The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Romans 7:4-6,
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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"So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code."
Paul makes a wonderful point here about the Ten Commandments. In the previous chapter he said, "Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." Romans 6:3-4. In this chapter he points out that our "death" - our rebirth - results in our belonging to Jesus Christ instead of the law. Those who have not embraced Jesus Christ in faith belong to the law and will be judged by it. Since all sin, all who do not belong to Jesus Christ will die an eternal death in a fiery lake of burning sulfur, Revelation 20:14-15
Since we died to the law and have been united with Jesus Christ, we are no longer under it. We serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the old way of law-keeping, the Ten Commandments and the other commands contained in Moses' writings. Paul goes on to use the tenth commandment as an example of how the Lord uses the commandments to bring us to Christ. These laws show we are sinners and in need of salvation. Now that salvation has come we serve in the new way of the Spirit.
Our God is not a moral principle, an impersonal and unhappy taskmaster. He gave us the law to show how corrupt sin has made us and show us our need for righteousness, a righteousness not available by law-keeping but freely given in Jesus Christ through faith in him.
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
Paul makes a wonderful point here about the Ten Commandments. In the previous chapter he said, "Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." Romans 6:3-4. In this chapter he points out that our "death" - our rebirth - results in our belonging to Jesus Christ instead of the law. Those who have not embraced Jesus Christ in faith belong to the law and will be judged by it. Since all sin, all who do not belong to Jesus Christ will die an eternal death in a fiery lake of burning sulfur, Revelation 20:14-15
Since we died to the law and have been united with Jesus Christ, we are no longer under it. We serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the old way of law-keeping, the Ten Commandments and the other commands contained in Moses' writings. Paul goes on to use the tenth commandment as an example of how the Lord uses the commandments to bring us to Christ. These laws show we are sinners and in need of salvation. Now that salvation has come we serve in the new way of the Spirit.
Our God is not a moral principle, an impersonal and unhappy taskmaster. He gave us the law to show how corrupt sin has made us and show us our need for righteousness, a righteousness not available by law-keeping but freely given in Jesus Christ through faith in him.
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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