Have You Escaped the Law?

Okay were going to turn to Romans chapter 7 as we read this, we need a rumor that in chapter 5, Paul is leading up to this chapter 7 is talking about how they God has become our peace is given us. Please please point us in the Lord. In chapter 6 he talks about holiness that we are dead to sin when man alive to God and so we can live a holy life by God's grace and by the power of words. So now we come to chapter 7, which is about freedom. Freedom from the law of freedom in Jesus Christ does not hear the words of the Lord verses one through 13. Or do you not know, brethren, for I am speaking to those who know the law that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives for the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living. But if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband. So then if while her husband is living. She is joined to another man. She should be called an adulterous.

But if her husband dies, she is free from the law so that she doesn't see is not an adulterous though she is joined to another man. Therefore, my brother, you also were made to die to the law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death, but now we have been released from the law, having died to that which we were bound so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

What shall we say, is the law sin may never be on the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the law. For I would not have known about coveting if the law had said, you shall not covet, but sin, taking opportunity through the commandment producing the coveting of every kind, for apart from the law of sin is dead.

I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died. In this commandment, which was to result in life proved to result in death for me for sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and threw it killed me. So then the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good therefore that which is good, that which is good. Become a cause of death for me.

May it never be brother.

It was soon in order that it might be shown to be sin by affecting my death, to that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful legacy.

Let us pray together bothered him. We thank you for your word. We thank you that your word is true, it's your revelation to us is that our ideas, it's your holy word that shows us what reality is who you are and what would it be and how you see us. We thank you father we pray now you would teach us from the Scriptures that are yours that are given by grace to us and open our eyes to our great needed you the great resource and the great gray she poured out upon us, Lord Jesus we pray in Jesus name, amen. The Scriptures say to make it very clear that we are not saved by our works, but the salvation of a Christian is very different from the things that the world teaches that Jesus taught his disciples, he taught the apostle Paul and get out of due time, and he taught that that keeping of the law. It is not the way of salvation, we are free from keeping law for salvation, not man-made religions all teach basically that same thing that you're going to derive an eternity. Somehow you've got to keep some kind of rules some kind of form some kind of goodness so you can get into heaven, and it is strange, but that the world believes that same thing almost everyone believes that same idea that you can work your way into heaven.

But the gospel. The gospel is good news. We can't work our way into heaven. Eternal life is a free gift from the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's good enough.

The believer is given a new heart, a new love for Christ and them. We love the moral law were not against the moral law is not against us. So a believer is not afraid of the moral law is not pushing against it, but it rejoices in keeping it because God has Christ is The moral law perfectly on our behalf.

He has forgiven our sins and now that holy standard is a guide to a Senate and a tool for God to sanctify us to help us to grow closer and closer to the Lord Jesus Christ. So it's futile. You cannot save yourself by works. It does not work so in this verse past section of chapter 7 verses one through three, Paul is talking about some legal terms, and I wanted in this passage cease using the term jurisdiction in the sense of using the idea of jurisdiction to show how we are free from the law as a way of salvation. If you notice he says or do you not know brother that I am speaking to you concerning the law and were supposed to know about the law course he's talking about. We know about the law we know that there are all kinds of laws and and we know if a person, for example, has committed a crime in the US and escape to Mexico. This will be an extradition treaty with the bring that person back to the area just jurisdiction of that which tried their forklift from North Carolina and you run to Tennessee trying to get away the sin the sheriff over there to pick you up and extradite you back to the place where you committed the crime because that's where your under the jurisdiction of that not all is also the using that kind of idea here and that is that the but using a different sentence when you're dead it's hard for the government can get your taxes right. But now they may come after your heirs. If they think you inherited something but when when you die, the law has no these law or earthly loss of the law has no effect on you. It is God that jurisdiction has ended and that is someone what Paul is trying to say here. This illustration is using the illustration of a marriage. So we know that we when we would perform Christian marriages recite you make a covenant until death do us.why because that is when that covenant that bond of agreement is intended, and that person if their Christian freedom and was living free to marry again, but only in the Lord of the jurisdiction has ended. There's no more. There is no binding because of the death and so Paul's point here is that with the death of one party, the other person is free, the other party is free so when we died to sin. We are free from sin. The mass sin as being a master over us and we are united to Christ, so we move from the jurisdiction of the condemnation of the law to freedom and life in Christ under his jurisdiction under the jurisdiction of grace. Romans 614 says this for sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace. That means that is how we are free from striving to to earn or prove ourselves to be right before God. Christ has The law perfectly for every single believer has substituted his perfect obedience for us, that is amazing he is paid. Our debts, he and we are united to him by faith.

