| Free At Last; Free At Last, Part 3: Freedom from Law |
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| Written by David Lawrence |
| Sunday, October 04 2009 00:00 |
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Anyone who reads the letters of Paul knows how often he stresses the fact that by faith in Christ we are set free from law. He does not mean that God’s law is of no value to us, for it shows us our sin and need of grace, and it shows us the will of God for our lives. But we are freed from the tyranny of the law, from its judgment and condemnation, and we are freed from the constant and futile attempt to keep the law so as to gain the approval of God. Paul speaks of the righteousness “apart from law” in Rom. 3:21, he says in Rom. 7:6 that we “have been released from the law,” and in the letter to the Galatians he labors the point. He says in Gal. 2:16 that “by observing the law no one will be justified” and in verse 19, “For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God.” In 2:21 he states, “…for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (Actually in all these passages he uses “law” rather than “the law” as the translations render them. He is saying that no one can be declared righteous by the principle of law.) He states in Gal. 3:13 that “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us…” In 3:21 he says “For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.” Then he asserts in Gal. 5:1, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” In verse 13 he states, “You, my brothers, were called to be free.” Clearly, the law is a prison. It is a curse. We are chastised by the law for our sin. Thus law sits in judgment on us like a judge in court, locking us up and keeping us there. We are sentenced to eternal condemnation for our sin. Paul’s point again and again is that Christ has set us free, that we are called to freedom, not continued bondage. It is utterly futile to look to the law for a declaration of righteousness, for the law lacks the power to so declare us acceptable to God; the law can only judge and condemn. Christ alone sets us free. We read these wonderful words that constitute the essence of the really good news, and often we can assent intellectually. As we progress through this study, we should focus on how we can move from intellectual assent to the truth of Christian freedom to the point that this great reality can permeate our hearts. |
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