Is The Law Bad?
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PRE-CHRISTIANITY
PRE-CHRISTIANITY
Previously, in our SINFUL PASSIONS were aroused by the LAW.
For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.
Our sinful passions (strong physical desire to sin) was awaken by the prohibitions of the LAW.
Prior being united with Christ, our sinful desire produced sinful actions producing death.
DESIRE lead to ACTION bringing forth DEATH
Death to the unbeliever is both physical and spiritual.
Death to the believer is only physical.
Death can be the outcome for any disobedient Christian.
POST-CHRISTIANITY
POST-CHRISTIANITY
But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.
As a Christian you are no longer married to the LAW (no longer bound to it or controlled by it) but have been released from it.
Being released from the LAW, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God.
As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God.
ELEPHANT BEING BOUND - IT’s a MINDSET
Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
While still young and much smaller they are bound to a rope, a size big enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe that they cannot break away. They believed that rope can still hold them so they never try to break away. Once they matured to a full size elephant they can easily break away from their bonds but because they believed they could not they are stuck right where they are. This powerful and gigantic animal has limited its present abilities by the limitation of its past.
The same thing happens to us. We were born with sin nature therefore have been practicing sin from childhood. It has been part of our life. As a Christian you have been set free by Christ through your faith in Him. You have been set free from the bondage of sin in order not to sin again but to live free from sin. Use that freedom to say NO to sin.
We may be dead to sin but the Devil is very much alive and active right now. Just look around, you will see his crafty work. As believers we are still being visited by the sinful desires to sin and many times we listen to it and eventually obey it.
Paul said we are now bound to a new life in Christ which is producing in us the desire to live a new life of less and less sin.
We avoid sin by listening to the conviction of the Holy Spirit to honor God with good behavior. To honor God by obeying God.
Due to the predicament presented in , where the the LAW aroused the evil desires, comes the question:
1. IS THE LAW EVIL?
1. IS THE LAW EVIL?
ANSWER: May it never be - NO!!!!
Instead SIN is EVIL!
What is sin?
Answers: An immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law.
What is sin in the context of our text today?
The law has listed down what acts are considered sin.
Upon learning the LAW it acted as a mirror showing us as guilty party.
A desire, a nature making possible sinful acts.
2. HOW EVIL IS THE DEVIL?
2. HOW EVIL IS THE DEVIL?
SIN is EVIL and EVIL is an OPPORTUNIST.
But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead.
Romans 7:
What is happening behind the scenes?
When the LAW was given to man to teach them what acts were considered sinful, evil use our awareness of sin to arouse desire to sin. He use it to tempt us. The same game plan from Genesis and it was effective with Adam and Eve who up to that point had not sin yet there had no sin nature unlike us today.
God use the LAW to teach man what NOT TO DO, the devil use it to TEMPT MAN TO DO IT. What God meant for good, the Devil use it to carryout evil.
But God countered, demonstrating His power in some situations in the bible: Example Joseph.
“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.
:20
Also the story of Jesus:
:20
They shouted back, “Crucify Him!”
But Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify Him!”
Mark 15:
What was the DEVIL capitalizing in order for man to sin?
ANSWER: Sin nature in us, inherited from ADAM and EVE. It was there when you and I were born, it just had to be awaken.
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
For I was born a sinner—
yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.
What Paul has been teaching us in is that the reason why we sin today is because we were and are told NOT TO SIN.
The DEVIL used the prohibitions to produce desire to violate the law themselves.
To demonstrate it, let’s take for example Commandment #10 - You shall not covet.
Let say you move in to a new neighborhood and you notice that you are surrounded by new neighbors owning nice cars. What comes in your mind?
This was possible because we had the nature to sin.
The devil is a demolition is expert.
God, because of His love and Grace is like a life guard. He sees you drowning so He put’s on human for, came down to earth as an atonement for our sins.
The guide that was to keep us away from sinning was use by the Devil for us to sin.
