13 Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful.
If this looks different to you its because I used the NKJV, I'm used to that. This passage was a stretch for me, which is good, but I needed to use a version I am accustomed to.
The Law is necessary. I often wondered why God just couldn't send Jesus to die on the cross, or whatever form of death He chose, first thing in the bible. Why did He choose to make a first covenant with Abraham and on down through his descendants? Now I get it, we need the Law, even now, to show us our sin, to show us just how sinful we are. Without it Christ's death on the cross would make no sense. His claims, His teachings wouldn't make any sense. But because the Jews of Jesus' time did have that foundation of the Law, Jesus could jump right in and say "You aren't making it, you can't meet every aspect of the law. You are drowning in sin. You need a savior. You need me." If they didn't have that, there would be no understanding of what they needed saved from.
It's interesting, Paul knew this when he went to Athens and preached to the people there. He started at the beginning and laid out the groundwork for them. They didn't know they were sinners and needed a savior. They didn't know they were sinning. They didn't know that what they were doing and how they were born (in a sin nature) had separated them from their Creator God.
We need the knowledge of the Law to show us that we can't make ourselves perfect. We cannot make it into heaven on our own works.
We live in a culture much like the Athenians Folks around us don't know the bible, they don't know the Law and they don't know they are separated from God. They don't know that they are exceedingly sinful. Oh, they might think they are maybe a little bad, but if they do some good that will 'correct' that bad. They don't realize that if they hold themselves up to the light of the Law, the light of scripture they will never make it.
The Law is still relevant to today. We still need it. We need it to show us just how 'perfect' the Lord requires us to be. We need it to show us just how far we have fallen. And we need it to show us just how much we cannot make it. While we are not under the Law, it is good and fitting for us to read it. Even as Christians, we need to read it. I think it's good to know just how much of a 'gap-filler' Jesus is, for lack of a better term. He covered what we couldn't meet.
So my question is: How can we show/educate a culture that is bible-less about their need for a savior? It's a tall order, but really, if they don't know they've failed, then why the need for a savor?
A vid to consider:
Tomorrow's scripture focus: Romans 7:14-20
2 comments:
So true Kathryn. I think most people really do think they're good enough, or that their good deeds outweigh their bad deeds and surely God will let them in to heaven because they're generally good people. They don't think they need a Saviour. And I think the pendulum has swung so far away from the "hell and brimstone" preaching and we focus so much on God's love, that people don't even get what it means to be a Christian. Almost like they just need to add on God's love and then their life will be perfect.
What a great video. I heard some of my same old excuses from that couple, particularly the woman. Somehow those excuses sound less rational when you watch someone else saying it and you really know better.
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