So we moved from trying to keep the law to prove ourselves before God and other people living under Christ grace, his power not verses for five and six in this tell us how orcs show us the process of what happens when we escape the law and week and week, come under the grace of Christ. These verses shows how we are transformed from the bondage of law is a way of salvation to union with Christ so if you notice there's sort of a progression here and each of these verses. It begins, but with the several time words it says in verse four we were passed as we were made to die to the law. Okay then in verse five it says we were, or while we were controlled by sin and then in verse six it says now now our freedom is actually accomplished so this teaches us a number of things.

Verse four teaches us that we were made to died to sin through the body of Christ wait. We are wed to Christ we are separated from keeping the law as a means of salvation and we have died to sin, and will and and so we have spiritually died with him as though we were there on the cross but but we trust because we trust in him, we trust in his work on that cross.

And so crisis fulfill the law, he is live the life perfect life and given us credit for.

He is paid the debt of our sins.

And when we died spiritually with him. The works of the law are of no use to us as a means of salvation because we are trusting in the one who was perfect, who is the Redeemer of his people. Christ is our means of salvation. Death is death and that's it covered their pay for so under this new jurisdiction where you not united to the Lord Jesus Christ.

So the law did not die the tallest tree forever, but we died to the law as a means of salvation. Galatians 219 and 20 puts it this way for through four through the law I died to the law so I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. So we are saved by the work of Christ on our behalf, and that we as we don't have to do like the unbelieving, the world unbelieving world is constantly trying to say well I'm good enough, I'm not. I got lived well enough so gotcha except and that is no way to in return, because you're not can enter the eternity that you think your so the legal bond of the law is broken and we are spiritually bound in wind, Jesus Christ. Why why we invented the Christ. If you look at them in verse four, you will notice there it it tells us specifically that we that we might be joined to another, to him it was raising the debt in order that we might bear fruit for God as well say we're safe to live for God's glory where his people where it is written, and what happens in that process is there to senses, and in which were going to bear fruit for God.

One is going to be a verbal witness written to be talking to people and pointing people, at least in some way that they can find hope in life in the person of Jesus Christ and hopefully come to faith in Christ. Another way that we are going to be different is that this could be a change in a character. The word of God in the spirit of God, convict is assuming the different processes over and over again of repentance and trust and in turning away from our sins and were going to become more and more like Christ. Over time, to be sanctified when they grow in holiness of living so that we can give glory to God.

So that's that's what it means regular bear fruit for God. Now verse five teaches that while we were in the flesh while we were in our sinful nature before becoming Christians.

We were in trouble.

It Romans 5H is why were sinners, Christ died for us.

He died for the ungodly is very clear, but what does this mean whatever condemnation the law had then we have escaped it by being in faith. Christ, we were in a sense, in the flesh, and we were controlled by our human sinful human nature.

It means we were formally controlled by our passions or sinful passions. It means we were formerly trying to justify ourselves before man and God by keeping rules. It means I passions were aroused by the law and so there was there was anger less ill will, jealousy, things that works awakened by the law aroused by the law will be solid as Paul was talking about before our conversion power passions ran rampant. There were no there was no control. It was just us and the fruit of pursuing our passions is dead. It was that it is so we were dead spiritually. We were deceived into thinking that if we keep the law. Maybe we maybe if we kept the Beatitudes God.

Whether God would accept this because we did a pretty good job but that is such blindness. That means we were spiritually dead and blind in our trespasses and sins. Now verse six gets very specific here, and it shows us the way that we escape the jurisdiction of the law. It says now but now we have been released from the law released from the law as a means of salvation and I would reread that section there in Lucan and the rich young ruler was certainly thinking he was keeping all of the law but farming is that of the end Jesus knew that man's heart.

He was able going to like Boswell that had come in. The light was. The problem was in the man's heart. How could he do these things perfectly.

He couldn't so we do not need to keep the law to earn salvation that is totally impossible by die when it says here by dying to that which we were violent we died to the law. We were bound to keep it. Jesus always expected us to keep it.

That's why he came and kept for us because we can't. Adam failed and we fail with so we're not in the covenant works really God's covenant of grace. We were released and freed from the bondage of the law. We have moved from that jurisdiction of the law to the jurisdictions of of of of Christ.

Grace. And that's a blessing to the every believer.

So we are released from that legal bond that bond is dissolved.

The law did not die but we died spiritually with Christ in union with him. So now we are in union with Christ.

