There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
—Romans 8:1

Many believers know Romans 8:1. Some think there is no condemnation for us when we behave properly, while others say that the words “who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” are not in the original but were added by the translators. I am generally in favour of the integrity of Scripture, because if something has been added, it is no longer clear what has been added and what has not. The problem is that when people say, “There is no condemnation for you if you walk according to the Spirit”, they usually mean that “walking according to the Spirit” means behaving well and, of course, “not sinning”, while walking according to the flesh means fornicating, drinking and doing shameful things. But this interpretation does not fit Scripture.

Chapter 7 of Romans clearly shows a person living according to the flesh: “For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death.” [Rom.7:5] This is an example of a person living under the law, because the previous verse says that we “have become dead to the law”. [Rom.7:4] Paul also writes to the Galatians: “This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?” [Gal.3:2-3] Notice how Paul uses “the works of the law” and “the flesh” interchangeably, and likewise “the hearing of faith” and “the Spirit”.

So it turns out that walking according to the flesh means living under the law, or in the works of the law, and walking according to the Spirit means living in faith, or under grace. So if we use Paul’s terminology, Romans 8:1 will sound like this: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not live in the works of the law but in faith.” It turns out that those who keep living in the works of the law put themselves under the condemnation and the curse of the law. [Gal.3:10] That is why Paul calls the Galatians foolish. [Gal.3:1] That is why Paul wrote: “Examine yourselves as to whether you are IN THE FAITH…” [2 Cor.13:5]

Let’s read Paul’s question once more: “This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” How did the Galatians receive the Spirit? By keeping the law well, or because they heard and believed? The word hearing [Greek akoe] means just that — hearing. How does faith come? By hearing the word about Christ. [Rom.10:17] How do we receive the Spirit? By hearing with faith. How do we receive the gift of no condemnation? The same way. We heard that Jesus bore our condemnation for all our sins, down to the very last one, and if we have believed it, we will live in the freedom with which Christ has made us free. [Gal.5:1] That is why the next verse says: “…the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” [Rom.8:2]