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The Law

             For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, (Romans 8:3)

If we just outlawed guns, there’d be safety. If we just outlawed hate and hate-speech, there’d be peace. If we just outlawed gas-powered vehicles, the earth would be clean and healthy. If we passed a law protecting women, or blacks, or LGBTQ+, or _______, hatred would disappear. It might still exist, but those who expressed it would be re-educated or put somewhere where they could do no more harm. If we made abortion illegal, children would be safe. If we outlawed alcohol, drugs, slavery, the sex trade, pornography, or whatever else, all our problems would disappear. Except… we’ve tried most of them and the laws haven’t worked. That’s because laws are only as strong as our capacity to enforce them - whether in the lives of others or in our own. If they were, “Do not murder” would be enough. We wouldn’t need gun laws. “Love your neighbor” would put an end to all manner of evil. Imagine what obedience to “Do not covet” would do in that perfect world where laws are obeyed.

But even when we want to, we can’t seem to obey all of the laws - even all of the common-sense laws. We can’t even want to. The law cannot influence us to that level, at least not unless there are police and cameras watching everything. Though we want to depend on the law to make society and ourselves what we think it/we should be, the law is powerless. God didn’t give us the law to make us good. He gave the low to teach us we are bad. Then He provided a Savior.

As a result, God’s Spirit can work in us in ways that we cannot, if we allow it. And once we allow it, there is no longer room for condemnation.

 

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