Paul states that there is now no condemnation for those of us who are in Christ Jesus and then goes on to explain on what basis that claim is true. His argument is that because we are in Christ, the Holy Spirit of God has set us free from “the law of sin and death.” While “the law” in the Bible can refer to a variety of things, here Paul uses it to refer to the authority that sin and death have over our lives before we know Jesus. That authority is that we are slaves to sinful passions and deserving of death. The moment we come to Jesus, we are released from that authority!

Knowing that we are no longer under the authority of sin and death is crucial for the follower of Jesus. An authority over us tells us what to do, where to go, how to behave, and who we are. Every day you will have forces in this world other than God – namely the world, your flesh, and the devil – telling you who you are, what you should do, and how you should behave, but you must remember that none of them have authority over you! You can resist temptation and walk in holiness because there is a power inside you greater than anything in this world.

Final Thought: Remember that the world, your flesh, and the devil do not have authority over you!