Friday, April 18’s devotional.“…in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us…” (Romans 8:4a, CSB). The law was always good. Its demands were just. Its commands were holy. But it had one problem: us. The law could demand righteousness, but it couldn’t deliver it. It could call for love, but it couldn’t create it. Our flesh stood in the way.
Mark Penrith captures this truth with precision: “The law’s requirement was always love. Love for God, with all your heart. Love for your neighbour, as yourself.” From Sinai to Jesus, that standard never dropped. The problem wasn’t the law—it was us. As Mark says, “Our flesh couldn’t produce love. The law commanded love, but our sinful nature bred selfishness.”
So what did God do? He fulfilled what we couldn’t. Not by relaxing the law, but by sending the Spirit. Mark says, “Not by lowering the standard. Not by abolishing the law. But by writing it on our hearts.” This is the miracle of grace. The Spirit now lives in us to accomplish what the law could only describe.
Romans 8:4 tells us why God condemned sin in Christ—“in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us.” And how is it fulfilled? “Not by our striving. Not by our willpower. But by the Spirit’s indwelling.” We don’t earn it. We walk in it.
This is not behavior modification—it’s transformation. Mark explains: “What the law could never achieve through commands, God accomplishes through Christ. What man in the flesh was powerless to do, the Spirit now does in us.”
So what does it look like to walk by the Spirit? It looks like fruit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Mark says, “This isn’t moralism. It’s miracle.” These aren’t traits you manufacture; they are fruits the Spirit manifests.
The law once stood over us. Now, by the Spirit, it lives through us. You don’t walk in fear or performance. You walk in grace-fueled obedience. You are free—free not just from condemnation, but free to live holy, Spirit-filled lives.
Prayer:
Spirit of God, write Your love on my heart. Fulfill in me what the law could never accomplish. Let my life overflow with Your fruit today. Amen.
This devotional content is not penned by the preacher. It is derived from the sermon notes. We aim to provide bite-sized reflections throughout the week for devotion and reflection.