Topic: Delivered from the Law?
Bible Reading: Psalm 119:113-176; Romans 7
Memory Verse: “But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter”. Romans 7:6 (KJV).
In the Old Testament, the Bible scholars say there are 613 laws out of which 365 are said to be negative commandments, i.e. laws stating what you must not do while there are 248 positive commandments which are what you must do. For you to live a life of righteousness then, you must comply with all the laws. Failure in one means failure in all. God knows that such a compliance was difficult for human being and thus He made a room for atoning for sins by creating sacrifice option for men to use the blood of animals to atone for their sins. The problem with this system is that the sacrifice atones for past sins and does not cover future sins and so a man has to continue sacrificing every time in order to remain righteous.
Our creator knew that this was a difficult way that made righteousness almost impossible to attain, He therefore sent His only son Jesus to come to the world and die for all our sins as long as we accept Him as our Lord and Saviour. Thus, your acceptance of Him brings about the substitution of Him for all animal sacrifices you would have had to make to be free from sins of the law. And unlike the animal sacrifices where your sins are covered, His blood removes your sins and makes you a new being! Thus the Bible says in Romans 3:23-25 (KJV), “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; [24] Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: [25] Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;”
However, for you to be delivered from the law, you must align with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. This means you should be dead to your flesh such that works of the flesh including adultery, idolatry, strive, envying, murder amongst others will no longer appeal to you but you will be bearing the fruit of the Spirit ( Galatians 5:19-24). When you no longer yield to the yearnings of the flesh (flesh is dead and buried) but radiates love, joy and other fruit of the spirit (resurrected as a new being) then you would be aligning with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.
Thus the wordings in Romans 7:6 (KJV), “But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.” will hold true in your life and you can safely say you are delivered from the law!
Action point: Examine your life to see whether you are dead to the flesh and if not, ask the Lord to give you the grace to be dead to the flesh while studying and obeying the word of God.
Bro. Biodun Oyapero