A group called The Clash has a very famous song entitled I fought the Law and here are some of the most familiar lyrics. I fought the law and the law won. I fought the law and the law won. The question is “are you fighting the Law?” If so, you have got a problem. Of course, I am talking about the Mosaic Law of the Hebrews. See what Paul wrote in Romans 3:19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God;20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. The last verse makes sense, doesn’t it? The law shows us our sin…that should be good for living a more Godly life, right? The problem is Jesus did something much different to make a way for us to walk with God. He made it so we are not justified by the Law, but by faith. Vs.21 But now apart rom the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
The righteousness we live in comes through faith in Jesus Christ and not through the law. If you try to live your life by the law, and good works, you will fail miserably because the power to live your life is based on your strength and your righteousness and our righteousness is as “Filthy rags!” So, every time you fight the law, the law wins. And you lose!! Our Savior’s death on the cross and victory over death and grave has given us a righteousness that is from the Spirit of God and not ourselves. Paul nails this truth even more in 2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Our pride keeps this from happening many times because we want to be a part of the whole thing, not realizing that when we try to get in the mix it messes up the whole thing. The grace of God has defeated the penalty of the law and it basically fights the law and wins!!! So why do we slip back into trying to fight the law? As mentioned before, it is pride. Paul goes on to explain and reveal the bitter truth about this type of life in vs. 27 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. Not so bitter though if we just trust our lives in the hands of God and allow His strength to be our strength, and especially in the midst of our weaknesses. The reason we called this life the Spirit-filled life is because everything we do and everything we are is found in the Spirit of God. None of it is about us anymore, so no flawed human effort that fails, again and again, is good enough. ONLY GOD!!
Worldly wisdom fails again and it will always let us down, so don’t rely on it. Rely on the word of God and the grace He supplies for our sin. Then God makes us right with the Law through the power of His Spirit and His great and wonderful grace. vs31 Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.
The Pilgrimage Continues….
David Warren
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