experience of being “in the spirit” (the divine Spirit dwelling in our human spirit and these two mingled together to be one spirit)—vv. 4, 9-10, 16; 1 Cor. 6:17; 2 Tim. 4:22. (2009 WT, msg. 6)
B. The enjoyment of the law of the Spirit of life in Romans 8 ushers us into the reality of the Body of Christ in Romans 12; this law operates within us as we live in the Body and for the Body—8:2, 28-29; 12:1-2, 11; Phil. 1:19. (2009 WT, msg. 6)
C. The whole key to our living and service in the Body of Christ is the law of the Spirit of life, which operates within us: (2009 WT, msg. 6)
1. The law of the Spirit of life makes us God in life, nature, and expression but not in the Godhead, shaping us into the image of the firstborn Son of God so that we may become His corporate expression—Rom. 8:2, 29. (2009 WT, msg. 6)
2. The law of the Spirit of life constitutes us the members of the Body of Christ with all kinds of functions—Eph. 4:11-12, 16. (2009 WT, msg. 6)
II. In order to experience the indwelling Christ as the law of the Spirit of life, we must see the three lives and four laws in Romans 7 and 8: (2009 WT, msg. 6)
A. The created human life with the law of good is in our soul; this law derives from the natural human life, that is, from man himself—7:21-23; Gen. 1:31; Eccl. 7:29. (2009 WT, msg. 6)
B. The evil satanic life with the law of sin and of death is in our flesh; this law derives from Satan, who as sin dwells in the believers’ flesh—Rom. 6:6; 7:15-20, 23-24; 1 John 3:10; John 8:44; Matt. 13:38; 23:33; 3:7; Rom. 3:13. (2009 WT, msg. 6)
C. The uncreated divine life with the law of the Spirit of life is in our human spirit; this law derives from God, who as the Spirit dwells in man’s spirit—8:2, 9-10, 16; John 1:4; 10:10b; 14:6a; 1 Cor. 15:45b: (2009 WT, msg. 6)
1. Every life has a law and even is a law; God’s life is the highest life, and the law of this life is the highest law—cf. John 1:4-5; 12:24; 14:6a; 10:10b; 1 Cor. 15:45b. (2009 WT, msg. 6)
2. The Triune God has been processed through incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension to become the law of the Spirit of life installed in our spirit as a “scientific” law, an automatic principle—Rom. 8:2-3, 11, 34, 16. (2009 WT, msg. 6)
3. The law of the Spirit of life is the spontaneous power of the divine life; it is the natural characteristic and the innate, automatic function of the divine life—12:2; Phil. 2:13; Ezek. 36:26-27; Isa. 40:28-31; Heb. 12:2a; Phil. 4:13; Col. 1:28-29; cf. Prov. 30:18-19. (2009 WT, msg. 6)
D. These three parties with the three laws are now present in the believer in much the same way that they (God, man, and Satan) were present in the garden of Eden (Gen. 3). (2009 WT, msg. 6)
E. In addition to these three laws within the believer, there is the law of God outside of him—Rom. 7:22, 25. (2009 WT, msg. 6)
III. While we remain in touch with the Lord, staying in contact with Him, the law of the Spirit of life works automatically, spontaneously, and effortlessly—1 Thes. 5:17; Eph. 6:17-18: (2009 WT, msg. 6)
A. We must cease from our own struggling and striving—Gal. 2:20a; cf. Rom. 7:15-20. (2009 WT, msg. 6)
1. If we have not seen that sin is a law and that our will can never overcome this law, we are trapped in Romans 7; we will never arrive at Romans 8. (2009 WT, msg. 6)
2. Instead of willing, we should set our mind on the spirit and walk according to the spirit—8:6, 4; Phil. 2:13. (2009 WT, msg. 6)
B. We must cooperate with the indwelling, installed, automatic, and inner-operating God by prayer and by having a spirit of dependence, calling upon the Lord to maintain our fellowship with Him—Rom. 10:12-13; 1 Thes. 5:17; Eph. 6:17-18. (2009 WT, msg. 6)
C. We must care for the sense of life in our spirit in order to remain in the fellowship of life, the flowing of the divine life, for the operation of the law of the Spirit of life—Rom. 8:6, 16; 1 John 1:2-3, 6-7: (2009 WT, msg. 6)
1. The sense of life, on the negative side, is the feeling of death— weakness, emptiness, uneasiness, restlessness, depression, dryness, darkness, pain, etc. (2009 WT, msg. 6)
2. The sense of life, on the positive side, is the feeling of life and peace—strength, satisfaction, peace, rest, release, livingness, watering, brightness, comfort, etc. (2009 WT, msg. 6)
3. The sense of life is related to the consciousness of the conscience according to the life of God—Eph. 4:18-19. (2009 WT, msg. 6)
D. We must take heed to our spirit and guard our heart; the spirit is the organ to contact the life of God, and the heart is the key, the switch, the strategic point, which allows the life of God to be dispensed into us and freely operate in us—Psa. 78:8; Mal. 2:15-16; Prov. 4:23; Ezek. 36:26; Eph. 3:17; cf. Ezek. 14:3. (2009 WT, msg. 6)
E. We must walk according to the spirit—live in the spirit—Rom. 8:4, 16; cf. 1 Cor. 2:14: (2009 WT, msg. 6)
1. The secret of experiencing Christ is to be in Him, the One who empowers us to do all things, and the secret of being in Him is to be in our spirit—Phil. 4:12-13, 23. (2009 WT, msg. 6)
2. In order to live in our spirit, we must take time to behold the Lord, praying to fellowship with Jesus to bathe in His countenance, to be saturated with His beauty, and to radiate His excellence—2 Cor. 3:16, 18; cf. Matt. 14:23. (2009 WT, msg. 6)
3. In order to live in our spirit, we must pray without ceasing— 1 Thes. 5:17; cf. John 20:22; Lam. 3:55-56; Rom. 10:12-13. (2009 WT, msg. 6)
4. In order to live in our spirit, we must remain in the fellowship of the divine life to walk in the divine light—1 John 1:2-3, 6-7. (2009 WT, msg. 6)
F. We must mind the things of the Spirit—set our mind on the spirit—Rom. 8:5-6. (2009 WT, msg. 6)
G. We must put to death by the Spirit the practices of our body—Rom. 8:13; Zech. 4:6; Gal. 5:16. (2009 WT, msg. 6)
H. We must be led by the Spirit as the sons of God—8:14. (2009 WT, msg. 6)
I. We must cry to the Father in the spirit of sonship—Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6. (2009 WT, msg. 6)
J. We must groan in the interceding Spirit for our full sonship, which is the redemption of our body—Rom. 8:23, 26-27: (2009 WT, msg. 6)
1. In our groaning the Spirit groans also, interceding for us. (2009 WT, msg. 6)
2. The interceding Spirit prays for us that we may be conformed to the image of Christ as the firstborn Son of God— vv. 28-29. (2009 WT, msg. 6)