Death

Have you put to death your old life, the old man with all its sinful practices, and put on the new man and you are being renewed daily by the words of the Lord?  Are you being set free daily or are you still in bondage to your old sin nature, living a legalistic life, trying to keep the whole law instead of enjoying the freedom the Lord has provided for you through faith in His atoning work that He provided through the cross?  

Sometimes we can be so deceived, we think we are free, but instead of living by faith we start living by the law that can never set anyone free.  Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom (liberty).  Sometimes believers try to please the Lord to the point that they become legalistic, trying to keep the law that they have been set free of, instead of living by grace through faith.  The Word of God says this in Romans 1:17, “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”

The Galatians had a problem with this, read Galatians 3:1-14, “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?

Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?— just as Abraham ‘believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed.’ So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.’ But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for ‘the just shall live by faith.’ Yet the law is not of faith, but ‘the man who does them shall live by them.’

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

In the Old Testament there were ceremonial laws.  These laws relate specifically to Israel’s worship.  One example is in Leviticus 1:1-13.  They primarily point forward to Jesus Christ, these laws were no longer necessary after the death and resurrection of our Lord.  We are no longer bound by those laws but the principles behind them, such as worship and love of a Holy God still apply.

There were also civil laws.  This type of law dictated Israel’s daily living in that day that cannot be followed specifically in our day because our modern society and culture are so different than theirs but the principles behind the commands should guide our conduct.   

The third type is the moral laws.  This sort of law is the direct command of God.  An example is in Exodus 20: 1-17 (the Ten Commandments).  They require strict obedience and they reveal the nature and will of God and still apply to us today.  We are to obey these moral laws, not to get eternal life, but to live in ways pleasing to God.  These notes about the different type of laws were taken from my Bible in the Bible notes.

We don’t grow spiritually by keeping certain laws but because of God’s work in us.  Just as we are saved by Christ we also grow by faith in Christ.  The Galatians stumbled when they insisted on keeping the Jewish laws.  They, or we, could never be saved by the law or works that we could accomplish.  Read what it says in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

Something to think about!  Have a great day and may God bless you and yours!!