Romans 8:3 : "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." The main thought in this verse seems clear enough, but the grammatical construction is difficult. As it stands, the first part--"for what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh" --has no grammatical connection with the rest of the sentence. The meaning of the verse may be expressed somewhat as follows: For what the law could not accomplish, in that it was weak through the flesh, God accomplished by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin (or, and as an offering for sin marginal reading) condemned sin in the flesh. The law of Moses could not free a person from the law of sin and death, but God did that very thing by the plan of salvation perfected by the mission of his Son into the world, including his death as a sin offering. The death of Christ procured for all who accept him re-lease from the condemnation that rests upon all sinners. And thus in his flesh he condemned sin. Formerly sin reigned as master, and held the sinner in captivity. When a person accepts Christ, sin as his master is destroyed--blotted out. So far as we know, there was no way to destroy the reign of sin except through the death of Jesus Christ; but that death benefits only those who yield obedience to him as their King. He came in the likeness of sinful flesh. Human flesh is not sinful in and of itself; if so the flesh of Jesus was sinful. But some commentators seek to evade this by stressing the word "likeness." His flesh, they say, was not sinful, but was like sinful flesh! But he was man (1 Timothy 2:5), and frequently spoke of himself as the Son of man. He, therefore, had in his nature all that the word "man" implies. "Since then the children are sharers in flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner partook of the same" (Hebrews 2:14). "Wherefore it behooved him in all things to be made like unto his brethren" (Hebrews 2:17). If his brethren were born sinful and he was not, then he was not like them in all things. But as Jesus was made in all things like his brethren and was without sin, it shows conclusively that sin is not a part of man's nature. When Adam arid Eve were first created, they had all that belongs to human nature. Sin came into their lives as a foreign element. Sin is no more a part of your nature than dust in your eye is a part of the nature of your eye. Because the desires, appetites, and passions of the flesh so often lead to sin, flesh is called sinful. But we should remember always that fleshly desires lead to sin only when the mind, or heart, purposes to gratify the flesh in an unlawful way. The law was not weak in itself it was weak because in man's folly the urgings of the flesh are stronger than man's regard for law, and because in his ignorance and selfishness man could not meet its requirements.