Released from the Law

Romans 5:18-21

18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.

19 For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.

20 And the Law came in that the transgression might increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,

21 That, as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jews Christ our Lord.

Though sin was already in the world, the Law was introduced to make plain what is sin and what is not sin. When the Law came in, sin increased because when people were told to not covet, the sin indwelling them caused them to covet all the more, Romans 7:7-11.

In order to overcome sin, our body of flesh must be done away with, because it is full of sin; sin actually dwells in it, Romans 7:20. The only way it could be done away with is by death. Our bodies of flesh are bound in sin and are slaves to sin. They will never change. Thus the reason for a Savior.

In order to bring an end to sin, God sent His only begotten Son who lived a life of righteousness in the likeness of sinful flesh and thereby overcame sin. The Son then offered Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of all of mankind, so that through His death they, too, might overcome sin. To do this, He carried every single member of mankind within Himself and died in the image of God, unstained by the sin of disobedience of the first Adam.

“The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit, 1 Corinthians 15:45. After the death of the last Adam, God raised Jesus from the dead where He sat at the right hand of God. Jesus then became a life-giving Spirit, and He gives that Spirit to all who believe in Him. This Spirit in turn has become a new creation, the body of the risen Christ, the church.

Each member of the church considers themselves dead to sin, and alive to God, through the resurrection of Jesus, in whom they now dwell. Old things have passed, and new things have come. Those who were once dead in their sins, are now alive to God in Christ Jesus. Their lives are actually hidden with Christ in God.

Through their being crucified with Christ, buried with Him through baptism, raised up together with Him, and receiving the Spirit of life, they were released from the Law, having died to that by which they were bound, so that they serve in newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.

1 Timothy 1:8-11

8 But we know that the Law is good if one uses it lawfully,

9 realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous man, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers and mothers, for murderers

10 and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching,

11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.

Those who walk in and by the flesh with its lusts are under the Law, whether they claim to be a Christian or not. Those who walk in and by the Spirit are released from the Law, for the requirement of the Law is fulfilled in them, Romans 8:4-14.

Jon David Banks, God’s most unworthy servant

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Published by Jon David Banks