Married To Mr Law or Mr Grace

Rom 7:3 So if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress.

In Rom Ch 7 Paul symbolises law and grace as two husbands. As New Covenant believers he shows that we once were married to Mr Law, but when we came to salvation we died to Mr Law and became married to Mr Grace!

However, if we still insist on living by the law, we are committing adultery with Mr Law. The law teaches that if married to one man, a wife marries or unites herself to another man, she is committing adultery.

Today many believers are living schizophrenic lives. They want the love, strength and freedom that Mr Grace gives, but are pulled back by the judgemental, condemning and controlling Mr Law.

The Galatian Church began their Christian life joined to grace, but were enticed to return to living by law. The lure of the flesh proved to much!

Gal 3:3 Are you so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh? It behoves us not to make the same mistake!

The Law Dominates

Rom 7:1 The law has dominion over a man/woman as long as he/she lives.

If we insist on living by the law, we bring ourselves under the dominion of the law. Dominion means to ‘rule over, dominate and influence’.

We have no choice in the matter, like it or not, we are forced to obey the commands of the law! ‘You must do this’ ‘You shall do that’.

Living by law means we’ll never truly come to know God as ‘Father’, and our relationship to Him will be one of fear, distance, insecurity and unworthiness!

Rom 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba Father!”

Grace is the polar opposite of law. Grace gives a person free-will to choose a relationship rooted in love, respect and acceptance.

Jn 14:6 Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except through me!”

We can only know God as Father when we receive the revelation that we are not slaves but Sons. Only pursuing a relationship with Mr Grace (Christ) will set us free to know God as Father.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, as I look to You, please open the eyes of my spirit to see myself as a Son and to see God as Father. Thank you Lord!
Self Imposed Laws

An aspect of the law that needs unmasking is called, ‘Self Imposed Laws’. These are laws that been passed down to us by family and society!

Examples: I must keep the house clean and tidy at all times, i must not shame the family name, I will never go into debt, i will not show weakness (men), i cannot allow anyone to see me without make-up applied and hair in place (women)!

Gal 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then, and do not be burdened again by a yoke of slavery!

Without realising it, we can live with a host of self-imposed laws that condemn, control, judge and dominate our lives and behaviour, leaving in their wake, guilt, fear, shame and rejection!

Behaviour that gives ground for self-imposed laws to flourish would be, rescuing others (Prov 19:19), perfectionism (Gal 3:3), people pleasing (Gal 1:10), and comparing ourselves to others (2 Cor 10:12).

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to step out of the bondage of self-imposed laws. Give me strength to trust you and step into the freedom of being myself!

Phil 4:8 Meditate (think) on these things.