Audio commentary on this verse

Note 6 at Ro 8:2: Ro 7:15-24 describes the hopelessness of those attempting to overcome the law (see note 5 at Ro 7:23) of sin and death in their own ability or holiness (see note 1 at Ro 7:15). But Ro 8, and specifically this verse, brings people the good news that what could not be done by human effort has been done through the power of the Holy Spirit. Christians are no longer slaves to the law of sin and death.

According to Ro 6:23, death is the wages of sin (see note 3 at Ro 6:23). Therefore, this phrase, "the law of sin and death," is referring to the influence of sin and the resulting wages of that sin. Another way of saying "the law of sin and death" is "the law that when we sin, we receive death instead of life" or "when we sin, we reap the curse instead of the blessing."

De 28:1-14 lists the blessings that come if we keep the whole Law. De 28:15-68 lists all the curses that come as the wages of not keeping the Law. Because the law of the Spirit of life has set us free from the law of sin and death, we no longer reap De 28:15-68, even though we haven't kept every precept of the Law. Christ redeemed us from these curses of the Law (Ga 3:13). Praise God that we don't have to receive the wages of sin, which is death.

Not only have we been redeemed from the curses of De 28:15-68, but also, through Jesus, we have the righteousness of the Law fulfilled in us (see note 9 at Ro 8:4) so that the blessings of De 28:1-14 are now ours. So, through Christ, we receive what we don't deserve (the blessings of De 28:1-14), and we don't receive what we do deserve (the curses of De 28:15-68).