because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2)
This is my verse for the week,
but I have no intention of inflicting you with it after today unless God gives
me something to share later. The first item of interest deals with Paul. When
you or I talk about Jesus, we might say “Jesus,” or “Jesus Christ.” Many who penned the New Testament refer to Him in those ways. Paul usually describes
Him as Christ Jesus. The thing is that Jesus’ brothers and the disciples met
Him as just Jesus, and discovered He was Christ. On the Damascus Road, Paul
encountered the Messiah, the Christ, whose name happens to be Jesus. At least,
that’s the way it seems to me. It may also be that since he was writing to
gentiles, he used the gentile preference for rank (Governor, King, Emperor, Proconsul…)
before name.
That trivial tidbit
aside, the next and more significant point of interest is the part between the
laws. The Spirit gives life and sets free. The law of sin and death does not. Neither
does the law of the Spirit. Yes, I’m back to that. Life and freedom do not come
from the law. It comes from the Spirit. Paul discussed this issue in the last
three chapters; one of his points is that the law makes us aware. In other
words, wisdom comes from the law - from observing how things work and don’t
work. It may strengthen life and freedom, but it doesn’t produce them.
The other note to which
we return is that all of this happens through Christ. Without Him, we are
trapped forever by the law of sin and death.
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