Christians can make some startling statements at times. Sometimes that's
to get a response and to be able to explain a facet or feature of
what we believe. One such startling statement is that - "Christians
have been rescued from Death, Sin and the Law by the death and resurection
of Jesus Christ!"
Does that mean, "No Death", "No Sin", and "No Law"?
In 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 paul says -
"O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The
sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks
be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ."
In this scripture Paul tells us first of all, that Death's sting has been taken away!
And, the grave can no longer be victorious over us!
Thanks be to God he says, who's given us victory through our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
The next thing he tells us is that the sting of death is "Sin". To be
able to cancel out death therefore, Christ had to remove our sins! This
he did by his death on the cross. This of course is precisely why God
was willing to send his only begotten son to die on Calvary! They
sacrificed for our salvation.
John 1:29: "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith,
Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."
The third thing that Paul relates is that the strength of sin is the law!
It's the Law that give sin it's power over us!
This is why Paul explains in depth in the letter to the Romans what
Christ's death has done for us.
In Romans 7:4 he says - "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead
to the law
by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him
who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God."
As far as the old Covenent law is concerned, we (Christians) are dead! The law has no
hold on us. That's what Paul shows in Romans chapter 7. He uses the
analogy of marriages and the marriage laws to explain how if your spouse
has died you are free to marry someone else and you will not be guilty of
adultery. And this is what Christians have to do. We must die to the Old
Covenant law so that we can be joined to Christ. Christ is the one who
has authority over us!
In Christ we have the victory.
And, Our victory through Jesus Christ is over three
things - "death", "sin", and "the Law".
But does this mean that we can continue sinning?
As Paul points out in Romans 6:2 -
Rom 6:2 "No, God forbid.
How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?"
When one is dead to
something, one is no longer held by its power and control. We are told
here that we are dead to sin. Paul is talking about
no longer living a life of sin where one’s daily activities revolved
around fulfilling our own selfish desires. A lifestyle where one did not
just occasionally sin, but practiced sin as our daily lifestyle. Not that
we consciously thought in those terms of course. It's just the way we
were as part of this world.
The words of the Apostle John in I John 3:2-6 point this out.
1John 3:2-6 "Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be
has not yet appeared; but we know that when he (Christ) appears we shall
be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness;
sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in
him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one
who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him."
Having put our trust in Jesus Christ and having received the Holy Spirit
we are a new creation. Sin is no longer our natural practice. Because we
live in him and he lives in us we no longer keep on sinning as our basic
lifestyle. In John 15:4-7 Christ says that we are to abide in him and He
will abide in us! And as we saw above, " No one who abides in him keeps
on sinning".
Once we are living in Christ and He in us, we brings forth a new kind of fruit (for us) unto
God; Spiritual fruit - the fruit of the Spirit.
Paul also tells us in romans that we are dead to the law
The Law only arouses sin and sin brings our death.
As Romans 7, verse 10 says...
Rom 7:10 "And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto
death."
Have a look at Romans 7 verses 5 and 6...
Rom 7:5-6 "For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by
the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.
But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us
captive, so that we serve not under the old written code but in the new
life of the Spirit."
and also Romans Chapter 8 verse 2
Rom 8:2 "For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in
Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death."
We see that when you try to live under the Mosaic Law our sinful passions
aroused by the law cause us to bear fruit for death. That was our life
before we knew or were known by God. But now, Romans 7:4 tells us....
Rom 7:4 "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law
by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him
who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God."
Looking to the Law as our highest authority (Being under the law) will
only bring us death! Looking to Christ will
bring us life. He is the way, the truth and the life!
Rom 6:14 "For sin shall not have dominion over you:
for ye are not under the law, but under grace."
Christians are not without law, or outside the law; No, we are to fulfill the
law of Christ.
Gal 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
Tit 2:11-13 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to
all men, educating us to deny impiety and worldly desires and to live
soberly, righteously, and piously in the present age”
Sin is no longer a part of our make-up. We now serve God in the new life
of the Spirit.
Attlee Brathwaite
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