Theology for Everybody: RomansSample

In addition to the law in God’s Word, there is also the concept of law out in the world. People acknowledge God’s universal law, whether they believe in it or not. Before we have a new nature in Christ, our first instinct is to break the law. We want to be the sovereign, the highest authority in our lives, and as soon as the law shows up, we don’t like it because it’s over us, and we rebel against it.

Another way the law shows up in the world is when we feel guilty. Whether we recognize things are right or wrong, we feel guilty when we violate those laws. When we feel someone else has violated the law, we criticize and judge them. When we feel we did right and others did wrong, we appeal to the law: “Look at this good thing I did. I am such a good person.”

When we fail to live up to the law, we try to ignore or hide it. We hope we don’t get caught, so we get sneaky, deny it, or shift the blame. We don’t own it because the law judges us, and we don’t want to be judged by the law. We want to use the law to judge others, but we don’t want them or God to use the law to judge us. When we are caught violating the law, we feel defeated and depressed.

The law beats you down; grace builds you up. The law shows you what you haven’t done; grace shows you what Jesus has done to make up for what you’ve done. Ultimately, we all deal with the law. The good part of the law is that it shows us who God is and who we are. It shows us we need a Savior.

Did Jesus Christ live up to the law? Yes. He never sinned in thought, word, or deed. We live under the law, and it breaks us. Jesus lived under the law, and He fulfilled it, defeated it, and satisfied it. Jesus has grace for those of us who have not lived up to the law. We will not stand before God and tell Him what we did; rather, we will stand before God and celebrate what Jesus did. We will not feel any condemnation under the law because Jesus has already satisfied the demands of the law for us.

Some people have very tender consciences, and Satan works to remind them of all the ways they have fallen short. We need to remind ourselves of all the ways God’s grace through Jesus Christ makes the difference.

Today’s Reflection

How do you respond when you fail to live up to the law?