The Law Doesn’t Stop You From Sinning
In America, we have thousands on top of thousands of laws. Some countries have even stricter laws than America, such as the first offense death penalty for drinking and driving. Nonetheless with all the rules and extreme punishment for breaking the law we still find people continuing to knowingly violate them.
Here’s my point:
You cannot legislate morality or love.
The answer to all evil is found in Jesus. More laws will never fix our problem. Rules lack any value in making people do the right thing. It’s against the law to murder, rape, and hold up stores at gunpoint, but if those laws were to disappear most of us would not go out and do those things. In other words, the law is not what’s keeping you from doing things. If you don’t do them it’s because it’s not who you are. Conversely, there are others who would violate the laws and innocent people with every evil breath they take.
The only thing laws/rules do is define the penalty you will get for breaking them.
This is what God is trying to show us about the law. The law has no ability to keep you from sin. The law kills. God even called the 10 Commandments “Ministry of death” (2 Cor 3:7). Rules have the appearance of wisdom, but in fact, lack any value in restraining you from sin. For this reason, God wants you totally separated from the law and instead guided by Him. God is screaming from a mountaintop that the only way to avoid sin is by trusting a different source to guide you day by day, moment by moment. That source is Jesus Christ, and he lives inside of us. He’s not forcing believers to live godly. He’s not slamming a bunch of rules down your throat. He’s certainly not threatening us. We actually live godly because it’s our new identity. He will never lead us to sin. He personally leads us away from Sin. You don’t need a little bit of Moses and a little bit of Jesus to keep you from sinning. All you need is Jesus.
In Col 2:21-23 God himself tells us the law and man-made rules may have the “appearance ” of wisdom and self-made religion, but in reality, have absolutely no value against fleshly indulgence.
So if the law is not the answer then what is? Could it be the grace God found in Jesus? What if receiving grace and kindness was the key to living a godly life?
[Titus 2:11-12] For the GRACE of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age
[Romans 2:4] Or do you show contempt for the riches of his KINDNESS, FORBEARANCE, and PATIENCE, not realizing that God’s KINDNESS is intended to lead you to repentance?
Author: Mike Cynar
Mike Cynar was raised in a church setting where he frequently noticed that many attendees would eventually drift away. The church labeled these individuals as ‘back sliders’ or ‘fake Christians’ just looking for ‘fire insurance’. However, Mike realized the issue was rarely with these individuals but instead with the church’s message itself. The teachings heavily emphasized behavior improvement and one’s flaws, with only a fleeting mention of one’s identity in Christ. It felt as though every sermon was tailored to the church of Corinth, who as we know or committing sins that even unbelievers don’t partake in. This trend was noticeable not just in one denomination, but across Baptist, Catholic, Pentecostal, and many other churches. Upon understanding the true essence of the gospel – that our righteousness comes from Jesus’ actions, not our own – Mike was inspired to liberate believers from lifeless sermons and reconnect them with the genuine teachings of Jesus. He believes that one can nurture a vibrant and growing bond with Jesus, unhindered by rigid religious practices. And thus, “Jesus Without Religion” was born.
It turns out that it is grace that leads to repentance. And if our heart is to get others to walk in the Spirit and live a godly life, then the best approach is not a beat down sermon, but rather to remind other that it is only when we understand our true identity in Christ that we will live it out. Yes, it’s true, if you’re convinced that God thinks you’re a dirty sinner, you will ultimately continue a lifestyle that mirrors that view, but if you truly believe that even on your worst day, you are called holy, sanctified, justified, and will be presented blameless in the end, well, it turns out this is the secret to living out on the outside what has been worked in to the inside.
