I played racket ball with my friend in the intramural today. We lost the game. I sometimes think that I want to have some specific sports that I can enjoy. My competitive character comes out suddenly and it makes me feel bad.... Anyway. I am writing what I studied in the morning.
Rom 7: 1 - 13
1 Or do you 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?
2 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 concerning the husband.
3 So then, if she is joined to another man while her husband is living, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man.
4 Therefore, my brethren, 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.
5 For while we werer 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.
6 But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.
7 What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law ; for I would now have know about coveting if the Law had not said, "You shall not covet."
8 But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in the coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead.
9 I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died;
10 and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me;
11 for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.
12 So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
13 Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful.
@ Why do we need the Law?
" the law has jurisdiction over a person(1)"
"we were made to die to the Law(4)"
"the sinful passions were aroused by the Law(5)"
moreover
"sin took opportuinty through the commandment(8)"
"apart from the Law sin is dead(8)"
"this commandment proved to result in death for me(10)"
- Then my question is "why do we need to die through the Law?
Let's see verse nine.
"I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died;"
Before I say something I acknowledge that I got an idea from the commentary in the bible.
- Was Paul alive apart from the Law?
No way. He knew the Law. He was a Pharisee. Here are some verses that we can refer.
(Lk 18 :20-21)
"You know commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother'" And he said, " All these I have kept from my youth."
(Phil 3:6)
"as to zeal, a persecutor of the church ; as to righteousness, under the Law blameless."
- So he was not apart from the Law.
- Then I think the Law(Rom 7:9) and the Law(Phil 3: 6) are different. He might have thought that he was alive because he kept the law without knowing the real meaning of the law. Moreover even though he is apart from the Law, he can not be alive because "sin indeed was in the world before the law was given" (Rom 5: 13).
- So "the Law(Rom 7: 9)" is the real Law containing profound truth and love of God. It is not just mere, superficial and physical letters. And Paul is saying "I was alive(Rom 7: 9)." Yes, he was alive in his flesh and his boasting, but "when the commandment(real law) came, sin became alive(Rom 7:9)" and he died.
- "this commandment proved to result in death for me(Rom 7: 10)"
- We need to die. why?
"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"(Rom 7: 4)
- "the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good" (Rom 7: 12).
- "You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules ; if a person does them, he shall live by them : I am the Lord" (Lev 18: 5).
The law was for life. I think this law should be kept with whole heart, not mere acting. But anybody know that we cannot keep the law wholly. Even though trying hard, we cannot achieve it.
- Let's not be deceived by sin taking an opportunity throut the commandment. Let's not think we can accomplish the Law totally. Sin makes me think that we have power to save ourselves by some nice doing. but it proves that we are dead. Everything is for God through Jesus Christ by His grace.
-"since God is one. He will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means. On the contrary, we uphold the law." (Rom 3:30, 31)
- We know God will make us accomplish the law through Jesus Christ by life of faith. We still have nothing to boast about ourselves and the Law tells us to go to grace of God, Jesus Christ. That's why we need the Law. | 