ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE DAY

Relating to a Legal Approach

Romans 7:1a
Do you not know, brothers--for I am speaking to men who know the law...

In our passage today, Paul is speaking not only to his Jewish brothers who were well versed in the law, but to us as well. Many Christians today wonder: "Exactly what Law is Paul speaking about, and how does it apply to me?" It's a good question, because many of us consider our day and age of fuzzy boundaries to be in sharp contrast to Paul's -- where just about every element of daily life was governed by Law.


 Often times we think of the law as only The Ten Commandments, but it is also inclusive of every other law we've read about in the Old Testament, plus all sorts of interpretations and other specific instructions. How did it get so complicated? The same way our own legal system did -- by law breakers trying to find loopholes. For example, on the surface the fourth commandment from Exodus 20:8-10 might seem pretty straight forward: "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy... On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates." Then an attorney asks: "Exactly what is work?" The answer might be: "Well, any kind of work." The legalist comes back: "Is doing chores around the house work? If so, then isn't taking out the garbage work? Therefore I should let it pile up on the Sabbath -- right?" So new laws must be written for when it is appropriate to take out the garbage -- and when it is not.

 I think you can see where this is going. The law, if left to man, can become very detailed and overly complex -- a minefield of requirements which no one can keep. Remember what Stephen said in his defense in Acts 7:52: "You who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it." And in Acts 15:10 Peter called it a yoke "that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear".
So how does this apply to us? Very simply -- legalism is any system of beliefs that says: "I can earn God's approval by working for it." If we think that by attempting to follow the Ten Commandments, praying more, attending church, or performing charitable acts we will earn God's grace -- then we are sadly mistaken.

I am always concerned when long time Christians give new believers rules for Godly living -- which on the surface seem reasonable -- yet become a legalistic trap if any believer (long time or new) believes any act of his own can save him from sin. Instead we need to turn our lives over to the Spirit of God, yield to Him, and let Him do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Have you made rules for your own Godly living? What happens when you fail? Where does God's grace come in? Have you learned to rely upon the power of the Holy Spirit or do you still think rules will save you?
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