Romans 7:1-6 Response

This passage is freeing and disturbing at the same time. It describes how binding and weighing God’s Law is on us; it also shows how Christ has freed us from it’s shackles. The disturbing part is the example from marriage. I thought the example is meant to show how difficult the law is to understand and even apply.

Greg did a great job putting the passage in perspective of my sin. One quote I liked was, “You will never tame your sin by following the law.” Taming my sin is a major task for me in life. I’ve put up all sorts of barriers to help me avoid sin or run away from sin–-avoiding movies that are lurid, listening to wholesome christian music, using SafeSearch on Yahoo, even limiting my beer drinking to one-per-meal. I use my laws to keep myself from being wayward and stumbling upon sinful desires. Isn’t that okay? But Paul describes how confusing the law can be by using the example of a widowed marriage and whether the women is committing adultery in the different scenarios. My laws keep me from falling off the deep end but don’t really drive me to God. However, Christ died for me so that I might belong to another–-not the law. I belong to God now.

If we don’t find anything useful in the law, why bother?

If the law doesn’t draw us to God, what does draw us to God?

Do you think Kendra would love me more if I boxed her in with house rules or if I hugged her? Maybe God’s affection can keep me from sin better than the law can keep me from sin.

~Aaron Burke