“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.