1. “The law of the Spirit of life has freed me in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and of death” (Rom. 8:2).
Unbelievers only know the law of good and the law of sin because they have only the good, created human life and the evil, fallen satanic life. However, every believer also has the uncreated, divine life of God. Therefore, there is another law in us that comes out of the divine life of God. This third law is the law of the Spirit of life spoken of in Romans 8:2.
This law is called the law of the Spirit of life because this law comes out of the Spirit of God, who is life. The Spirit of life is equal to the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God is the Spirit of life because the life of God cannot be separated from the Spirit. Therefore, this law is related to the Spirit of God, who is life. It is not only related to God’s Spirit but also to God’s life. Since this law is related to God’s Spirit, it is also the law of the Spirit of life. This law of life is a spiritual law.
The Spirit of life imparts God’s life into us and also abides in our spirit. The law of the Spirit of life is in our spirit, not in our soul like the law of good or in our body like the law of sin. The law that is related to the Spirit of God is in our human spirit. Its source is the Spirit, and its location is our spirit. Thus, its operation is fully a matter of being in spirit.
In its divine and eternal aspects, the life of God is the only life in the universe that can truly be counted as life. Therefore, the Bible says that if man does not have the life of God, he does not have life (1 John 5:12; John 6:53). Furthermore, the Bible also speaks of the life of God as the unique life (1:4). These verses prove that only the life of God is really life. Only the life of God truly has the nature of life. The nature of every other life cannot truly be counted as life. Therefore, the life that is contained in the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit comes out of the life of God, and its nature is life. It is not like the life that is good according to our created human nature or the life that is evil according to our fallen satanic nature.
We must pay attention to this matter. The nature of the life that produces the law of the Spirit of life is life. According to the teaching of the Bible, life and good are different. Although life is good, good is not life. Although what comes out of life is good, what is good is not necessarily out of life. The difference between the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden of Eden adequately manifests this point. The tree of life stood apart from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This indicates that life is not only separate from evil but also different from good. Just as life is apart from evil, it is apart from good. Therefore, the Bible shows that life, good, and evil are three different things. Each stands alone.
Just as there is a distinction between the life of God and the life of man, there is a distinction between the good of God and the good of man. The good of God comes out of God’s life, but the good of man comes out of man’s life. The good that is spoken of in Ephesians 2:10 and 2 Timothy 2:21 is the good that comes from living out the life of God. It is the good that comes out of the life of God. In contrast, the good that is spoken of in Matthew 12:35, Romans 7:18-21, and 9:11 is the good that comes out of man’s human life. The good that comes out of our human life is according to our human nature, which does not have the true nature of life, that is, God’s life. Only the good that comes out of God’s life is the good of God because only this good has the nature and element of God’s life. Therefore, the good of God and the good of man are not the same. Man’s good comes out of man’s life and does not have the nature of the divine life. God’s good comes out God’s life and has the nature of God’s life.
In the universe there is good, evil, and life. Good is related to the good created humanity. Evil is related to the evil one, Satan, and life is related to God, who is the unique source of life. When we speak of good throughout the remainder of this section, however, we are speaking of the good that is associated with created man. When we speak of evil, we are speaking of the evil one, Satan; when we speak of life, we are speaking of the God of life.
Man, Satan, and God, respectively, are good, evil, and life. Therefore, the nature of the life of man, Satan, and God, respectively, is good, evil, and life. Since the nature of each of these lives is different, each life has a law and the function of each law is different. The function of each law is based on its nature. The law that is related to our good human nature causes us to desire to do good. The law that is related to our evil satanic nature causes us to do evil and to sin. The law that is related to God’s eternal divine nature causes us to live out the life of God.
Every believer has the nature of man (good), Satan (evil), and God (life). Within each of these three natures, there is a different kind of life, each with a different law. We have three kinds of life with three kinds of natures and three kinds of law. We have the law of good, which comes out of the good nature of our human life, the law of sin, which comes out of the evil nature of the satanic life, and the law of the Spirit of life, which comes out of the divine nature of God’s eternal life. Moreover, we have the capacity to express the good that is present in the human life, the evil that is present in the satanic life, and the life that is present in God’s life. Each of these different kind of lives, natures, and laws correspond to one of the three parts of our being—our spirit, soul, and body. The law of good is present in our soul, the law of sin is present in our body, and the law of the Spirit of life is present in our spirit.
There are three different persons, three different lives, three different laws, and three different natures—life, good, and evil—within the spirit, soul, and body of a believer. Each part of our tripartite being is related to a different person, life, law, and nature. As a consequence, there is a different set of motivations in each part of our being and a possibility of expressing three different kinds of people, each of whom can live out a different nature. A believer who lives according to his soul can express the things of his good human nature. A believer who follows the lusts of his flesh can express the things of his fallen satanic nature, and a believer who walks by the spirit can express the things of God’s divine nature as a God-man who lives out God. Thus, if we live according to our soul, that is, according to our mind and the faculty of reason in our mind, the most we can be is a person who desires to do good. If we live according to our body, that is, according to our flesh and its lusts, we will be a person who does evil. But if we live according to our spirit, that is, according to the Holy Spirit and according to God, we will be a God-man who is full of life and who lives out the life of God.
