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"No condemnation" is true of believers, because "condemnation" was true of Him.
The righteous sentence of the law has been fulfilled in the redeemed in the Person of their
Saviour. The sphere of emancipation is the "spirit", and unites us with Christ, risen and
ascended. We can now "walk in newness of life" and serve the Lord in "newness of
spirit".
The section now before us is verses 5-16 which revolve around `flesh' and `spirit'.
These words are used in various ways in the N.T. and need care in interpretation:
FLESH
(1)
This word is used in the sense of bodily flesh (cp. Gen. 17: 11).
(2)
It is used of human descent. Christ is a descendant of David as concerning the
flesh (Rom. 9: 5).
(3)
Human nature. Christ came "in the flesh" (I John 4: 2) and was "manifested in the
flesh" (I Tim. 3: 16).
(4)
Mankind. "By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified" (Rom. 3: 20).
(5)
The sinful old nature in the believer. This is inherited from fallen Adam and
extends to all mankind. It is the sense frequently used by the Apostle Paul.
We must be careful not to look on the human body as sinful in itself. It is rather the
sphere in which the principle of sin operates, hence the "body of sin" (Rom. 6: 6) and the
law of sin in my members (Rom. 7: 23). The physical body can be presented to God as
a "living sacrifice" (Rom. 12: 1) so that His will may be done and the body can be
indwelt by the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 6: 19; Rom. 8: 11). The N.T. has no place for the
contempt of the body shown by the Greek philosophers or their regard for it as a prison
house of the soul. For the believer it awaits to be redeemed (Rom. 8: 23) and to be
conformed to the Lord's resurrection body of glory (Phil. 3: 20, 21).
SPIRIT
This important word is used in various ways in the Scripture:
(1)
God. (John 4: 24; I Cor. 3: 16).
(2)
Christ. (I Cor. 6: 17; 15: 45; II Cor. 3: 17, 18).
(3)
The Holy Spirit. This is generally with the article but not necessarily so.
(4)
The operations of the Holy Spirit--spiritual gifts (I Cor. 14: 32).
(5)
The new nature in the believer. This is specially the Pauline usage; spirit as
opposed to the sinful old nature.
(6) Man (psychologically). Spirit as imparted to man, making him "a living soul"
(Gen. 2: 7).
(7) Character. This as being in itself invisible and manifested only in one's actions
(II Tim. 1: 7; Rom. 8: 15).
(8) Other invisible characteristics such as feelings and desires (Matt. 26: 41).
(9) The whole person, the part being put for the whole (Luke 1: 47).
(10) Angels, or spirit-beings (Heb. 1: 7, 14).
(11) Demons, or evil spirit beings (Mark 1: 23).
(12) The Resurrection body (I Cor. 15: 45).