W S Plumer
Romans 8:3,4. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Verse 3.
Here the law no doubt means the moral law. It was impotent for justification and for sanctification also. It condemned; it could not justify. It gave the knowledge of sin but not its cure. It is said to have been weak, lacking strength and power. This was no inherent fault of the law; in fact it worked wrath because of its very perfection, which brought a knowledge of the heinous nature of sin, revealed its power, and unmistakably threatened righteous and awful retribution on the transgressor. Nor could it give any strength to the believer or the unbeliever to resist the seductions of fallen human nature. To each and all of these ends it was impotent.
In this sad state, the Lord undertook for sinners and sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh. God’s own Son was He who counted it not robbery to be equal with God. He was with God and He was God. The likeness of sinful flesh is not sinful flesh, but the likeness of that flesh which was sinful, elsewhere expressed by that phrase, “in the likeness of men” (Phil 2:7). He was in all things made “like unto His brethren” (Heb 2:16-18), having a true body and a reasonable soul. But He was not born in sin, nor did He ever offend against God, but was “holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners” (Heb 7:26). His Father, His friends, His judge, His betrayer all pronounced Him faultless.
It is said that God sent His Son for sin. From Augustine down, many have explained these words as meaning a sin-offering. So Melanchthon, Calvin and many others. In Hebrews 10:6 this is undoubtedly the meaning. The margin in this place has “a sacrifice for sin”. But some contend that Paul is still speaking of sanctification, not of justification. Nor can it be denied that in many parts of Scripture, the sanctification of believers is stated in close connection with the sacrifice and sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ. And by a figure of speech often only one thing in salvation is named, when the whole is intended to be included.
And Fraser is quite confident that, in this verse, Paul is still showing how men must be sanctified. He says, “The general point is clear, that the Scripture connects making men free from the dominion of sin with Christ’s sufferings and sacrifice”. He also cites Galatians 3:13,14 in confirmation of the truth that the Spirit is received through the faith which lays hold of the redemption of Christ. We may and we must distinguish, but we may never separate, between justification and sanctification; and either of these words, or their synonyms, may be chosen to represent to us all the benefits obtained by believers in Christ Jesus.
The prominent idea in condemned is that of sentencing to death, or of putting to death in execution of a sentence. The doubt among interpreters is whether Paul is speaking of justification or sanctification, of the removal of the guilt of sin or of the destruction of its power. On this point they are much divided. Many admit that in this verse sin is personified. If it is, we know how it fared in the sacrifice of Calvary. It was punished, condemned and overcome. By that one offering it was made certain that sin should be put down or, as Calvin says, “cast down from its power, so that it does not now hold us subject to itself”. The chains of its guilt are knocked off; the sceptre of its power is broken; it is no longer lord over anyone who is in Christ Jesus.
The more these verses are considered, the more it looks as if Paul was not making a fine distinction between the guilt and the power of sin, but was speaking of its utter destruction in every sense; so that it shall neither condemn those who are in Christ or hold them in bondage. They are not condemned in any sense but sin is condemned in every sense. The sentence has gone forth; the death on Calvary was decisive, and the application of redemption by the Spirit is giving the victory more and more, till there shall be left neither spot nor wrinkle in any who are in Christ. In other words, complete deliverance from sin itself and from all its effects seems to be spoken of in these verses, by a figure of speech, a part being often put for the whole.
This mode of explanation seems to have been in the mind of Evans: “By the appearance of Christ, sin was condemned; that is, God did therein more than ever manifest His hatred of sin; and not only so but, for all that are Christ’s, both the damning and the domineering power of sin is broken and taken out of the way. He that is condemned can neither accuse nor rule; his testimony is null and his authority null. Thus by Christ is sin condemned, though it live and remain, its life in the saints is still but that of a condemned malefactor. It was by the condemning of sin that death was disarmed, and the devil, who had the power of death, destroyed. The condemning of sin saved the sinner from condemnation.” This mode of explanation, taking a part for the whole and personifying sin, allows us to see how, by the union of the legal and moral effects of Christ’s death, believers have full salvation.
It is said that God condemned sin in the flesh. Two explanations are offered, but it is best to unite the two and say that God condemned sin in human nature, of which Christ is a partaker. All this was done.
Verse 4.
The righteousness of the law is the righteousness which the law demands; by living union with Jesus Christ, sinners receive His perfect active and passive obedience to the law in their stead as their justifying righteousness. The law demands no more. This robe has no rent, and so the righteousness of the law is perfectly fulfilled in their justification. Some contend that this is all. But if the view taken of verse 3 is correct, we may in the same way add that this verse embraces the sanctification of believers; and that the righteousness of the law through Jesus Christ and by His Spirit is fulfilled in them just so far and so fast as their sanctification progresses. The great objection urged to this view is that the law calls for perfect conformity to its demands, and that the best of mere men freely confess they come far short of perfection.
In answer it may be said: (1.) Whatever may be the imperfection of good men in this life, it shall not be so always. At last they shall have in their hearts and characters all that holiness which the law requires. If the gospel should fail in producing this effect, it would fail utterly in bringing glory to God or good to men. (2.) Although the holiness of a believer is not in degree what the law requires, yet to a pleasing extent it is, in kind, much what the commandments call for.
[1.] This obedience is personal.
[2.] It is to the law as coming from God, having His authority and expressing His will.
[3.] It is from the heart.
[4.] It flows from love to God.
[5.] It flows from godly fear.
[6.] It springs from true and lively faith.
[7.] It is humble and accompanied by a just and deep sense of sin.
[8.] It is universal, extending without partiality to all the commands of God.
[9.] It is habitual and not by fits and starts.
[10.] It is according to the gospel, drawing its strongest motives from the love of God manifested in the cross of Christ.
Colquhoun says, “True holiness is spiritual and sincere obedience to the law as a rule of life, in the hand of the blessed Mediator, and is commonly styled evangelical holiness or true godliness”.
If this obedience was as perfect as it is sincere, as spotless as it is accepted and rewarded by God, without defect as soon it shall be, it would in every respect be the very righteousness of the law – that is, the very holiness of the spirits of just men made perfect. Even now regenerate men walk not after the flesh. They are often carnal to an extent that is very mortifying to themselves, but the tenor of their lives and the aim of their hearts even now are towards holiness, not sin; after the Spirit, not after the flesh. Without holiness no man shall see the Lord. A professed reliance on the merits of Christ, not followed by conformity to the preceptive will of God, is utterly vain and unprofitable.