The Law of God is not sin

[StewardoftheMystery]

I have come across a grave error in my internet travels, and that error is in thinking that the law of God is a curse, and is sin. The law of God is also the words of God; and so I would ask, is God's words also sin and death? Of course not! And for one to equate God's words of Life as sin and death is nothing short of blasphemy. It would be the same as equating the works of the Holy Spirit to the works of the Devil. Many believe the Law of God is "the law of sin and death" that Paul spoke of in his letters. But Paul makes clear in Romans 7:7 that the law of God is not sin. So what is the law of sin and death? I compare the law of sin and death to be much like the law of gravity; we are all firstborn under it naturally by reason of Adams original sin.

Romans 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” As it is also written in Romans 5:19 “For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners,” So as it is also written, by nature we were the children of wrath Ephesians 2:3 and as by the judgement of one for sin was unto condemnation Romans 5:16 as the wages of sin is death= being under the law of sin and death. It is an absolute principle in nature, much like the law of gravity.

We know this condemnation of sin was already in the world before the Law of Moses because sin and death already reigned in the world. Romans 5:13 Notice we are told death reigned Romans 5:14 “Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.”
That is an important clue in understanding what it means to be under the law of sin and death. When you are under the law of sin you are a servant of sin, like sin being the Devils desire ruling over you as it is written in Romans 5:21 “That as sin hath reigned unto death…”

People try to use Romans 7 as an excuse for ongoing sin, even saying Paul was still struggling with sin. But one needs to keep in mind what Paul said to his audience in Romans 6:19 19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh:” Paul was trying to relate to a carnal audience who was still struggling with sin because they were still in the "flesh"(as is the mannerism of mankind) like a natural brute beast.

What Paul was showing in Romans 7 was the struggle and enmity between the law of the flesh and the law of the Spirit, as these 2 spirits and 2 natures are contrary to one another. Notice in Romans 7 we are shown 2 laws, one is the law of sin and death, the other is the law of God. We already saw in Romans 7:7 that the law of God is not sin, now notice Paul confirms in verse 13 the law of God is not death either.

Romans 7:12-25 "Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
In the above we see the 2 laws (flesh vs. Spirit) warring against one another: but are we to remain in this state of captivity and bondage being under the law of sin and death? Scripture gives us the answer to this as well in Romans 8:1-4 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

What we see in the above is walking after the flesh is serving sin and =being under the law of sin and death. Thus when we are born again of the Spirit we are no longer walking in the lusts of the flesh. Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” So it is the Spirit of Christ (law of the Spirit of Life) that makes us free from the first nature that desires to walk in the flesh and serve sin.

Now some might say this does not mean we are set free from sin and death, just that we are set free from the law of God. But that is not what is being said above by Paul. To what benefit would it serve to be only set free from a holy law, and not be made free from sin and death? All that would amount to is a bunch of lawless sinners. Besides that, the Gentiles were never even under the Law of Moses to begin with, so how can you be set free from a law that you were never even under? Makes no sense.

But the law that both Jews and Gentiles are firstborn under, is the law of sin and death. Romans 3:9 “What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;”
So hopefully you will see in this that it is sin you truly need to be made free from, because a servant of sin abides not in the house forever. Peace and God bless

 

[StewardoftheMystery]

By Gods holy law we have the knowledge of the law of sin and death.

For by the law of God came the knowledge of sin…Rom 3:20

We were already dead in our trespasses and sins, even before we read the law. Gods holy law just exposed what was already there.

Just like Adam and Eve were ALREADY naked before they ate from the tree of knowledge, which is symbolic of the law of God that gives us the knowledge to know good from evil.

Nakedness in scripture symbolizes sin. So when Adam Eve ate from the tree of knowledge ( the law) they then saw their own nakedness. (Sin)

The law of God is the words of God by which we have the knowledge to know good from evil.

The words of God just expose the nakedness in mankind that is already there by testifying that their works are evil.

John 15:22
If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin.

 

[StewardoftheMystery]

The law of God is also not a curse…

Many believe the law itself is “the curse” mentioned, but scripture tells us Gods law is holy, just, and good in Romans 7:12“Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.”

So what was the curse? The curse of the law came in by 2 ways, the first is shown here in Deuteronomy 27:26 “Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.”

The first part of this curse has to do with sin as it is written in Romans 7:10-11“And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.”

Again we see the law was ordained unto life, but the curse came when man being yet flesh could not keep “all the words of the law to do them”, because of the weakness of his flesh and sin.

So who’s the bad guy here, the law of Moses, or sin? If you answered sin then you would be correct.

Now for the second part of the curse, which is swearing to the oath.

It is written Galatians 3:10 “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.”

After Moses had read the law, all the blessings and the curses, the people then bound themselves to the oath by agreeing to keep everything that was written in the law.

The word oath in Hebrew can also be defined as, and shown as the word curse in scripture. And swearing to an oath can also be shown as binding ones soul to a curse as in Nehemiah 10:29 “They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes;”

And in Daniel 9:11 “Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.”

And here is where the curse came in by swearing themselves to the oath in Numbers 30:2 “If a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.”

And so being unable to perform the vow to God to keep the whole law, because of the weakness of the flesh and of sin, then the curses mentioned in the law were put into effect. Even in the law of Moses God warned the people of forswearing an oath to God.

Which is why Jesus said Matthew 5:33-37 “Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.”

And here again also in James 5:12 “But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.”

And a word to the wise, if you ever have to go to court and are asked to forswear yourself to an oath, or any other vow or oath for that matter…don’t do it!

Let me add these thoughts. The curse of the law is sin, Christ was made to be sin for us (made a curse for us). The law was weak because of our fleshy sin nature, which is the enmity that had to be removed from our hearts and minds by the Spirit of God. But the law itself was not sin ( Romans 7:7) sin is sin.

But even still the outward letter of the law is not of faith being written outwardly and not written inwardly in our hearts and minds by the Spirit.

But so too sin is not of faith either, is it? Think about it, is a sinner abiding in the faith of Jesus Christ? Hardly.

But now think about this, if we remove the law from the world do you also remove sin from the world? No, because sin was even in the world before the law.

So the best way to remove sin in the world is for people to stop sinning right? This is also why Jesus Christ came into the world to condemn sin in the flesh, to destroy the body of sin in us, and to make us free from the bondage of sin.

And guess what happens when you remove sin? You also remove the need for a law which condemns sin. For it is written the law was made for sinners and for the unrighteous; not for those who are made righteous.

So we conclude, to remove the law is not to remove sin; but to remove sin is to also to remove the curse of the law, which condemns sin.

But make no mistake; there is still condemnation for sin even without the law. For Christ condemned sin in the flesh; and if you are still in the flesh, then you are also still under the condemnation of sin.

That is why it is written, there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

And the only way to pass from flesh to Spirit, and from death to life, is by being born again of the Holy Spirit and by the faith of Jesus Christ.

Peace and God bless