The Spirit and the law
Believers are not only to avoid following the dictates of the flesh, but also to remember that the law is no longer their guide, for the Spirit is their superior mentor. When he speaks of the law, Paul often, as in Romans 7:4–16, refers to the OT law, in particular, the Torah. This was prescribed by God for his covenant people to set the standard for lifestyle; failure to keep it was covered by the sacrificial system. Ongoing sacrifices to cover sins are no longer necessary, since the sacrificial death of Jesus has atoned for the sins of the world. In Romans 2:29, Paul acknowledges that the law confirms the racial identity of the Jew, particularly demonstrated by a physical surgical operation (circumcision). However, since the death of Jesus, the Spirit marks the spiritual identity of the members of a renewed Israel, as prophesied (Jer. 31:3–34; Ezek. 11:19; 36:26–27; 37:1–14), confirmed by spiritual internal surgery, not external circumcision (Rom. 1:21; 2:15; 5:5; 6:...