The reason we know that, Paul says, is because the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. And when Paul uses the word “law” in this verse, what he’s really referring to are different ruling systems of existence, these universes in which we are confined to the natural order and physical laws of that space.
For example, in this physical world, we’re confined to physical laws like gravity, inertia, and conservation of energy. Except what Paul is talking about is the universe of sin and death. And in the universe of sin and death, we are confined to the laws of brokenness, separation from God, and ultimate meaninglessness.
But what God did is that he entered into the universe of sin and death as a fully human person. And Jesus, because he was sinless and completely whole even while he was completely human, began to violate the laws of that universe. In fact, by his resurrection, he created a whole new universe with new physical laws: the universe of the Spirit of life.
And so, when you give your life to Jesus, it isn’t just that the debt of your sin is paid before a righteous God—which it is. But this word “condemnation” also refers to sin in every aspect of its power. So, in effect, when you give your life to Jesus, you enter into a whole new universal plane. A whole new realm of existence. Before you take even one step in the journey of wholeness, in a cosmic sense, the work has already been completed.
Therefore, as you do step into your journey of understanding what it looks like to live the life God always intended for you to live, you are working not toward a victory but from a victory. You have already stepped out of the place of death and into a place of life. You have exited a world of meaninglessness and entered a world of wonder and power and wholeness. You are already a fundamentally different person.
Your life’s journey is to begin to discover and experience what you’ve already been given as you wait for it to be finally and ultimately revealed when you see Jesus face-to-face.
You want to know when you can experience the good life? If you belong to Jesus, you already have it! Because to be connected to Jesus is to be connected to life itself.
So as you go through all the struggles, all the temptations, even all of the mundane and banal moments of your life, what Jesus is inviting you to do is discover the power and abundance that already exists inside of you. Not because of what was already intrinsic to who you are, but because he has entered into your life so that you could enter into his.
This article originally appeared here and is used with permission.
