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“The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2)”
I see no mention in either of these two verses of the “law of Moses.”
Have you ever heard before of “the law of sin and death?” Did you think it’s the law (Torah) of Moses?
One of the most annoying things about the Bible (annoying, that is, unless you choose to love it) is that in order to understand one verse you often have to read a great deal more than that verse. The book of Romans discusses “law” or “the law” in about a zillion places. Well, ok, it’s only 50-something times, but in 16 chapters, that’s a lot!
A friend said something lately which sounded like he was saying because he’s under the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, he didn’t have to pay much attention to the requirements of what we call the Old Testament. “Oh, I don’t have to worry about that stuff – I’m not under the law, but under grace.” Or words to that effect. If I’d asked him about it, he would have said that’s not what he meant, and I know him well enough to know he was not at all dismissing the Hebrew Scriptures, but the context of his comment showed that he didn’t really understand what “the law” is.
I think that’s true of a lot of us, including myself. I’m discovering there’s a whole lot more to learn before I say “I’m right and he’s wrong.”
But when my friend said what he did, something clicked. I suddenly realized that Romans chapter six is not at all about Torah. It struck me that in order to understand what “law” he’s talking about in chapter six, you have to go back to chapter 5, which talks about the sin (disobedience) of Adam bringing about not only his death, but the death of all his descendants, in that every one of them (us) was sure to sin. That’s the “law” (not a Torah – not a teaching or instruction – but an unavoidable outcome, like gravity) of sin and death. “The wages of sin is death.” (Last verse in chapter 6.) You work, you get paid your wages; you sin, your payment is death. Simple.
“But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
We don’t have to sin – we can be free from sin – *if* we come through the Way that is Jesus, and He enables us to stop sinning, as we learn His way. There’s a whole lot more I could say about that some time, but for now I’m just saying that’s what I see going on in this chapter.
So, back to Torah (the “law of Moses”). Is Romans talking about that at all?
Yep. And this is where we often get mixed up, as I think my friend was. Now ask yourself (assuming you acknowledge the reality of sin, or why have else you read this far) – do you know what sin is? If you answered, disobedience to God, good answer. But to disobey someone you have to know what they told you to do, or what they told you not to do, right?
I think you’re following me, here – I can just feel it. We can know with certainty what pleases or displeases God by simply reading the Book He wrote to us. (The Bible.) The essence of His likes and dislikes is contained in the books of His servant Moses. The Torah.
We’re born with an innate sense of right from wrong (conscience), but if you look around you, when people just go by their own conscience, without any further instruction, things eventually don’t work out so well. Never mind that the more we practice following our own inclinations, the farther we get from God’s directions.
So that’s what Torah (the law of Moses) is – God’s Big Ol’ Instruction Book. The “Owner’s Manual” for our lives. Or, How to Live and not Die, in five easy volumes.
Which is why Paul talks about the law of Moses so much throughout the Book of Romans, in relation to the issues of death & sin, or obedience & life.
But please, let’s not confuse the two. God forbid we should ever be freed from His instructions on how to live! But we have been freed from the law of sin and death (if we will be willing and obedient), through the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
I had written an earlier post in this spot, but since that time I’ve seen over and over again where well meaning believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have been caught up short when speaking with Jews who rightly point out that God’s purpose for us is to live righteously in this present world, not muddle through this life in order to go to heaven when we die. And why are we so looking forward to death? Death is a thief and a robber.
Jesus came to give us life, but the only way we can have life is by doing the complete and perfect will of God. And it was only He who accomplished the work of living perfectly and righteously before God in this world who then became qualified to pass that ability on to all who come to him through faith.
I began to realize that I could never say enough about this in a blog post, so I’ve put this discussion in a separate page here. And yet I know that I can never say enough about this in a blog page, or in an entire blog, but we all have to start some place. Since there isn’t a spot to comment on a WordPress page as far as I can tell, I welcome your comments, corrections, or challenges under this post. Just don’t expect me to argue with you much about it. Sometimes one just has to put forth “the foolishness of preaching” for them that choose to believe.
Ts’daka, shalom, v’chedvah b’Ruach Haqodesh
To my way of thinking, there are two kinds of people in the world: HaAm, and the rest of us. Not that I mind being in the second category. Not all that much, anyway. I mean, it’s what I’ve been given in life. I should be thankful, and therefore I am. And what if I were able only to keep 612 mitzvot?
