Rules and Righteousness

21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 

Have you seen a sign that said, “Wet Paint. Do not Touch”? Did you touch it to see for  yourself? Why? .”

I’m told a hotel on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico in Galveston, Texas, put this notice in each room: “No Fishing from the Balcony.” Yet, every day, hotel guests threw their lines to the water below. The management decided to try a different approach and so they removed all the signs. The fishing stopped immediately.             

The book of Romans has a theme Paul makes very clear. The just, or righteous people, shall live by faith. In the first 5 chapters of Romans Paul points to the marvelous creative character of God and how pagans who live in debauchery and sin are guilty because of what has been seen of God in creation, yet the rebellion in man’s hearts is to do evil.

The Jews who had the laws of God were very proud of that and thought they were better than Gentiles because God came to their race. But your heritage will not save you. Although they know better, they still act like the pagans. Some people excuse themselves before God, believing they are better than others and some work very hard at following all the rules, only to find their hearts are not right before God. So, “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 6:23). Paul’s message is you must trust Christ, God’s son, and His death for forgiveness of sin.  

The question is raised by the Jews, if you are saying faith in Jesus has replaced the law given by God in the Old Testament, then are you implying people can live any old way they want and that makes no difference. They might argue, teaching people that justification is by grace alone through faith alone leads to more sinning, not less because they were saying, “It’s okay to sin even more, since the grace of God is greater than all our sin.” Chapter 7 is Paul’s response, which we will study.

Prayer:   Lord, I thank you how Your word continually teaches me, encouraging and admonishing me in the way I should go.   I treasure Your Word in my heart.   May I not sin against you in all I do today.

Dale