Slideshow image

 

Over the last couple of years
I have been mulling over
the relationship of the
Law

and my response / responsibility to follow it...

This morning reading the confusing Chapter in Romans....

7...
The Law.  
- Given by God
- Is Holy, Righteous and Good vs 12
- Is OF God.... it's Spiritual  vs 14
- gives me insight into His Holiness
and perfection
- reveals the sin nature in me vs 7-11
- the sin nature is in conflict against the Law
- the sin nature is sly and tricky...  it tries to make the Law 'at fault'
'because evil is stimulated in it's presence'.. vs 8
Everyone can identify with Paul as he states the struggle
Rom 7:21  So I find this law at work: 
When I want to do good, 
evil is right there with me.
22  For in my inner being 
I delight in God’s law;
23  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.
24  What a wretched man I am! 
Who will rescue me from this body of death?
What came to me this morning
was that the Law was never 
MEANT to make anyone righteous.
There is no power IN IT to do that.
And 
I 
can never make myself Righteous
because I am FLAWED
and of a nature that by it's very essence
is unable to 
Be righteous.
The Only reason Paul wrote this chapter
was to bring home that point.
The LAW is the wrong TOOL to change my Nature.
The LAW is only the STANDARD
Like a measuring tape.
It can only 
TELL ME I am broken
that I don't measure up
Romans 8 is the point of CONTRAST
of a New Way
That In Jesus 
ALL the Righteous requirements of the LAW
are fully met in us who live 
BY the Spirit  vs 4
a measuring tape tool
can't change me....
So... What can...?
Nicodemus asked the same question...
It has to be
The tool of:
NEW birth
by the Spirit 
by Faith in Jesus ref Jn 3:3-5 2Cor 5:17
Lord,
Thank You for having Paul pen
this chapter of desperate revelation
of the uselessness of the Law
to change me
Thank You for Your provision
of making a way.
To change my old nature
that it can die
and I be raised to new life
new nature
new hope
Thank You Jesus.
PJ