Life from the Dead - Phase 1 Question:- Who was the first person to have died to the Law of Moses, so that they were no longer under it? Answer:- Jesus! Jesus Himself, of course! Paul says, in Romans 7 So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code. This is one of those things that might be obvious and perfectly clear to eveyone else. But it has only just struck me: The Lord Himself was the first person to be freed from living under the Law of Moses. Whilst He was in His pre-resurrection body, He had made Himself subject. He was a Jew of Jews. And although He demonstrated that He was Lord of this Law (not just the Sabbath law, but all of it), nevertheless He adhered to it and allowed Himself to be governed by it. He observed its feasts and festivals. Remarkably, and much to the chagrin of His Law-bound opponents. He would not allow Himself to be controlled or constrained by their over-zealous interpretations and additions. But He submitted, as one born under it. However, in Pauls words, we see that the outer limits of the application of this Law, as with any law, are the boundaries of the physical life in which it applies. Dead men are no longer under law. Law is for those in its realm - the living. Obviously, in the natural way of speaking, this does us no good whatsoever - the problem with someone who has expired is that they have no opportunity to appreciate the benefits of their new-found freedom. But for the saint of God, the brothers of Christ, this is all different. Paul wants to make it plain that in Christ, all who were alive underthe Law have died to it and are ruled by it no longer. After Jesus resurrection, He, as the firstfruits, was dead to the Law He had subjected Himself to. In His risen life, He exhibits this fully. And it is in this life we, who are His, now walk. Like Lazarus, we are not only raised, we are also freed from the graveclothes. And modelled after the One who died for us - yes, and who was raised from the grave. Hallelujah!
Posted on: Fri, 28 Nov 2014 02:55:50 +0000