Audio commentary on this verse

Note 6 at Rom. 8:2: Romans 7:15-24 described the hopelessness of anyone overcoming the law (see note 5 at Rom. 7:23, p. 790) of sin and death in their own ability or holiness (see note 1 at Rom. 7:15, p. 789). But Romans 8, and specifically this verse, brings us the good news that what could not be done by human effort has been done through the power of the Holy Spirit. We are no longer slaves to the law of sin and death.

According to Romans 6:23, death is the wage of sin (see note 3 at Rom. 6:23, p. 784). 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."

Deuteronomy 28:1-14 list the blessings that come if a person keeps the whole law. Verses 15-68 list all the curses that come as the wage 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 Deuteronomy 28:15-68 even though we haven't kept every precept of the law. Christ redeemed us from these curses of the law (Gal. 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 Deuteronomy 28:15-68, but through Jesus we have the righteousness of the law fulfilled in us (see note 9 at v. 4) so that the blessings of Deuteronomy 28:1-14 now are ours. So, through Christ, we receive what we don't deserve (the blessings of Dt. 28:1-14), and we don't receive what we do deserve (the curses of Dt. 28:15-68).