Chapter 5:14. Paul now shows that whilst the law availed nothing for a holy life, he fully allows elsewhere that it is holy, just, and good. Now he says, “By love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” This is a well-established fact. “For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.....God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but. after the Spirit.”
This is a glorious part of the gospel Paul defends. We are not only justified from our sins and iniquities, but justified from sin, the root in us, by sin being judged, condemned by the sacrifice for sin, our Jesus bearing this judgment due to us. What a relief when this is really known in the soul! Sin as a root in the flesh is now no hindrance to the Spirit—sin having been judged. Then further, the law of the Spirit is superior to the law of sin and death. I have, as a Christian, a law, or power in the Spirit infinitely superior to my old sinful self. The result is this, that in this totally new place the sinful flesh is set aside as judged, “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us.” But is this by putting our sinful flesh under law again? No, the very opposite, “Who walk not after the flesh.” What, do you not seek to mortify the flesh by long fastings, and prayers, as sincere nuns and monks have done? Do you not seek to chasten and improve the flesh by the various means prescribed by those who take the place of being your guides? Surely you ought to put your evil lusting nature under the restraint of law! No! Paul says, not that way at all. “Who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
We are not now on the question of justification, but of walk. The righteous requirements of the law are fulfilled in us who are not under law. We are born of God, have the nature of God, and that is love. The nature of our old man as in the flesh was hatred and enmity to God and man. In that state we were not, and could not be subject to the law of God, which surely requires us to be what we were not. In our old nature, evil was ever present with us. When we would do good, even then evil prevailed. Such was the trial of the flesh.
But now there is this immense difference. We have a totally new nature, and to us a totally new principle of life and power, even the Spirit of life. Now our very nature is love, and “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given to us.” Thus with the delivered Christian, his new nature delights to do the will of God, and he has the power. Love is the fulfilling of the law.
But, if those who were introducing the law were biting and devouring those who were not circumcised, that was not love: they needed to take heed lest they consumed one another. Well, now, this is the question: If you can never meet the righteous requirements of the law by being under it, and if you have still a nature that can bite and devour, the very opposite of love, how are you to walk in holiness according to the holiness of that which is born of God? In other words, if not under the law, how are you to walk worthy of God, whose very nature is the holiness of love?
Verse 16. “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Mark, this does not say there is no flesh or evil nature left in you. That is fully admitted. But a distinct remedy is presented, so that you may, as we have said, be superior to the flesh, so as not to fulfill its evil desires. “Walk in the Spirit.” This is God’s remedy. Take hold of infinite strength and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. And this is further enforced: “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye may not do the things that ye would.”
Are you a Christian, that is, are you born again, and have you the Holy Spirit dwelling in you—your sins forgiven you for Christ’s sake? You say, Through the mercy of God I can say it is so. I am a Christian. Have you not lusts utterly contrary to the Spirit? You say, That is the very plague of my heart and life. That is exactly what you find here in this scripture. If the first part of this verse is true of you, then the old man is not mended or in the least better. And you find it so. Then what is your remedy? How shall you overcome them? The desires of the Spirit of God are holy and pure. You may read the list below, in verses 19-24. There is the double catalog—what the works of the flesh are, and what the fruits of the Spirit are. There is the black list of what the flesh is capable of doing. And every Christian that knows himself, knows that this is a true bill; this is Gods account of what the flesh is. And are not these lusts (worse than savage beasts) to be put under law? No, the law only provoked them into actual transgressions. And the inspired defender of the gospel says, “Of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God,” Thus to put believers under law, as the law provoked lust unto sin, would be by placing them under law to shut them out of the kingdom of heaven. This settles the charge that they might sin that grace should abound, or as it is called, antinomianism.
It is not how may we practice these sins? Far from it; but how may we not “do such things?” Let this be seen, and the subject will become clear. You long for practical holiness and righteousness of walk. How is this to be obtained? These Judaizing teachers would put them under law. The scripture plainly declares the flesh does thus lust; but you have the Spirit: yes. Then walk in the Spirit. The only power for a holy walk is real, humble, watchful dependence on the Spirit. You say, Well, I am puzzled that the flesh in a believer is so vile, and that he needs the constant power of the Spirit; and is there no improvement of the flesh? No. What then? “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the passions and lusts.” Crucifixion is not improvement, but death, the most painful and. ignominious death. Have we really accepted God’s judgment of the flesh, mine, yours, on the cross of Christ? There is the end of vile me. My old man is entirely sin; but judged on the cross. He was made sin for us. We can thus reckon ourselves dead unto sin, and alive unto God. Sin has been utterly condemned on the cross. I, my old self, was sin; I therefore have been judged, so as to need judging no more as to my old nature.
Since this is the case, let us then not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. Surely the deepest humility becomes us. How great then the contrast between the two natures in a believer! What he is as a child of Adam, with a nature so utterly, unmendably vile, but judged and crucified with Christ, his holy, sinless substitute: and the new nature born of God. And how great the contrast between the two administrations, that of law and that of the Spirit. It is not that the holy requirements of God are abolished, but how shall they be accomplished? and the answer is, not by the flesh being placed again under the law, but by being wholly condemned on the cross, and by walking in the Spirit as a child of God, reckoning; my old self dead.
So far from this being antinomianism, it is the only means whereby practical holiness can be accomplished. Indeed, a most solemn warning is given in connection with this very subject, in, further defense of the holiness of the gospel. “Be not deceived: God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit,, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”
Here is a principle of universal application.
“Whatsoever a man soweth.” This is not the same as a fall in a moment of temptation, though the hitter fruit of that may go with a man as long as he lives; but this is not sowing. The most terrible example of sowing to the flesh may be seen in Judas, who sought opportunity to betray the Lord for a little silver. Now if the believer sinks so low through carelessness and want of prayer, as to sow, to seek opportunity to indulge the flesh, there will be no exception to this rule in his case. Oh, what misery may he bring on himself and family, through sowing to the flesh, though saved so as by fire eventually.
Does not all this prove that though we should reckon the flesh, our old selves dead, and treat the flesh as dead, yet our old self is not actually dead, not even improved in the least. There is still in us the flesh, and if we live to it, walk in it, sow to it, the government of God, of our Father, must take its course; we must reap here what we sow. And at this point, let a man take care lest he is deceiving himself altogether. If he continues sowing to the flesh—doing that which is evil, and seeking to do it, let him beware lest he at last hear those awful words, “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Remember the words of Jesus, “Many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name” &c. (Matt. 7:22.)
All this is assuredly true. How many sad instances we see, and how fearful often the conflict in the true believer; yet, it is equally true, “he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” We do not ask if you are infatuated with the delusion that your old nature is changed, or sin or lust is eradicated. This is all delusion, and may find you off your guard in an hour of temptation. But which characterizes your walk? Sowing to the flesh? Or are you quite sure you are sowing to the Spirit? It is in the word of God alone you learn what is of the Spirit. You will find very much, highly esteemed amongst men, that is not of the Spirit, but of the flesh, and its end corruption.