Mind, Spirit, and Law

It has been my experience lately that when I bring up the subject of law people’s eyes glaze over and they want to change the subject. They, for some reason, see the law as a negative thing. Something that gets in the way of them being able to do what they want. This attitude is not helped these days by some politicians who express the same sentiment. But law is a positive thing. As I have said many times, the law is a set of rules put in place by a people so they can live together in a stable and safe environment. The opposite of law is chaos. (Of course laws are the work of people and so are flawed but that is why a good law allows for change.)  Traffic laws are a simple example of this. Without them we would experience chaotic driving and many crashes. Those laws set rules where more than one vehicle is present – what to do at an intersection or when many vehicles are traveling in the same direction. Instead of a negative thing, laws are positive. I bring all this up because, as he has been doing these past weeks, Paul continues to talk about law. 

Although he is not entirely clear in these passages, he seems to talk about three laws. The law of sin, law, and God’s law or the Torah. But to call these three law is not to say that they are equal. One could also argue that his “law” of sin is not really law and he chose to call it that in order to make a contrast between life before Christ and life after. Before Christ, Paul tells the Romans, they were in bondage to sin and could do no other. That the law of the flesh meant that they had no choice but could only live their lives in opposition to God. There was no choice in the matter. It was a done deal. God attempted to help by giving the Law (think Ten Commandments) to guide God’s people to live as God desired. But the Law could not do this. That is why God sent God’s own son to condemn sin and death making us who have received salvation through Christ Jesus free. 

Paul, though, has a dilemma here. If Christ has set you free removing the bondage of sin and death then whatever we do does not matter. That seems to be part of the argument that he is responding to in his letter. I can hear the people saying to Paul, “If grace is good, and we receive grace because of our sins, why not keep on sinning so that we can receive even more grace?” The answer is that, freed from bondage to sin, Christ now dwells in you. Grace is not something that builds up over time. Grace comes to you in fullness. There is no gradual building up of grace. It overflows your life and moves you to live as God’s children.While we think that by our own strength and will we can save ourselves Isaiah reminds us that it is only by the word of God that we are saved. Saved for what? Jesus answers by telling us to be sowers of the seed. Actually, since Christ dwells in you, he is the sower you have surrendered yourself over to be Jesus to the world. This parable also reminds us to whom we are to share the good news of Jesus – everyone. The sower in the parable certainly is irresponsible. When I worked as a hired hand on the farm I would have been fired if I sowed seed on the road, among the rocks, or in the thorns (actually we removed the weeds where they grew). Instead of deciding to whom we are called to share God’s gifts with, we are called to share them with all. Filled with grace, freed from the bondage of sin, you are able to choose your path. Choose to share God’s love with the world.