What is the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2)?

Then we have also to distinguish between both the above meanings and the use of the word in such a passage as Romans 8:2. Here it bears the same sense as it does when we speak of the laws of the universe, or more specifically of the law of gravitation, and indicates some controlling force which operates with uniformity of action upon all under its power.

"The law of sin and death" does not mean the law of God, as some of the divines strangely said through making "the law of the Spirit" to be the gospel; it simply means the uniform principle of the flesh in moral character and in result. Power is in the Spirit who has shown us our place in Christ and set us free as alive to God in Him. Thus the common place of no condemnation to those that are in Christ is shown to be inseparable from a new life in the power of the Spirit in Christ risen, which freed us from sin and death as a law; and this is made intensely personal. "The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus freed me from the law of sin and death." The next two verses will explain how God in His grace has effected this, without enfeebling, yea, maintaining in no other way so well, His holy condemnation of evil — of our evil.

Verse 2. “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” We have seen the terrible law, or power of sin; have we not also known and felt it? But what new law, or power, or principle, is this? Is it the power of my new nature as born of God? No; though, as such, I did delight in the law of God; but that did not make me free from the law of sin, as we have seen. But this does — the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. This is God the Holy Ghost dwelling in us; it is not now death, but the Spirit of life. Thus, as we have seen, we have a justified life. Now we have power — the law of the Spirit of life. Elsewhere we learn that the life we now have is eternal, and the Spirit is eternal. Thus the power we have is eternal. We have seen that the flesh, or sin, is still in us — that which is born of the flesh; but here is deliverance from its power: made free from the law of sin and death; made free by infinite, eternal power, the law of the Spirit of life. It is not “will” do, but, “has made me free.” So terrible is our depraved old sinful nature, that, though born of God, and I delighted in the law of God, longed to keep it; yet the law of sin in my members brought me into captivity. Has it not been so? But now we are made free from its power, by a greater power — the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. Oh, for more simple faith in the word of God; yea, and also in the Holy Ghost dwelling in us! This verse sums up the whole of chapter 6. It is the principle of reckoning ourselves dead to sin, and alive to God in Jesus Christ, applied by the power of the Spirit.

Moreover, the Spirit always acts according to one unchanging principle, for this is the meaning of the expression "the law of the Spirit". Law is an unchanging unbending principle. Thus the law of the Spirit is always to set aside in the believer that which has been condemned and set aside in the death of Christ, in order to manifest in the believer the life of the risen Christ. By the action of the Spirit, engaging our hearts with Christ, we are practically set free from the law of sin and death.

It is well to remark that this freedom is not said to be from the presence of sin and death, but from "the law of sin and death". While down here we shall not be free from the presence of sin, but, by "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" we are made free from the power of sin and death.

Not only have we life in Christ Jesus but the Spirit of that life has been given to us. Thereby a new force enters our lives. Coming under the controlling power of the Spirit of God we are released from the controlling power of sin and death. The greater law overrides the lesser.

What is the law of sin and death? We speak of laws in nature by which, for example, the sun shines and the summer goes, and in virtue of which laws the natural world continues in its course. And, as there is a governing law in nature, so there is, spiritually speaking, one over man, and that is “the law of sin and death.” God did not make man subject to this; He made him innocent of sin, and not under the necessity of death; but since the fall, the law of sin and death rules over man.

We have a new life — "life in Christ Jesus." But not only so, we have the Spirit, who gives energy to that life, indwelling us. And it is His controlling power that sets us free in experience and practice from the power of sin and death, that used to control us in our unconverted days, and that, apart from the control of the Spirit, would still work havoc in the life of service: to God to which we are dedicated.

The word ‘law’ can also mean ‘principle’. A stone falls to the ground. This is a ‘law’ of nature. The ‘law’ of the Spirit is also a principle, namely that the Spirit guides us and occupies us with Christ. The law of sin is also a principle, namely opposition to God which leads to death. Once the believer gives Christ the credit, believes that His work is sufficient and that there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (i.e. once he believes ‘the gospel of his salvation’ (Eph.1:13)), the Spirit of God is free to operate in him.

Questions have been raised here as to "the law," used at the beginning and at the end of this sentence. There is no real difficulty nor ground for doubt. The apostle has already given us to see his use of the term for a given principle acting uniformly, as when he speaks of "law of faith" (Rom. 3:27) in contrast with "law of works;" and later still "law in my members," or "of sin," there contradistinguished from the "law of my mind."

Now here the great problem confronts us. The pull of the old circle is strong. All the tendencies of the flesh combine to hold us there in our experience and practice, and how can we be free experimentally? The answer is that there is a new power, a power that pervades the new circle—it is “ the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus .” In the Adam circle—or shall I call it henceforward the SELF circle?—there was the law of sin and death, a terrible principle that held us by its mighty power, from which we could not release ourselves. But, says Romans 8:2, “ The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death .” I will try and illustrate. Suppose I had a piece of steel upon this table: there it lies, held by the law of gravitation, with no power in itself to rise or release itself from the law that holds it. But suppose I hold a powerful magnet over it; another force comes into play—the law of magnetic attraction—and at once the steel responds to the pull of it and springs to the magnet. Thus acts the law of the spirit of life. Christ is the magnet, the great lode-stone of our souls. We have an object outside of ourselves now, and Christ is that Object, and just as the steel has a nature that responds to the magnet, so have we a nature that responds to Christ.