[The law of God, written on stone tables, was given by God to men through Moses during Old Testament times. Hence it is outside of us. The law of God is composed of the statutes of God, and its nature is holy, righteous, and good. This law, being outside of us, enables us to know what God condemns and what He justifies; it requires us to reject what God condemns and do what God justifies in order to comply with God’s holy, righteous, and good statutes.] Although the law of God is good, it has no power to help us to be good, because it was weakened by the flesh of sin (Rom. 8:3). It is by the law that we can know what God is and what God wants, yet we cannot fulfill it.
[The law of good in our mind, derived from our created, human life of good, contains the good human nature and exactly fits the nature of the law of God outside of us. This law creates in us, that is, in our mind, the desire to do good. Especially when the law of God outside of us requires us to be good, this law of good in us gives us the inclination toward doing good.]
The law of good wills to practice according to the law of God (Rom. 7:15), agrees with the law of God (Rom. 7:16) and delights in the law of God (Rom. 7:22). However, when the law of good tries to do good, the law of sin in the flesh rises up against it (Rom. 7:11, 23). It is, therefore, powerless to do good according to the demands of the law of God.
[The law of sin in the members is derived from the fallen and evil life of Satan. We have said before that due to Adam’s fall through sinning-eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil-Satan’s life entered into man. Within this life of Satan there is contained a law of evil, that is, the law of sin in the members. Since the life of Satan is evil, the law which is derived from his life naturally causes man to sin and do evil.]
This law is stronger than the law of good in our mind. Despite our trying very hard, we cannot fulfill God’s law (Rom. 7:17-23). We need to be saved and freed from the bondage of the law of sin (Rom. 7:24).
Praise the Lord, He came that we might have life (John 10:10). By His life we are saved (Rom. 5:10b). “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed me from the law of sin and of death’’ (Rom. 8:2). [The law of the Spirit of life is derived from the Spirit of life which is in our spirit and from the uncreated divine life of God. When we received the Lord and were saved, the Spirit of God together with the life of God entered into our spirit and mingled with our spirit to become the Spirit of life. In this life of the Spirit of life, there is contained a law which is the law of the Spirit of life, or the law of life.]
After we have believed in the Lord and received His life into our spirit, we have the strongest life with the strongest law in the universe. This life is divine, eternal and indestructible. It is without shortage or defects. Although the law of good in our mind may be overcome by the law of sin in our flesh, we can set our mind on the spirit and have life and peace (Rom. 8:6). And, “by the Spirit’’ we can “put to death the practices of the body’’ (Rom. 8:13). Hallelujah! We do not have to be weak Christians any more. “There is now then no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus’’ (Rom. 8:1). Every day, from morning to evening, we may be filled with the Spirit and live by the Spirit to overcome the evil life of Satan in our flesh. This is to have “the righteous requirement of the law...be fulfilled in us’’ (Rom. 8:4). Praise the Lord! This is wonderful!