To Sin or Not to Sin?
That is the question. Whether it is nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of judging Christians or take refuge behind a sea of rules and by embracing, burden our souls by the very bondage we were set free from. To shed the law, perchance to be free: ay, there's the rub! For in that freedom, what dreams may come, when we have shuffled off this mortal flesh, must give us pause.
The Law came in so that our transgressions would increase (Rom 5:20). So is the Law bad? No, just the opposite. It was the very thing that opened the door for the grace of God to pour out in even greater measure. So should we sin more so we get more grace? To paraphrase Paul, "Oh heavens, no!"
So here lies the rub; Jesus said that he did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it, but Paul said that we are no longer under the law. If the law was the standard for sin, are we no longer under sin? YES!!!
When we live in Christ, the law is a mute point for love becomes our plum line and it does what the law could never do; it changes the paradigm from not doing bad to doing good.
I choose not to live with the question of sinning or not sinning, but rather am I loving or not loving.
I confess that this is a teaser for a series of messages I will be giving in the next few weeks. If this topic has grabbed your ear, I encourage you to join us or listen to the audio files on the emersionlife website. Details for when and were we meet are on the site as well.
The Law came in so that our transgressions would increase (Rom 5:20). So is the Law bad? No, just the opposite. It was the very thing that opened the door for the grace of God to pour out in even greater measure. So should we sin more so we get more grace? To paraphrase Paul, "Oh heavens, no!"
So here lies the rub; Jesus said that he did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it, but Paul said that we are no longer under the law. If the law was the standard for sin, are we no longer under sin? YES!!!
When we live in Christ, the law is a mute point for love becomes our plum line and it does what the law could never do; it changes the paradigm from not doing bad to doing good.
I choose not to live with the question of sinning or not sinning, but rather am I loving or not loving.
I confess that this is a teaser for a series of messages I will be giving in the next few weeks. If this topic has grabbed your ear, I encourage you to join us or listen to the audio files on the emersionlife website. Details for when and were we meet are on the site as well.
posted by Jim Wern at 7:14 AM
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