The full truth about the law we seem to so love... ouch!


How many there are in Christ's body that are weary and heavy laden. How many hunger for the rest that was promised by God for us, only to be found burdened down with a walk under the spirit of the law. As a result, they find their results are identical to the man in Romans chapter 7.


Now some believe that Romans 7 was Paul's testimony and it was...when he was Saul, and labored to please God under the old covenant. Look closely as Romans 7:1. Paul said he wrote this to them that know the law...this will be your experience. How could this possibly be Paul's experience as an Apostle, the same man who said boldly "I can do all things thru Christ that strengthens me."? There was no battle inside Paul. His battle had been won. His black dog was dead. He said he kept his body under. He said "Praise God that always causes us to triumph in Christ Jesus." Not so the man in Romans 7, laboring to please God in his own strength.


Listen, saints. The point of the law was not to show us how to live. It was to hold up an ideal...no, no...not even an ideal...a shadow of the ideal, which is a life controlled by love...love for man and love for God. But listen. It provides NO power to us on the performing of the commandments. It was to say, in effect, "You can't get there from here."



Therefore a man under the law of commandments, 10 commandments included, as holy as they are, will find that the things he does not want to do, he does anyway, and the things he wants to do, he cannot do. It leaves one in a state of guilt, defeat, and no matter how much you do, you feel you need to do more.



When I struggled under the weight of the law, I could read 10 chapters of the word a night and feel like I should have read 20. I could give $100 to a just cause and then feel guilty for not giving more. Listen, I felt guilty mowing my grass! LOL. Here I was making my kingdom nice and neglecting His kingdom! If I had a victory, I only thought of the fact that I would fall sooner or later. I never felt God was pleased with me. Well did I relate to the "O wretched man that I am" scenario. The law, holy as it is, works death.



But listen! That is what it is supposed to do! If you have felt that way, you are blessed! The law is working its magic on you. And what is the law trying to teach you? That in you dwells NO GOOD THING, that you do not have the resources to do what it commands of you, that unless you get a miracle from God, your are in deep doo doo.



We Christians are funny people. We get saved, fully acknowledging that we are sinners and that our only hole is by faith in Christ's death. We see our sin as specific acts, such as shorting the IRS last year on our taxes, or lusting or enjoying a good gossip session. What we do not see is the depth of our sinfulness. Our old creation, our fallen nature, what Paul calls our "flesh" is in rebellion to God! It simply cannot do good. All of our righteousness is as filthy rags!



Under the influence of the flesh, we want to run our own lives, and think we can, we just need a little boost from God. Foolish, foolish people we are. What God desires is to fully surrender to Him as failures, weak and in need of everything, as people with NO strength.. That is a man or a woman who is about to find the strength of an indwelling God and the victory He longs to give us.



If the law is to be effective to do its job as a schoolmaster to bring us to the feet of Jesus. it must is preached as it was written. Here is what the law demands...not asks...demands.



1) Perfect 100% obedience all the time. If we disobey one commandment, we are guilty of breaking all of them. This is the curse of the law.


2) The religious pharisees actually strove to do this. They had convinced themselves they were obedient and pleasing God by obeying down to the tithing of the herbs in their gardens. Jesus however, elevated the law to its full weight. He told them that if they just lusted, they were adulterers. If they harbored hate, they were murderers. The law demands not only perfect obedience, but it demands that that obedience be done with 100% pure motives. It is this law that we are requred to serve if we choose to do so. Are we really ready for that?



Now the really bad part. Was there grace under the law? Yes, IF you broke one of the 10 commandments once in ignorance rather than willfully. Past that one free pass, the penalty was death.


After the 10 commandments were given, a man was gathering firewood to cook his family a meal on the sabbath. He was delivered to Moses for the commandment had been broken. Moses asked God and here is what God said.



"Take him out and stone him to death."



This is the law in its full "glory". Thank God Jesus became a curse for us, releasing us from the curse of these external commandments, holy as they are. They do nothing to cleanse the inside of the cup. Nothing.

 And we want to serve God under this covenant?? Are we nuts?



We Christians have formed a quasi- faith, quasi-law religion, softening the law so we think we can do it, and believing only that Jesus died for us and rose again, but nothing further. But the law is chiseled in stone. It does not change, and grace has no effect on it. It demands. I call it the gospel according to Nike. JUST DO IT.



Because we have softened it, moved the line a bit, we feel we can for the most part obey it. Foolish people we are. Do we lust? Adulters still. Have we hated? Murderers. The law was given for ONE purpose, to break down our inner defenses and reduce us to a pile of unworthy goo at the feet of Jesus.

 Now, with that said, here comes the new covenant. God said in Jeremish 31 that the reason we needed the new one was because we broke the old one continually and we did! Read about God's promise of this amazing agreement in Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36. What is the difference? True forgiveness? Yes, absolutely. But there is far more. Once forgiven, God said He would engrave the wishes of God on our hearts. The external commandments were over. He would put His own spirit within us and listen now....cause us to walk in obedience. He would give us new natures, a nature that did not want to sin, a nature that could love easily, a nature that could truly abide in Him all day, every day. And how will these miracles come about in us? In the same way, of course that we first began this walk with Gof, by believing Him and what He says He offers us.


I will leave it here for now, for I feel like I am writing a book. May I recommend devouring Romans 8 (life under the new covenant), Romans 7 (life under the law) and Romans 6 (directions on how to get from 7 to 8). Then read Galatians. Here Paul was protecting the Galatians from returning back under the law in just one area...circumcision. He told them if they go back in just one area, Christ will profit them nothing.



Look, the law speaks of our self confidence, our strength, our efforts to please God. Self control is an absolute necessity. But the new covenant is by faith alone. Here we are to be His workmanship, so that no one can boast. But in oder to believe, we must be brought low by the law, for it is when we are broken and weak, without strength and without hope of ever being holy by our own efforts, onlt then can we finally believe the promises of God.

"and unto them that have no strength, he increaseth might."



And what about self control? Ahhhh, read the list of the fruits of the Spirit that Christ Himself will grow us us. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, meekness, and.....self control! Praise our loving Father! He really will cause us to will and to do of his good pleasure!



Ok, one last thing. I will do anything I can to help anyone to fully understand or enter this walk of faith alone in the promises of God, getting free of our old nature to walk in the victory that Christ has bought for us, a life without condemnation, a life without willful disobedience. If you have questions, or even honest disagreements, I am willing to share openly. All I ask is that we do not lean on "well, I think"s but solely on the word of God for our answers.



I will say this boldly because it has turned my own walk that was formerly a flesh fest of sin and self rule to joy unspeakable. This walk, once one is established in it, will turn your entire world upside down. God has guaranteed it.



Blessings,



Bruce