Not Living by the Law of Sin and Death

I was reading Romans 5-8 this past week and began to see some things a bit differently. Paul says that we have died to sin. The sin nature is what what all of us have. We are born with it. We were all formerly living as slaves to sin. It is the “natural” or unredeemed way of living. This way of living is called the Law of sin and death. Because we have this sin nature (this way of living) we are always trying to obey the Law or obey the rules. We are measuring ourselves against the set of rules we consider important to obey (which seem to change over time). Their foundations are in the Law – the Torah and more specifically the Ten Commandments. But this set of rules that we try to obey has a broader outward expression which is based on what is currently important in our society. It used to be in Christian circles a number of years ago that you weren’t allowed to drink or smoke or dance or go to movies. All of these things now seem to be ok – even in many Christian circles. Today’s taboos seem to focus more on tolerance and the environment.

But whatever they are, even if these rules are based on Scripture, they are still rules. They are still based on following a list and checking it twice. It leads to comparisons (i.e. I did more right than wrong, I’m trying to live a good life, I’m better than the guy down the street). This Law does not lead to life – the commandments bring condemnation. This way of comparison and counting leads to death. Those caught up in this way of living, instead of changing themselves, they try to change the law – calling evil good, and good evil. They try to escape condemnation by denying that the Law is good (which Paul also condemns). Living together used to be called “living in sin” but now the legal name is “common law.” The result is that lawlessness abounds in our society and no one is allowed to call wrongdoing a sin.

But that is the world’s way – denying the authority of the Law to get away from having to obey the Law. Yet the Law still shows us that we are sinful. Unfortunately Christians also try to get around the Law of sin and death by being good and obeying the Law – just as the Pharisees did. If we’re good at it we become self-righteous or holier than thou. If we’re bad at it we begin to think we are failures and rejects. It makes us think that God can’t forgive me again for that. It makes us think we can’t be saved if we do that. And so if we can’t be saved we become like the world denying that there is sin and dive into the deep end (like the Prodigal).

This whole way of living is the accounting method, the comparing method. It counts how well we did or how poorly we have failed. This way of living is called the Law of sin and death.

We however live by the Spirit. The Spirit sets us free from the law of sin and death – He made us righteous. The Spirit sets us free from the accounting method. He sets us free from comparisons. He sets us free from the fairness trap (i.e. that’s not fair!). He sets us free from having to judge others.

The Law is actually the world’s system given to draw boundaries, and define the nature of sin so that people know that wrong is actually wrong. It measures everything by fairness and blame. It must find a scapegoat when one has already been provided. It becomes the judge determining guilt and innocence. It rarely finds guilt in oneself (except when alone at night) because to find guilt in oneself means we are guilty and worth of death and punishment and condemnation.

But there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. Living by the Spirit means that we don’t count, and compare, and judge anymore. The only measurement is: “Are we in Christ Jesus?” So when sin happens we don’t deny the sin, or justify the sin, or shift blame for the sin, or even bemoan the sin. We turn to Jesus – not to ask forgiveness (because Jesus has already died for that sin and granted forgiveness for it) but to make sure that the relationship is right – to make things right – to be in right relationship with Him.

Not living this way (by the law of sin and death, by constantly accounting for our sin) is dangerous. Because who then will be the law keepers? Who will be the judges to say this is wrong and that is right? Who will be the moral arbitrators? God will.

And how about us? How do we then live?
“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning, so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!”
We live as sons and daughters – we live as heirs “because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” We get all the benefits of being children of the most high. We also live by the family reputation. What Jesus suffered, we suffer – Jesus died and we died to (were released from) sin/Law. Jesus rose – we are risen with him.

The reputation Jesus has, we also have.
But it is glorious.