The believer is it's like thinking back about the scene there on Mount Sinai is God's own finger and etched into the stone. The words of the law, but now those words God by his Holy Spirit is etched into the heart of the believer. That's exactly what Jeremiah 3133 says, but this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord. I will put my law within them and on their heart I will write it. I will be their God and they shall be my people. We shouldn't fear the reading the 10 Commandments we shouldn't fear the laws of God because are not a threat to us when we are free we been set free because we are saved by grace were not saved by keeping rules and in reality believer can embrace the moral law.

Love it and because Christ has loved us, we can say with the Psalmist in Psalm one, but he said that the believer he said his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law he meditates day and night, so we are not saying the law and then we come to verses seven through 13 and the law declares here is always good is not a means of salvation and never has been since the days of Adam but verse seven we have cut a book into your it says it asked the question or assess rhetorical question is the law sin and he answers no may never be. And then in verse 13 he concludes with that question in that segment, he says, is the is that good or is the good law cause of death of me. He says no. May it never be verse seven clearly shows us that we know we really cognitively no that the law works in our lives.

What we know what they are and we know what we should obey. If you notice in this passage Scripture parlays four times use of the pronoun at least 10 times. He refers to himself. He saying he knows about the law. But remember he knew about it when he was salty he knew about the keeping the Jewish rules of that as well.

In the Jewish traditions as well as biblical law and civil law. So Paul is really emphasizing the fact that the law judges us and it shows us our sin and use the 10th commandment, the tip of the thou shall not covet to illustrate our sinfulness and this commandment is interesting because it's the one that points to the heart. You know you can't see somebody sitting in the room coveting something you know you can see that God's now we can see the results.

The results of it. Maybe we can tell you you did steal that.

Oh yeah, you didn't fall asleep, bear witness on the stand yet which we can see that but was happening in the heart. God's things. So he goes to this commandment is very personal and that digs very deep into who we are and so there is the written law we know it's a good gnosis with knowledge.

We know the law we know what it says on the.

The larger catechism makes this comment about what is forbidden in the 10th commandment it says discontentment with our own estate, envying and grieving at the good of our neighbor, together with all inordinate emotions and affections to anything that is his or hers so are supposed to walk their boat or their car or their flower garden. You know that's not what she's supposed to be doing. God sees that that is it heart heart sin so that we know cognitively that the law says you shall not covet, but he uses the word. Another word for knowing in this passage of Scripture he said I would not have known, and that word on the financing rate is the idea that means to know in this since I am conscious I am self aware that there is something wrong. I am aware that I am admitting that there's a sin in my heart I am of where that I own this sin that my attitude and my emotions and my feelings are sinful. So, I own the sentence was that kind of knowledge. I understand internally that I had the sin. Give an example of my sin.

Okay, okay, but we were in Taiwan walking down the street there a lot shops every, every, every block has in the sign shop on because are you when he got 20 million people every quarter you can have shops of all sorts and I walked in the shop and pump the sky had lived.

I was learning Chinese. And so here are the buildings that had little Chinese and we had a good conversation so and it was a really nice nice man walked out of that shop is the simple man that guy be going to going that's used good missionary we would eat you doing, don't you know that you are thinking about your emotions and your friendship and rather than what God explicitly says going to shop there is about hand high to electric candles in these gods and goddesses sitting up there that's what he is worshiping is breaking the first commandment is not worshiping the Lord why are you thinking that because we live in a world today and we always have. Where well well there's an objective standard do this don't do that. But then we were critical we can be critical thinkers and say oh yeah that's illegal that's is as legal but only critical to be critical of our feelings has the word of God penetrated our souls so that we are critical of the way we feel.

What my friend is a pretty good guy.

He's probably going to have no if he doesn't know Christ. If he doesn't have Christ.living that perfect life form and dying on the cross is not. Don't listen to the lack of use of your sins out of your feelings. And so we can be thought, see we we must be aware of our inner that we can know God's word applied internally and that God's word is also to govern our feelings and emotions. In this day and age. So how do the law and does the law and do the sand work together well.

We get the verses eight through 11. Paul goes through a list of things there and it's very interesting how he shows the relationships of things in verse eight he says he answers this quiescence question, the desert deals with 50 sales us what sin does in verse nine Peter talks about what the law does in verse 10 he talks about the results of the law and in verse 11, he tells us what produces definiteness dealing with law and sin here together what what sin does. What is that what sin our sin means that we defy the law of God.

We defy every law of God is the law against coveting that Paul is using here that causes us to covet in every way. He's excited. We realize that that's what I'm doing. That's what's in my heart and God sees it.

Henderson we mentioned in his commentary on the says this apart from the written law, the terrible soul destroying character sin would not have been known we look at the perfect law of liberty will read the Scripture we reinterview us: I am terrible my thoughts are to my sins are bad.

