Proper 8: Epistle, Romans 7:1-13

Law and order. “The rule of law.” These are phrases that have been catapulted to the very front lines of American society in the past few weeks. It used to be that the great consensus among Americans was that law and order was a good thing. A necessary thing. Now in this country we’ve blown right past the argument that law is always needful, to the process of redefining what it is that safeguards the rule of law. And a community of former American citizens has founded their own nation on a 3-block strip of downtown Seattle. Some law and order.

Well in the sight of God there is no argument about the importance of His law. His law stands. And it stands to do its appointed work. The “Law” or what we refer to as the Ten Commandments, the Jewish nation refers to simply as the Ten Words. I like that because it doesn’t pose the same threat as the word commandment does to the easily offended. God’s law can make anyone break into a serious sweat, but I like God’s law because the author doesn’t care who His law offends and there is no back-talk. How refreshing.

Paul lays out the durability of God’s law in Romans 7 and helps us to see that there is no wiggle room in its interpretation. But that really is a great benefit to all those exposed to its demands. You see the law exists primarily as God’s tool to show us our sin. And not only our sin but our personal and dire need of a Savior from that sin. As David said, and this is my paraphrase, “Lord, Your law gets me every time. I really love it.” I’ll leave you to find the verse I’m paraphrasing.

‘What then shall we say?That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin” (Romans 7:7a). There it is. The crux of Paul’s argument in the first half of Romans 7. I need God’s law. I break it with regularity and therefore am guilty of all 613 Old Testament commandments, not just ten, cf. James 2:10. But it is the only reliable resource to show me my transgression which then prompts me to beg God for His pity. And while the law doesn’t provide the solution to my dilemma, the Spirit who inspired it leads me to the One who is. Later Paul will pen, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10:4). In Jesus we have the end of our striving because of the perfect completion of His. Aren’t you glad? Oh yes I love God’s law. It points me to Jesus.