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The Daily Word of Righteousness
Dealing With Sin Under the New Covenant, #2
Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, (Romans 3:20-22 NIV)
The confusion arises, of course, from Chapters Three through Five of the Book of Romans. It sounds like Paul is saying Christians need only to have faith in Jesus and their behavior is not an integral part of their salvation. This is not what Paul is saying, as he explains in Chapter Six, but it appears Evangelical scholars have contented themselves with a superficial understanding of Chapters Three through Five, have drawn axioms from several passages of these chapters, and from the axioms have deduced the current destructive definition of the grace of God in Christ.
A closer look at Romans 3:20-22 (above) shows clearly that Paul is not contrasting faith in Christ with righteous behavior but with the Law of Moses. There is a great difference between the righteous behavior that results from our placing our faith in Christ and living in the Spirit of God, and adherence to the numerous commandments and statutes of the Law of Moses. We no longer are under the authority of the Law of Moses if we have died with Christ on the cross. But if we do not follow the Spirit of God to the point our behavior is becoming righteous, then, according to the Apostle Paul, we shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.
I think it will help our understanding if we take the following three verses from Romans and suggest two different ways of interpreting them. The first way pretty much follows current Evangelical thinking. The second way is the one we think more closely follows the Bible. Let's see what you believe to be the correct interpretation.
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, Because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 7:25-8:2 NIV)
The first interpretation is as follows.
Paul is stating that the individual is a slave in his mind to the Law of Moses while in his sinful nature he is a slave to the law of sin dwelling in the members of his body.
Paul then says there is no condemnation resting on those who are in Christ Jesus.
Paul explains that through Christ the law of the Spirit of life has set us free from the law of sin and death. The law of sin and death is the interaction of the Law of Moses and the law of sin that resides in the human personality.
Are we correct so far? If so, let us proceed.
To be continued.