Generally speaking, most people think that it is sufficient to be good, that is, to live according to the good reasonings of our mind, rather than to be evil, that is, to live according to the lusts of the flesh. They think that it is sufficient to be good rather than evil. However, God wants something more. God wants us to be a person of life, a God-man, who lives out God as life. It is not enough to be a good person. It is not enough to refrain from evil and do good. We must be a God-man. The proper standard of our living is to live out the life of God. In order to do this, we cannot live by our flesh or our soul; we must live by the Spirit. Similarly, our goal should not be focused on avoiding evil or even on doing good; our goal should be focused on living the life of God. We can be a God-man, living according to the Spirit of life only if we live according to the Spirit in our spirit.
Chinese philosophers promote the development of one’s “bright virtue” by using “knowledge of the good” as a means to improve one’s condition. Even though these efforts have some usefulness in a human sense, they are not compatible with God’s way of salvation. God’s way of salvation is much higher. God’s way of salvation does not involve self-improvement based on developing the good element in our human nature in order to live out our human goodness. Instead, God’s salvation involves the impartation of His Spirit of life into our spirit, enabling our innermost part to respond to the law of the Spirit of life so that we can live by God’s life and become God-men who flow out God’s life because we are full of God’s life. Although God’s way of salvation will eventually renew every part of our spirit and soul—our conscience, intuition, and fellowship and our mind, emotion, and will—it begins with the impartation of His Spirit of life into our spirit and gradually renews every part of our soul. This process of renewal does not involve improving our good but corrupted, human nature; rather, it involves living according to the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit, which frees us from Satan’s evil life in order to live out God’s life. This is not a work of human improvement but a salvation in life. Human work can only be focused on improving our natural goodness; it cannot bring God’s life into us for our salvation. At the most, human improvement can brighten our “bright virtue,” improve our “knowledge of the good,” and expand the “brightness of our inner heart.” Even if we could attain to the highest peak of human goodness, it would not compare to the standard of God’s holy nature. God’s way of salvation does not employ works to enable us to live according to the standard of human goodness. Instead, it employs the operation of the law of the Spirit of life to enable us to live out His life. This is to live in God and to live Him out.
A law is a natural principle and a natural power. Therefore, the three laws within us involve a natural principle and a natural power. The law of good in our mind is a natural principle, and according to its natural power, it causes us to desire to do good. Since this natural law in our mind desires to do good, our will spontaneously determines to do the good that our mind desires. Neither this desire nor the determination to do good is forced upon us; they are spontaneous reactions related to our good human nature. The law of sin in our members is also a natural principle, and according to its natural power, it causes us to sin. Since this natural law in our members causes us to sin, our flesh sins spontaneously. Likewise, our sinful responses to our lustful flesh are not forced upon us; they are spontaneous reactions related to our sinful, satanic nature. Lastly, the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit is a natural principle, and according to its natural power, it causes us to live out the life of God. Since there is a natural law in our spirit, our spirit spontaneously lives out God’s life. This living also is neither forced nor difficult. In summary, if we live according to our mind, we will spontaneously desire and decide to do good. If we live according to our flesh, we will spontaneously sin. But if we live according to our spirit, we will spontaneously live out the life of God.
The power of each law differs according to the strength or weakness of its respective nature. Some laws are stronger than other laws. Romans 7 and 8 show that the law of sin in our members is stronger than the law of good in our mind because the law of sin always defeats the desires and determinations of the law of good in our mind. However, the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit is stronger than the law of sin in our members because the law of the Spirit of life can free us from the law of sin. Thus, each of the laws in us is different in strength because they are related to three different kinds of life, each of which has a different level of strength. Of the three kinds of life, the human life is the weakest. Therefore, the law of good related to the human life is also the weakest law. The satanic life is stronger than the human life. Therefore, the law of sin is stronger than the law of good, and it is able to conquer the weaker law of good. However, the life of God is the strongest life. Consequently, the law of the Spirit of life is the strongest law, and it can conquer the law of sin, which is stronger than the law of good.
The power of a law cannot be controlled by behavior; it can be controlled only by a law of greater power. Our behavior, such as the determinations of our mind or the strivings of our will, cannot control the power of the law of sin in our members. We can conquer the law of sin only by relying on the power of the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit. If we try to control the law of sin through determinations and strivings, we may be successful for a while, but the constant operation and power of the law of sin will eventually defeat us. A more powerful law, the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit, is the only thing that can spontaneously and constantly free us from the law of sin in our members. If we strive to conquer sin according to the reasonings in our mind, we will fail and fall into a wretched condition (7:24). However, if we live in our spirit and follow the law of the Spirit of life, we will be freed from the law of sin and live according to the life of God (8:2).
