Two Laws: Resting in the Law of the Spirit of Life
We live under two opposing laws: the law of sin and death, which pulls downward, and the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, which lifts upward. The first law is like gravity—it is the natural pull of fallen humanity, leading inevitably to decay and death. But the second law transcends it entirely, for it is not merely a principle; it is the very life of Christ within us.
Romans 8:2 declares, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”This freedom is not a struggle but a surrender. It is not about effort but about abiding.
Imagine an eagle soaring in the sky. It does not strain to overcome gravity; rather, it spreads its wings and rests upon the wind. The wind carries it effortlessly above the earth, rendering the pull of gravity powerless over it. Likewise, as we yield to the Spirit of life in Christ, we cease striving against sin and death and instead are borne aloft by His indwelling presence. The struggle ceases when trust begins.
Yet this law operates moment by moment. If an eagle folds its wings, it no longer glides—it begins to fall. In the same way, when we cease yielding to Christ, we default to the lesser law. The choice is continual: to rest in His sufficiency or to revert to self-effort.
But the Spirit of life in Christ is not an impersonal force—it is the very presence of God within us. He is the One who lifts, sustains, and carries us. The Christian life is not lived by mere principles but by a Person. We do not need to beg for what He has already given. We need only to yield, to trust, and to receive.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, I rest in the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. You have set me free from the law of sin and death, and I refuse to return to the weight of self-effort. You are the One who carries me, sustains me, and keeps me soaring above all that would pull me downward. I rejoice in Your sufficiency and trust fully in the life of Christ within me. Thank You that I need not struggle, but simply yield and abide. Amen.
📖 Excerpt from In Christ by E. Stanley Jones
📷 Photo Credit: Unsplash