Free From The Law

Romans 7:6 tells us, “But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.“  As we’ve already seen, our salvation is not based on our being good enough or following God’s law perfectly, but on God’s love and Christ’s having paid the penalty for our sin, as Titus 3:5-7 states.   “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;  Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” 

Unfortunately, many Christians Have gotten the idea that they have to earn their salvation, or that they have to be good enough to keep it.  This often results in kind of pride that we are better than other people, because we are better at following God’s commands than someone else.  II Corinthians 3:5-6 addresses this situation.  “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” 

There is nothing we can do to either earn or keep our salvation.  It is totally dependent on God’s provision.   In Christ, God has given us the ability to serve him completely through the power of the Holy Spirit.  That sense of having to keep the law, or some other set of rules to keep our salvation or standing with God will destroy our spiritual life. 

In marriage, the sexual relationship is crucial.  While sex cannot make a marriage work, its absence can destroy one.  It is a glue that binds the marriage together, and in I Corinthians 7:3-5, husbands and wives are warned that failure to share freely is cheating one’s mate.    As a result, some people begin to focus on sex as an obligation and become resentful of having to constantly submit to their mates desires.   For them sex becomes an unpleasant chore they try to avoid.   Sex was intended to be a mutual demonstration of our love for each other, and when shared freely, is something to be eagerly anticipated.  The greatest pleasure in the sexual relationship comes from knowing your mate is aware of your love for them.  If either one holds back, they deprive both of that sense of being loved.  The difference between a healthy sexual relationship and an unsatisfactory one is entirely dependent on the attitudes of the husband and wife. 

In the same way, a healthy spiritual relationship with God is entirely dependent on our attitude.  If we are doing the things he commands out of a sense of obligation, we will never develop a strong spiritual relationship, because we will be focused on the activity.  Sooner or later we will become resentful of the things we have to do, and begin to look for shortcuts and ways to get around them.  If we are filled with love for him, we will focus on doing things in a way that pleases him.  As a result we will experience the best possible spiritual relationship, as described in John 14:21.  “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” 

When we just mechanically keep God’s commands out of a sense of duty, we deprive both him and ourselves of the awareness of love that comes from submitting freely to him.  He cannot manifest his love as he would like.  Much of the pleasure of being a Christian is lost, and the relationship deteriorates and eventually dies, although we do not lose our salvation.