Dead to the Law

Liberating Gospels Freedom for the Future Live in the light of God (Isaiah 2:5)  Romans 7:7-13 The Voice 7 So what is the story? Is the law itself sin? Absolutely not! It is the exact opposite. I would never have known what sin is if it were not for the law. For example, I would not have known that desiring something that belongs to my neighbor is sin if the law had not said, “You are not to covet.”[a] 8 Sin took advantage of the commandment to create a constant stream of greed and desire within me; I began to want everything. You see, apart from the law, sin lies dormant. 9 There was a time when I was living without the law, but the commandment came and changed everything: sin came to life, and I died. 10 This commandment was supposed to bring life; but in my experience, it brought death. 11 Sin took advantage of the commandment, tricked me, and exploited it in order to kill me. 12 So hear me out: the law is holy; and its commandments are holy, right, and good. 13 So did the good law bring about my death? Absolutely not! It was sin that killed me, not the law. It’s the nature of sin to produce death through what is good and exploit the commandments to multiply sin’s vile effects. For Reflection "I was miserable so much of the time and could not understand why. I was also critical of those who did not live up to my convictions. For example, we were [convinced] that TV had become an obsession for our whole family, and so we gave it up for over a year. I can still remember how proud I felt when I heard about others who watched what I wouldn’t watch. How spiritually superior I sometimes felt. You see, living under the law makes you quick to judge anyone but yourself. Living under the law doesn’t necessarily mean that you are under the Law of Moses, the Ten Commandments, but you can be bound by the law of the denomination you belong to or the law that you impose on yourself. Living under the law doesn’t mean that you are not determined or self-disciplined. It means that you measure your spirituality by these things, and if they are not done, you think you have failed to win the love and favor of God in your life. We must understand the difference between living "under the law" and living "under grace." In Romans 7:1-5,  Well, Paul gives a picture of how the law is useful in our salvation. It cannot save us, nor can it sanctify us, but it can expose our need for God’s grace to do so. This is why a person has got to understand that he is a sinner, completely unable to save himself before he will understand his need for God’s gracious gift of salvation." https://www.preceptaustin.org/romans_76-13 Pray Pray, and let the Holy Spirit guide your life. Pray for the understanding that there is a difference between the laws of God and human interpretation of those laws. Pray and live humbly under the Grace of God. Forward to a friend.     Sign up for our mailing list!