3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: (Romans 8:3 KJV)
William Burkitt’s Commentary
That is, when mankind could by no means be freed from sin and death, God sent his one and only Son to be a sacrifice for sin so that our liberty might be fully accomplished.
Observe here, 1. The impotency and weakness of the law declared; there is something which the law cannot do, it cannot justify, it cannot save, because it requires that which the fallen creature can never perform, and cannot make reparation for what the fallen creature has done.
Learn hence, That the moral law of God, though a holy and excellent law, and designed by God for holy and excellent ends; yet having now to do with fallen man, is become weak, and altogether unable to justify and save.
Observe, 2. The reason for the law’s impotency and weakness assigned: It is weak through the flesh; that is, through our corrupt and depraved natures. Its weakness does not arise from itself; but from us; the law properly is not weak to us, but we are weak to that. The law retains its authority of commanding, but we have lost our power of obeying. No mere man, since the fall, was able perfectly to observe the law of God. None ever could keep the law of God perfectly, but the first Adam; none ever could and did keep it perfectly, but the second Adam.
Observe, 3. The way and means which the wisdom of God found out for relieving the law’s impotency, and for the fallen sinner’s recovery: He sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh.
Learn hence, 1. That Jesus Christ was God’s own Son, the Son of himself, his natural Son, co-equal, co-essential, and co-eternal, with the Father, partaking of his Father’s essence by an eternal and ineffable generation.
2. That Jesus Christ was sent, and sent by God the Father: he was sent, therefore he had a being before his incarnation; for that which was not, could not be sent; he was sent by the Father, therefore he was and is a person, and a person really distinct from the Father; one sends, and the other is sent.
Both what does God’s sending Christ imply?
Ans. His appointing and ordaining of him before all time to the work and office of a Mediator: his qualifying and fitting him in time for that great work and office; and his authoritative injunction of him to take upon him our nature, and in that nature to make satisfaction for our sin.
3. That Christ, God’s own Son, was sent in the likeness of sinful flesh, not in the likeness of flesh: it was real flesh that Christ assumed; but like unto sinful flesh he was dealt with and handled, treated and used, just as guilty men are; accused of gluttony, wine-bibbing, sorcery, blasphemy, and what not; arraigned, condemned, executed for an impostor, deceiver, blasphemer, and breaker of the law.
Thus, though no sinner, yet was he reputed a sinner, and appeared in the likeness of sinful flesh.
4. That the end for which Christ was sent by God, was through the sacrifice of his death to condemn sin, that is, to expiate and take away the guilt of sin, so as that it shall never be charged upon believers to their eternal condemnation. For sin he condemned sin in the flesh. Blessed be God, condemning sin is condemned by a condemned Saviour.