So the moral law discloses the horror of our own sinful natures and then innocent says makes his comment that by nature.

People really have a dim awareness of their sinfulness so many God's word and spirit showed that the point out hey you. This is a simple thought. This is the sinful attitude and we do need that now the line little bit Henderson. He tells us of a quip about the mother and father but is the illustration of the mother and the mother is really upset you can see, you probably heard something like this. The mother is really upset with her son. He's done something anyway. She comes up to him and she says son I've told you a million times. Do not exaggerate.

Oh weird like that to we might say about this one about doing we don't always see we are all to our own sinfulness and its collaborative. It is really true. So what does the law do verse nine. Well Paul was self-confident and Saul was self-confident he was. He was self-righteous. He knew he was right. He was glad to see the Christian skill he was glad to imprison them, but then on the Damascus road, he began to say things differently very differently. Paul was condemned by the law he died law destroyed is false since of self righteousness is with the Lord.

It exposed and that's a good thing. So what is the result of the law. The law of God was originally intended to produce life in us.

Adam supposed to bathe perfectly and had his perfect life and in earth would be better and better as the generations came along, but I did not even keep one command. And I don't think I can keep even one command either. However, the law did not produce death.

The law is good, but the results of the law was spiritual death because Adam did not obey. So what produces definiteness. It's not the law does not allow them what is it is very clear there in verse 11. It is the sin that is within us is our rejection of the objective standards of God says this is the law.

This is the moral law, and we might reject the moral law because well hurts my feelings or it it it it disturbs my motions and that's just not the way I want to think about my friends.

It bothers my conscious. I just want to think about. We can reject the moral law because it is actually telling us the truth. Therefore, we can rebel against the convicting power of the law sin kills the law doesn't kill. Sin kills us. We believe a lie just like Eve did, surely you will not die but that's the law. We will done according to the law. We broken it was true in the beginning is true today. So the Holy Spirit had Paul record these words here and in the Romans chapter 7 the show us that it was Paul's own sin that killed him and destroyed him spiritually. Our problem is never the good and holy law of God. It is sin working in us now. The great thing is it verse 12 and 13 of this section, Scripture really summarizes and capitalizes capitalizes what about what Paul's been saying he tells the truth about the moral law about the 10 Commandments, the law is holy. The commandments are wholly righteous and good and he talks about all these things holy and righteous and good while. That's not what I got. Christ has to declare me. Holy is holiness to me. But there is none righteous, no not one.

And Jesus said, well, who is good. There's no one good but God because of sin, we are not we are not naturally righteous, and we are not good. We attended attempted to declare ourselves righteous and good and holy and think the problem is the law. But no, it's not a problem is us.

And so when we think about the goodness of righteousness and holiness of God. We can reflect back in Isaiah where Isaiah saw God and he said, holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Christ, the father is holding the sun is of the spirit is there, all righteous.

They're all good.

We are the ones who have said in verse 13 asked that question did that which is good, cause of death for me for us the law because I death and the answer is never know may never be. It shows us that we need a Redeemer. It clarifies the source of our problem. The problem is my sin. It's our sin man's sin and the principle and power of sin working in us. That is what brings their that is what causes a condemnation good and holy and righteous law of God shows us that our sin is producing and affecting their illness.

The commandments we see our own sinfulness. I see my sinfulness.

I don't want that.

I don't miss it but I do see it. The moral law. We are totally aware of our sinfulness, and that's what he brings us down to him that last person there it in verse 13. Notice the last line of of that verse.

He says it was shown to be sand by affecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandments sand would become literally sinful.

We would see that we are only affected by sin in our thoughts and our minds are attitudes in every sense we are radically affected by sin and we call that total depravity in some formal terms, but as we it's it is in knots but God is calling us. And Paul is saying look at you not under the jurisdiction if you're a believer you move move from keeping the law as a means of righteousness try to prove yourself to God and save yourself you moved under the jurisdiction of Jesus Christ who lived that perfect life on your behalf.

Died to cover every sin you will ever commit and get his empowered you by the Holy Spirit to live for him. It is not used. It is not me. It is the Lord Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, who was calm and saved us. Praise God the spring. Father, we thank you for the fact that you've redeemed us and you taken us out of the bondage of self effort and keeping laws and rules and you put a new law in our hearts, your law love for you. Love for truth and love for the moral law of love for our God was wholly good and righteous father. This is your work. It is not ours and so father we come to you. We play that you would help us to be faithful and pointing others to Jesus Christ and living for you sanctifies.

Therefore we needed so greatly. And now we pray for you to be honored and glorified. As we meditate on these words of Scripture. We pray this in Jesus name, amen