In the redemption of Jesus Christ we are made free from the Law and enter into GRACE. We willingly serve God under the tutelage of Holy Spirit who will change us from the inside out. No longer bound by sin but in the newness of the Spirit His fruit will be shown in us. The Father sees His heart, Holy Spirit, in us,
Amazing Grace. How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!
Romans 2:29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.
Colossians 1:22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—
I love the way Jesus taught. He told stories (parables). Stories that were sparked by, and connected to, the present moment. In other words, where he (and his listeners) stood.
In my imagination, I see Jesus with a group (small or large) of people. And he pauses, and says, “Did you notice that?”
And he points to whatever was nearby, and the story spills...
“Did you notice that?” The lilies, the sparrows, and the hairs on their head.
“Did you notice that?” A fig tree, a mustard tree, yeast, salt, a vineyard, a well, a camel, a candle, a fishing net, and yes, even money. Things from ordinary and everyday life, that hold (and hide) the sacred.
Yes, it is here and now, all around us, in the most ordinary things, that we find the Kingdom (which Jesus reminded us, "is here"), and that we are in the divine presence. SabbathMoments
God does not exist for us; we exist for God. God does not exist to make a big deal out of Max; Max exists to make a big deal out of God. So, can we appreciate the folly in thinking we have anything to offer God that he does not already have?
Yet God always responds with grace. Psalm 103:13 says, “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.” God hears our prayers. You are obedient when you ask for help. But please be careful – prayer is not asking God to do what you want; it’s trusting God to do what is best. Max Lucado
Romans 7:4-6
4 Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. 6 But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. The New King James Version
Those who have participated in the death of Christ experience freedom from the law. The law identified sin, but it did not offer salvation or empowerment for obedience. Paul reasons that since believers have been freed from the law, they are also freed from its condemnation.
The Law in Paul’s Letters refers to Christ’s physical, crucified body. That we may bear fruit for God refers to good deeds that come from union with Christ.
In the flesh refers to existence apart from Christ, under the control of sin. Paul uses the Greek word sarx, often translated “flesh,” to refer to mortal human existence; Paul often contrasts it with the spiritual freedom found in Christ.
The law identified sin and established boundaries for moral conduct—which ironically, because of people’s propensity to sin, resulted in more transgressions.
The Holy Spirit empowers the believer to serve God without the boundaries of the law. Faithlife Study Bible
An exact application of the illustration would be that the law died, and now the believer is free to “marry” grace. Paul’s words are that believers died to the law. Having died to the law, the believer is now free to marry God and bear fruit for Him.
Out of the marriage relationship comes children. So out of intimacy with Christ comes the fruit of practical righteousness.
In the flesh refers to the period before the believer’s conversion. In this context, those in the flesh are unregenerate, or not born again, and those in the Spirit are regenerate. On the other hand, both believers and unbelievers may walk according to the flesh, but only believers can walk according to the Spirit.
The law aroused sinful desires that were expressed through the members of the body and resulted in death. At conversion, believers died to the law with the result that they are now able to serve in newness of life.
They have a new life in the Holy Spirit, not in the old way of the letter, the old way of trying to gain life by means of the law. The NKJV Study Bible
Romans 6:13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
Galatians 2:19 For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God.
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