| Romans 5:20-21 - Trespasses Brought the Law, the Law Brought Death | |||
|
|
"The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 5:20-21)
It surprises many well meaning Christians to find out that the Law brings death. We learn the Ten Commandments as children and society as a whole believes in the golden rule, 'do unto others as you would have them do unto you'. Both Christians and society understand the need for law and order in order to function. However what religion has done is take the very thing that was given to destroy us and has made it into a vehicle whereby to obtain salvation. This is misleading and destructive in every way. What religion fails to tell you is that this is impossible to obtain the righteousness required by the law through works the law. Paul said in II Corinthians 3:6, 'that the letter kills, but the spirit gives life.' In other words, the law brings about death and the only way to live is by the Spirit. Paul supports this revelation in today's passage giving us clarity to why the law was given. The law was given so that trespasses might increase. Remember up until the time the law was given, sin was not taken into account nor held against man. (Romans 5:13). But humankind mistook God's forbearance with sin as His acceptance of it, so the law was given to show mankind the contrast between their sin and God's holy standards. In the same way, the sole purpose of the law was not to fulfil it in order to get to God, but instead it pointed towards faith in Christ as our Savior. He was only one who could fulfill the letter of the law breaking the curse of death, providing the means to be reconciled to God. Galatians 3:19 makes this very clear, "What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed [Jesus] to whom the promise referred had come..." (Galatians 5:19) The laws sole purpose was to point us to Christ. The law requirements in stark comparison to our sin and good deeds shows us how utterly unobtainable fulfilling it is. That is why we must have faith. Faith in Jesus who provided that precious payment for our sins. Through him we are made perfect thus fulfilling the law. Romans 3:28 summarizes this most profoundly, "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law." (Romans 3:28) Which means the only way to be justified is by faith in a Savior and that savior is Jesus. So trespasses increased under the law. The law brought death. 'But where sin increased, grace increased all the more..." (Romans 5:21) So through Jesus we received abundant grace and abundant life. And if we are alive in Christ, then death at the result of sin has no hold on us. And if we have been forgiven and cleansed of all sin, then we no longer are in need of the law, which brings death. Colossians 2 is a powerful passage of scripture, it says, "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ." (Colossians 2:13-17) So knowing that we have died to the old man, or sinful nature we are free to live in Christ, reigning in righteousness. Christ has cancelled the written code that stood opposed to us calling for death and has made us alive in him through faith. Today, remember that you are freed from the law in order to live to the Lord. His spirit gives us freedom to celebrate eternal life. Today I celebrate his grace and thank him for freedom in his beautiful name!         
Bookmark
Email This
Hits: 537 Comments (1)...
Your conclusion is highly misleading. "It is not those who hear the law (which has been added) who are righteous in God's sight, but it is (only) those who obey the law (which has been added) who will be declared righteous." Rom. 2:13 For according to Heb. 7:12b the law was changed by Jesus' crucifixion. What Rom. 5:20 actually means is that that the crucifixion of Jesus since it is the sin of murder caused by the bloodshed of a man it is only this man's life which has been taken by bloodshed that has the exponent by a law being added that has caused the sin of Jesus' crucifixion to increase. Your reasoning mistake is the false conclusion that the death of Jesus has paid for your sins, but actually the law has been fulfilled by adding to it so that by law each man has become accountable directly to God in regard to a sin relative to Jesus' crucifixion but post of it.
Therefore it is a sin of greater consequence for each man not to give the account to God that he has demanded from each man by Jesus' crucifixion. And by the attachment of law the disobedience of this particular law has the consequence of not being forgivable. For if the crucifixion of Jesus has paid the payment for your past disobedience of the written code which was against you then it is ridiculous for the separation of the sheep from the goats to be a post event for mankind. So it is certainly true that observance of the written code cannot be the relief from God's judgment. However the small narrow gate that you have been given the grace to use by the faith of obeying Jesus' command given through the apostles to escape from the penalty of eternal death is not in the written code, but this does not exclude you from being subjected to a law which carries the same penalty of the written code. For your thinking is "Christ has canceled the written code", but he says "Do not think I have come to abolish the law." No student is greater than his teacher is he? The Way Jesus by his crucifixion has perfected for any man's salvation is the faith of confessing directly to God that you are sorry Jesus' life has been lost by bloodshed when he was crucified and be baptized into this Way for the forgiveness of all sins past. For Jesus complying to the set will of his father for each man endured death by crucifixion so that there remains an outstanding residual issue in regard to God's oath promised to only Jesus. "And for Your lifeblood I will demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from EACH man too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man." for the scripture says "his life is a guilt offering." No man will escape from the penalty of eternal death by not making this confession know to God by his mouth and he is surely perishing and will continue on this course unless he by faith obeys God this Way to save himself. Each man too excludes any exception. You may not believe me on this side of the fence of the grave, but on the other side you will certainly wish you had have. No man is going to enter heaven by the "faith" of riding on the back of only Jesus' crucifixion for by the law having been added the sin of his crucifixion has become exceedingly sinful.
,
June 14, 2010
Write comment |