What God meant for good, the Devil used it for evil leading to death.
3. HOW EVIL IS SIN?
3. HOW EVIL IS SIN?
Through the LAW we found out that evil leads us to sin which lead to death.
The law revealed to us that we are condemned.
I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died;
and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me;
Romans 7:9-10
Paul considered alive in a sense that there was no conviction or guilt prior to knowing he has a sinner.
Paul’s definition of alive is a guilt-free life. There was no guilt prior to the Law.
Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break.
Prior to the LAW coming, sin already existed and sin causes death.
DO NOT ENTER SIGN
Let’s say there exist a broken bridge, making the road leading to it dangerous. Anybody who took that dangerous route drove to its peril. When it was discovered that the bridge was broken, a sign was placed DO NOT ENTER for the safety of the public. The sign represents the LAW. Prior to the SIGN being put up, there was no LAW to violate but since the placement of the sign, now there was a law to violate and anyone who enters violates the law and is guilty of violating it leading to death.
According to Paul dying is a consequence of him being aware that he is a sinner. He is a sinner because he violated the law.
Sin is evil because it leads to death - eternal separation from God.
for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.
Being aware of sin made him guilty of sin.
His awareness of sin made him realized that he was dead spiritually thus, the statement “I died.”
In verse 11 SIN through deception KILLED HIM.
verse 11 reveals the DECEITFUL NATURE of sin. It killed him. The same thing that happened to Adam and Eve.
4. What is the LAW then?
4. What is the LAW then?
If the LAW is not sin then what is it?
So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
It is holy because it is from a Holy God. God’s intent for it was holy.
It is holy because it reveals the nature of God’s holiness.
It is holy because is reveals the standard of God’s Holiness.
It was a DO NOT ENTER sign because of death as a result of SIN’s started spreading through the coming generation.
So God put a DO NOT ENTER SIGN not a DONUT.
The moment man saw the DO NOT ENTER sign man’s curiosity came alive.
Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful.
Romans
Who was Paul blaming for His cause of death? SIN.
When did he BECAME a sinner? Before or after the LAW came?
What did Paul say again in
Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break.
APPLICATION.
APPLICATION.
The Law is not bad. On the contrary it is holy, righteous and good, a reflection of God who authored it. Thus He wants us to be holy. (Our parents want to teach us good behavior and want’s us to follow any example they have, but not all of their example is good. But God our heavenly Father is perfect, therefore we ought t follow ALL His examples. (Start by loving unconditionally, be merciful and patient with the shortcoming of others.)
By understanding the truth about sin’s hold on our new life in Christ, it helps us avoid sin. By saying yes to Christ, you are saying no to Satan.
Another way to avoid sin is to focus on our new life in Christ. Do everything to develop it, it will require your whole life time ahead of you. By focusing on God you take your eye away from evil. (Let us learn from how God positioned our eyes, it’s only located on one side of our head and they’re close to one another. He gave us two eyes so we can see clearly. He gaves us tow ears so we can hear clearly. He gave us one mouth so that He does all the talking.)
Do not use the Law as means to gain salvation, or as a way to be holy. You are holy, you have been made holy when you came to faith in Jesus. Jesus washed away your sins, you are free of guilt because Christ has paid the penalty of your sins, your are no longer condemned. He forgave all your sins, past present and future. Your are alive in Christ because He gave you life.
Use this newness in you to honor and serve the Lord who loved you, made you clean, bought you with His life. Live in victory by being victorious one sin at a time. Stop living a broken life through your broken decisions. Do what’s right in the eyes of God. The Law is a guide how a child of God should live.
Another way to avoid sin is to focus on our new life in Christ. Do everything to develop it, it will require your whole life time ahead of you. By focusing on God you take your eye away from evil. (Let us learn from how God positioned our eyes, it’s only located on one side of our head and they’re close to one another. He gave us two eyes so we can see clearly. He gave us two ears so we can hear clearly. He gave us one mouth so that He does all the talking.)
