Tuesday, July 22, 2008

What does the law do for us?

Beginning with point #3 on my list found here:

3) In Galatians, Paul wrote to help those becoming deceived. They were deceived about sanctification, equally as they were about salvation.

You can see in the passage below, Paul explicitly lists both salvation ("the Spirit") and sanctification ("attaining your goal" and "miracles") as what they are deceived about:

“You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing? Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?” gal 3:1-5

Reading Galatians convinces me that it is Paul's critical teaching that a Christian be told that they are not required or obligated, for obeying any of God’s laws (once a Christian). And my reasoning is because of the purpose of the law.

What does law do for us?

The law, any law, produces slavery in us to the sinful nature, as opposed to slavery to the Holy Spirit. Sin always takes advantage in us Christians when a commandment is present. “But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.” rom 7:8-10

When commandments are preached, bondage to sin develops:

“We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. ... As it is, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ... So I find this law at work: when I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. ... So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.” rom 7:14, 17-18, 21-23, 25

How in the world can a Christian obey the following command: “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.” rom 6:11-12 ....

...than by counting themselves dead to all law?

“For apart from law, sin is dead.” rom 7:8

“the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.” rom 8:7

“for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account where there is no law.” rom 5:13

“And where there is no law there is no transgression.” rom 4:15

Here is Paul’s direct answer for how to be free from the slavery of sin:

“For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.” rom 6:14

We find the power to act dead to sinful desires when we are released from the stewardship of a commandment.

Assess the logic for me, please, please?

2 comments:

Missy said...

Hi, Michele!

I can totally see what you are working through. I'm there, too.

I think I am most convinced that the Law has no power to save by the story of the rich young man in Matthew 19:16-26.

Jesus tells the man that the way to life is by keeping the law, and then when that is aknowledged, by perfection. (Which seems to indicate that if perfection is not achieved by obedience to the Law - then the Law cannot lead to perfection!) When the disciples question this further, Jesus basically tells them that salvation is impossible with men, and only possible with God.

However, how do you reconcile this idea that preaching commandments bonds the hearer in slavery to sin with the fact that Jesus teaches commandments or that the disciples taught each other obedience to commandments?

Unto salvation, no. Yet, they teach obedience in the form of submission to Christ and one another.

I don't know I agree that the purpose of the Law is to produce slavery to sin. I think the latter half of Romans 7 makes it clear that it does produce slavery to sin - but not by the purpose of the law. That is accomplished by the purpose of the sinful nature. Vs. 8-10 are tough because on the surface they refute that.

I'm still working through this chapter, but I am keeping in mind that Paul is referring to two laws - the spiritual laws and the law of sin. (vs. 14)

It seems to me that the purpose of the law is to condemn sin, not herald it in.

But apart from figuring that out, the fact is that there is law whether I teach it or not, so there is no current circumstance to say, "Where there is not law there is no transgession."

I would rather conclude:

"We find the power to act dead to sinful desires when we are released from..." the condemnation of the law.

This may all be semantics though. Is it?

Sanctification said...

Interesting. I agree that the purpose of the law is not to cause slavery to sin.

The law is good, the law is spiritual. But, the law was given so that the trespass might increase.

"So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good." rom 7:12

"We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin." rom 7:14

:The law was added so that the trespass might increase." rom 5:20

That which was intended to bring life, actually caused death. The law was good, it is not to blame, but, since we are unswervingly caught in our desires to disobey when it is given, the law arouses sin in us.

"The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God." rom 8:6-8

Stay tuned. I'm either going to make this worse or better with the next post....

And thank you a ton for trying to think along with me. I need it.

Michele

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