“When I think of God, his Son not sparing, sent him to die, I scarce can take it in. That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin.”
” The world will never know the pain I felt to send my Son to die an awful death. And I feel that pain for all those in the world who are suffering because of Him. Yet it was the only way to heal the awful rift that had come about through Adam’s rebellion. To bring about a complete healing, a complete reconciliation. Believe this, speak about it to yourself, speak about it to others, let it give colour and energy to every aspect of your life. Now I can call billions my true sons and daughters, as the new kingdom gradually appears”.
As we come now to ch 7 of Romans Paul returns to speak about the law. he has touched on the subject several times but now gives a more detailed statement of the role of the law among the Jews in the congregation he was writing to.
Please read. Romans 7:1-6. The law played a much greater role in the Jewish community then than it can be conceived now. Blaiklock calls it the “cement of the nation”. As Paul now addresses the subject he is making some astounding claims. This chapter is often misunderstood let us try and grasp the basics in it.
He opens the chapter by pointing out that he is specifically addressing those Jews who “know the law”. Remember the letter is going to a very diverse church. The first little illustration is quite clear. Death brings any covenant agreement to an end. Not just partially but completely. And there has been a death in every true Christian as he/she participates in Christ’s death
By this Paul is not saying that the law will play no role in the future. The death to the law is a complete severance of the idea that salvation can somehow come by obeying the law. The centre of the Christian is now no longer the law, but Christ Himself.
vs 6 Is pivotal. The whole motivation of the Christian is now no longer the desire to obey the law, as the good Jews did, but there is a new source of motivation, The Spirit. The Christian, whether they had been Jew or Gentile had a new life to live. A life which was motivated, led and empowered by the Spirit.This idea, which might seem “old hat” to us, was completely revolutionary at that time.
Does that mean that the law has no role to play from then on? That is what the rest of the chapter addresses. We will work through it bite by bite, but in the meantime, why not read the rest of the chapter and try and understand it in this context for next week.
Although the law may not play as prominent role today it is nevertheless regarded as the basic behavioural tool for the Christian and for many outside the Christian faith. I think many of us obey parts of the law and subconsciously believe they are contributing to the way God sees us, especially in relation to salvation. It is hard, when you have been brought up otherwise to believe 6:23. Many refuse to believe that the punishment for sin is eternal death and then many of them and others who do believe it, find it hard to believe salvation is a free gif.
God bless till next week.