290. The Law of the Spirit of Life

The law of the Spirit of life is contained within the Spirit, but it is not the same as the Holy Spirit. The law of the Spirit of Life liberates us from the law of sin and death. This makes it clear that if we are to possess the law of the Spirit of Life as our own, we must use its power to conquer the law of sin and of death. Only then will the law of the Spirit of Life become something personal for me. “You will receive power [to overcome] when the Holy Spirit comes over you.” The power to overcome becomes active in me when I, by the power of the Spirit, break the power of the law of sin and death. If we receive the baptism of the Spirit but do not walk according to the Spirit, we will not acquire the law of the Spirit of Life. Neither will we be freed from the law of sin and death.

What is the law of sin? Each one is tempted when he is drawn by his own desires and enticed. This is not sin. But when desire has conceived (when I consent), sin is born. I can be freed from this law of sin by the power that is in the law of the Spirit of Life and by my own free-will which gives me the ability to choose not to want to sin. Of course, sin lies at the door, but I am to rule over it. Then I do not sin because sin does not have power over me. Christ died for sin, and so I reckon myself also to be dead to it because I am in Him. If I then do not sin, nor consent to my fleshly lusts, I will never fall under the law of death, because it is when sin has become fully grown that it brings forth death. But sin can never become fully grown if I do not serve it. Rather as the Master Himself, I rule over it and condemn it in my own flesh before anything is conceived in my mind.

What happens then? Indeed, by the obedience of faith I tread the law of sin and death beneath my feet, and the law of the Spirit of Life liberates me and lifts me up onto resurrection ground. “For we who live are always delivered to death, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”

This applies to all sin that I am aware of. The sin that is still hidden from me follows other laws. However, when it becomes revealed to my consciousness, it, too, must be placed on the cross. I must suffer through it in the flesh, in fellowship with Christ in His sufferings. This is the way of the cross, the way on which all sin is given over to death.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8. There is no condemnation for having sin; we are born with it. Condemnation only comes if I consent to the desire. No matter how far I may come on the way of sanctification, I still have sin dwelling in my mortal flesh. But we are increasingly liberated from its rule by obedience, so we can receive the power to conquer it completely. I am spiritual precisely to the degree that I have conquered sin. In areas where I do not yet have light and victory, I am still carnal. In the resurrection of the dead, it will become apparent how different each one’s spirituality is, even as the one star exceeds the other in glory. That is only righteous, for we are all under the same laws and conditions, and we all have the same opportunity to run this race. If one person progresses further on the way of life than another, the reason is simply that the one is more God-fearing than the other. He has more love for God and His commandments than the other. Some serve God, but they also serve their own lusts. They will have little radiance and glory. This becomes apparent already in this life. Some draw back from the reproach of Christ and from people on whom the reproach of Christ rests. That is an eternal loss for them, because the reproach of Christ is a great treasure. Each person will be recompensed for the things they have done in their body (during the time they were in the body), whether good or evil. And that is only righteous.

“And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin.” Rom. 8:10. “But the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” Nothing within my body is to be allowed to direct or control me. The body is dead because sin dwells in it. However, I am to live according to the leading of the Spirit, for the Spirit has life. So I must take good care of my body according to the leading of the Spirit. This way everything comes into order.

As a rule, the leaders of this world are directed by their natural senses, and therefore most of what they put their hand to turns out badly. One government topples another in order to do it better. If these governments would be willing to be led by the Holy Spirit, we would obtain a kingdom that could not be shaken already in this time. But carnal people cannot allow this, so it goes wrong time after time. Of course Jesus has foreseen this, therefore He said so decisively that His kingdom is not of this world. The scribes in Jesus’ time followed their natural senses and made fools of themselves for all the coming generations. For with whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, they corrupt themselves. Jude 10. For the same reason, Jesus cannot rule together with the world. A believer and an unbeliever cannot build up righteousness and peace together. Therefore we should not be yoked together with unbelievers. The prophet Jeremiah had many good counsels from the Lord in his time to give to the leaders. But they hated him and had him thrown into a well and into the dungeon. The might of the saints is always crushed in the people’s assembly, but the day is approaching when Jesus Christ and His saints will gain the power. Dan. 7:18 and 27. This will be an everlasting kingdom. No other government will be able to topple this Messianic government; for in Him all the riches of wisdom and knowledge are hidden. The whole creation yearns for and awaits this regime, and it will not be disappointed; for the law of the Spirit of Life leads all the way to the resurrection.