The law of the Spirit of life is the highest item in the New Testament. If we would know God’s relationship with us in Christ, we need to know this law. Utterance concerning the law of the Spirit of life does not exist in the thoughts, the classical writings, or the philosophies of the world. Even among Christian publications in general, there is not much utterance. Nevertheless, because of his considerable spiritual experience related to the law of the Spirit of life, the apostle Paul spoke of it in detail. Romans 7 and 8 speak of the climax of Paul’s spiritual experience in relation to this law. Regrettably, most Christians neglect the law of the Spirit of life and pay attention only to the Holy Spirit.
It is only in the recent decades that we, in the churches of God, have discovered the experience of the law of the Spirit of life in our study of the Word. Even though we had some experience of this law, we did not have adequate knowledge of it or adequate utterance related to it. Thank the Lord that we have discovered this item in the Bible in recent years. This has enabled us to see more things related to the path of life. I have been saved for twenty-five years, and during these years I paid a great price to pursue spiritual growth and an overcoming life. Nevertheless, it was difficult to see this matter, and only in the last ten years has the Lord shown me and given me greater understanding of the law of the Spirit of life. Those who desire to advance in the spiritual life must know the law of the Spirit of life.
In a Christian’s personal life, the most mysterious and crucial matter is the law of the Spirit of life. If one merely wants to be a zealous Christian who preaches the gospel enthusiastically or wants to be an ethical person, it is not necessary to know the law of the Spirit of life. However, if we sincerely want to know how to fellowship with God and to know the meaning of the Lord’s living in us and our living in the Lord, we need to know the law of the Spirit of life.
The word law is mentioned in Romans 7 and 8 numerous times. Romans 7:21 says, “I find then the law with me who wills to do the good.” Verse 22 speaks of “the law of God,” and verse 23 speaks of “the law of my mind” and “the law of sin which is in my members.” “The law of sin which is in my members” in verse 23 is the “law of sin” in verse 25. In Romans 8:2 there is “the law of the Spirit of life.” According to the preceding verses, there are four laws: the law of God, the law of the mind, the law of sin, and the law of the Spirit of life.
While psychologists consider man to be of two parts—soul and body—the Bible speaks of man as having three parts—spirit, soul, and body (1 Thes. 5:23; Heb. 4:12). The body is the flesh, which is common to all creatures; the soul is man’s “self,” which consists of the mind, emotion, and will; and the spirit is the innermost and deepest part of man.
Let us consider these various laws as they relate to the parts of man. First, the law of the mind is in the soul; it is a law that belongs to the soul. This law is not the law of sin, because it wars against sinning and because it wills to do good; hence, it is a law of good. This law, which is related to the soul of created man, is derived from the God-created human life. Man was initially created by God to be good, and this law of good is related to our human nature and human life.
The second law, the law of sin, is the law related to our members, that is, our body. This law is void of any good, and it comes from Satan. When Adam ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he utilized his body. Hence, this law became a law of sin and evil in his members. This law is even the evil one himself. After man was created, he listened to Satan’s word, and Satan entered into his members, becoming his fleshly passions and evil desires. What Chinese philosophers call the “war between rationality and lust” is, in fact, the war between the soul and the body.
The third law is the law of the Spirit of life. Man is involved in the story of creation, the story of the fall, and the story of salvation. When man was created, he received the law of good in his soul. When man fell, he received the law of sin in his body, and when man is saved, he receives the law of the Spirit of life in his spirit. This law transcends both good and evil.
A believer can experience each of these laws. In the morning he can be in his soul, behaving like a man. In the afternoon, he can be in the flesh, living and acting in a devilish manner. However, in the evening, he may turn to his spirit and bear God’s image. In the beginning man was put in front of the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. At this time life was separated from good and evil. When man partook of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, good and evil were mixed together in him. When man is saved, however, the Spirit of life enters into him so that good, evil, and life exist simultaneously in him. Therefore, these three laws are present in every saved person: the law of good in his mind, the law of sin in his members, and the law of the Spirit of life in his spirit. This is the difference between a saved person and an unbeliever: a saved person has the law of the spirit of life in addition to the law of good and the law of sin, but an unbeliever has only the law of good and the law of sin. Consequently, a saved person can live by the law of the Spirit of life in his spirit.
In addition to these three laws, there is the law of God that is above man and outside of man, that is, the written law of God. We do not need to learn how to do good or try to avoid evil, because we are no longer limited to the realm of good and evil. We can live by the law of the Spirit of life.