In summary, the Bible speaks of four laws in relation to the believers. One law is outside of us, and the other three are within us. The law of God given to Moses is outside of us; the other three laws are within our soul, body, and spirit respectively. The law in our soul comes from our good created human life; this law is good and causes us to desire to do good. The law in our body comes from the evil, fallen satanic life; this law is evil and causes us to sin. The law in our spirit comes from the divine, uncreated life of God; this law is divine and causes us to live out God’s divine life.
The law of God outside of us represents His holy, righteous, and good demands. When the law of good in our soul touches this holy, righteous, and good law, it places demands upon us. The law of good in our mind immediately and positively responds to this demand by determining to fulfill the law of God. But when the law of good in our soul tries to fulfill the holy demands of the law of God, the law of sin in our body opposes, resists, and conquers the law of good in our soul. Consequently, we cannot fulfill the holy, righteous, and good demands of the law of God. Instead, we break the law of God because the law of sin in our body is stronger than the law of good in our soul. However, the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit is stronger than the law of good in our soul and the law of sin in our body. When we turn to our spirit and live by the Spirit, the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit frees us from the law of sin in our body and causes us to live out God’s divine life. This law not only enables us to fulfill the holy and good demands of the outward law of God; it brings us up to the divine standard of God Himself.
According to the law of God, we should not covet (7:7). When the law of good in our soul considers this outward demand, it immediately responds with both the desire and the determination to no longer covet. However, the law of sin in our body immediately rises up to resist this good desire, and it causes the sin of covetousness to rise up even stronger within us so that we cannot fulfill this demand of God’s law. No matter how much we strive, we cannot rid ourselves of the indwelling sin that produces covetousness. On the contrary, the more we strive to not covet, the more our covetousness will be manifested. Whenever the law of good in our soul responds to the demands of the outward law of God by desiring to do good, the law of sin in our body stirs up the evil within us to resist this desire to do good. The law of good in our soul is no match for the law of sin in our body. In every battle between these two laws, the law of good in our soul inevitably loses to the law of sin in our body. But thanks be to God for the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit. This law is stronger than the law of sin in our body, and it frees us from that law of sin (v. 25; 8:2). If we do not strive to do good according to the law of good in our soul but instead cooperate with the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit, we will be freed from the bondage of covetousness that is stirred up by the law of sin in our body. Thus, we fulfill the demands of the outward law of God and live out the surpassing holiness of God.
We should clearly see that the outward law of God places demands upon us, and that the inward law of good in our soul desires to fulfill these demands. However, the law of sin in our body comes between these two laws—the law of God outside of us and the law of good in our soul—to prevent the law of good in our soul from fulfilling the demands of the law of God. Just as our body surrounds our soul, the law of sin in our body surrounds and defeats the law of good in our soul. Therefore, it is impossible for the law of good in our soul to overcome the law of sin in our body to fulfill the demands of the law of God. However, the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit is stronger than everything. It can overcome the law of sin in our body and release us from its control so that we can fulfill and even exceed the demands of the law of God.
The outward law of God is like a proper man who asks a pure and simple woman to marry him. The law of good in our mind is like the woman who agrees to his proposal. However, the law of sin in our body is like an evil man who is able to influence her to not only reject the proposal of the proper man but also to follow him in his evil ways. The law of the Spirit of life in our spirit, however, is like an angel who saves the woman from the evil man so that she might accept the proposal of the proper man. In her acceptance, she also realizes that the angel corresponds with the proper man so that she now has the power to follow the proper man.
Although the outward law of God places demands on us, it has no power to enable us to fulfill its demands because of the weakness of our flesh (v. 3). The law of good in our mind desires to fulfill the demands of the law of God, but it has no power to overcome the law of sin. The law of sin is always lurking behind the law of good. When it sees the law of good in the mind incline toward fulfilling the demands of the law of God, it stirs up trouble in our flesh so that the law of good cannot prevail. Only the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit can prevail; it is the source of God’s salvation. Its power comes from the life of God, and it can free us from the law of sin, enabling us to fulfill the demands of the law of God in us and live out the divine life.
This is God’s way of salvation. Those who try to improve themselves have no awareness of this process. Throughout the ages, those who want to improve themselves have focused on outwardly mistreating their body in an effort to restrain its influence or by inwardly determining to do good. God’s way of salvation does not involve dealing with the sin in our body or by strengthening our will to do good in our soul. Instead, His work of salvation begins by imparting the Spirit of life into our innermost part, our spirit, which progressively spreads to the faculties of our soul and even to our mortal body (vv. 6, 11). Our salvation is not dependent upon dealing with our sinful body or on strengthening our will; it is dependent upon living in the spirit and cooperating with the law of the Spirit of life.