What is the Law? • Deshen Daily

For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. (Rom. 7:14 NKJ)

What is the law? Image showing a pair of balances on a book

The Law is a way God related to Israel based on their obedience or disobedience to His explicit commandments. Please note carefully the five key terms or phrases in the sentence you just read: way, relationship, Israel, obedience or disobedience( works), and commandments( the Ten commandment and hundreds of ceremonial laws).

The Law was more than a series of commandments to keep. It was a profound spiritual divine system of relationship that came from God Himself. It was a shadow WAY to drawing near to and relating to God, just as Jesus is the true WAY to God in grace. In this WAY of the Law, God related to the people based on how well they kept His explicit commandments to them—blessings for obedience and judgment for disobedience.

The Law was given to Israel, while grace was given to the Church( both Jews and gentiles). If the Law was not provided to us in Christ, especially to the gentiles, why should we bother about it? The reason is simple: the believer in Christ is faced with a tenacious temptation to leave the WAY of grace and return to the WAY of the Law. Besides, the Law is the worst enemy of grace—not sin!

Jews find it almost impossible to move on from the Law to grace. Paradoxically, and to the dismay of the Apostle Paul, some gentiles believers, who were not under the Law in the first place have an inexplicable desire to get under the Law(Gal. 4:21), a burden or yoke that the Jews themselves testified they could not bear( Acts. 15:10).

Remember this: the Law is not merely the ten commandments or the hundreds of ceremonial Law. It is spiritual—a system, a way, a mindset— that relates with God based on what we do. You might be surprised how much of the Law or its principle has permeated the lives of many believers, often without them realizing it. They conduct their Christian lives as though Jesus makes no difference in how God relates to them.

Brethren, beware of the subtle expressions of the Law in our lives, whether related to the explicit commandments of the Old Testament or our Christian traditions today.

What is the Law in your own words based on what you have read above?

Have you truly believed the Gospel? I know this question might be offensive to us believers! However, many believers sadly profess grace but practice the Law ( or its principle) daily. My Christian life changed when the Spirit revealed grace to me by showing me Who Jesus is and the beauty of what He did. Crave for the Father to reveal His Son to you—that is what grace really is!

Ask the Father to unveil the mysteries of who Jesus is and what He did to you.