Every single day you ask yourself a question you aren’t even aware of: what’s your move? You make decisions and take action in multi-faceted areas of responsibilities and life issues. As a Jesus follower, you make moves to show others what God is like. And you make moves to honor the rules and laws of your community and country.
It used to be that people who followed God also were required to follow The Law. This is the Law God gave to the Israelites way back in the Old Testament of Scripture. So, why are we talking about this today? Good question. At the end, I think you will see the need to ask yourself – “What’s Your Move?”
You know what it is to live under the laws of our country. If you are part of a family, you live under certain agreed rules or expectations. On your job, you adhere to appropriate employee conduct. So, living under a law is not a foreign concept to you or anyone.
I want to visit the Law God gave to His people years ago. We’ll look at some verses from Romans 7. I think there is value in taking a look, mostly because – get this! – apparently the Law is no longer in judgment over you? That’s what Scripture says. Did you know that? Maybe a better question is – do you fully “get” why its power no longer rules over your daily life? If the Law was still over you, your life would look completely different.
Romans 7 is packed with hope. It reveals a power you can live inside. The message is refreshing, one of emancipation. You have been set free from the Law.
Death is a powerful force we all live under every day. Its reality motivates, dictates, and flavors many choices. The constant awareness of death propels people forward to accomplish, conquer, establish, and experience. Even so, physical death’s power is limited. It ends when your life succumbs to it. This example of how death’s power is limited can help us understand the obsolete power of the Law. Let’s unpack this.
God wants you to be free from the condemnation of His appropriately applicable Law over your life. His Law is not evil in any way. It is right and fair and just. But under His Law, every sinner is in terrible trouble! They are rightfully condemned to the punishment of death – because the Law exposes sin in all hearts.
But . . . what if someone were to take all your sin away from you, absorb it, and take responsibility for it? And what if that person were to die your death and fulfill the deserved punishment? What if that person just happened to be a perfect person who never sinned, and they made arrangements for their perfect record of conduct to be given to you, if you were willing to accept it? In other words, they arranged a great exchange on your behalf. A transfer. That person would end the condemnation of the Law over you by taking your punishment, and you would be free to live your life with their perfect conduct as your own. A swap. Sound unthinkable?
Jesus Christ did this very thing. He arranged a trade. His clever, strategic plan tricked your enemy, who held death over you because of your sin. (me, too) But Jesus took all your sin on Himself and died your death. In essence, your sinful self died with Him on the cross. Then, He made an incredible trade. He put His holiness onto you, if you accept it. The new you is free to go, free to be holy, and free to live forever, free to be the real you. What an amazing gift! DO take it if you haven’t already. By faith, accept your new life.
You are under a new law – the Law of the Spirit of God. The written code of God’s Law is rendered powerless because Jesus never once broke the Law, yet He fulfilled its purpose of identifying, condemning, and punishing all sin. “He became sin who knew no sin. . . “ (2 Cor. 5:21) Jesus accomplished this for you because God loves you very much!
If you trust Jesus for this incredible exchange, you are no longer under the Law. Instead, you are under His Grace. When Jesus died once for all, He made the Law obsolete. Since your old life died with Christ on the cross, the Law is powerless over your new life now. And you are free. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” (Gal. 5:1)
Please accept the power to live free forever. “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!” (Jn. 8:36)
What’s your move? Freedom or bondage?
Why not read more about these ideas that sound so “theological,” but are really practical and applicable to your daily life. In fact, these kinds of ideas put you on the path of transformation, peace, and power. Many more similar ideas are in my book It’s Your Move: Strategies in Thinking From Romans.
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