The Law's Role In Our Pursuit Of Holiness

Holiness is a requirement for Christians, and the law is a key part of this. However, simply following the rules does not make one holy. The law is holy, and its commandments are holy, righteous, and good. It is not enough to blindly follow rules and regulations; instead, one must enter into a deeper relationship with God and understand that the law is intended to guide us towards a relationship with God and our fellow humans. This involves acting with justice, loving tenderly, and walking humbly with God. While the law cannot remove our condemnation or conquer the flesh, it does guide us towards a holy life. Ultimately, it is not the law that makes us holy, but our relationship with God and our pursuit of holiness.

The law cannot remove our condemnation

The ground of our transformation is the removal of condemnation, and only God can do this through Christ. We receive it by faith alone. The law is weak through the flesh and cannot justify us. It is futile to turn to the law to have our condemnation lifted.

God turns us away from the law to Christ. He took away our condemnation by condemning Christ in our place. The law does not change us at the root of our nature. It cannot take away our reluctance to love God and our treasonous preference for God's gifts above God.

The law cannot magnify the Son of God as more glorious and more valuable and more desirable than the pleasures of sin. Only when Christ himself wins our affections over all contestants will he get the glory God means for him to have.

The law is holy, and its commands are holy, righteous, and good. It is not arbitrary; it reflects God's perfect justice. However, it is not the key to unlocking a life of love. It cannot remove our condemnation.

The law cannot conquer the flesh

The law cannot change us at the root of our nature: our fallenness and rebellion against God. It cannot take away our reluctance to love God and our treasonous preference for God's gifts above God. The law aggravates our sin and stirs up our rebellion. It does not conquer the flesh but rouses it, playing into the hands of our sinful passions and stirring them up.

The law does not sanctify or transform us. It cannot remedy our rebellious reluctance to treasure God because it stirs it up. Our sinful love of independence and control and self-exaltation simply make the law into a new theatre for revolt. The law gets taken captive by the flesh and made a servant of sin. If we turn to the law to fix our rebellion and our adulterous indifference to God, it will not work. We will only become worse.

The law is not the key to unlocking a life of love. It cannot make us a loving person. It cannot overcome our rebellion. It cannot conquer our addiction to the praise of men. It is letter. Only the Spirit – the living, indwelling Jesus Christ – gives life. He changes us to the core. He writes the law on our heart. He wins from us our deepest delight and admiration and trust. And thus he breaks the power of cancelled sin.

The law cannot sanctify us because God's purpose is to sanctify us in a way that the credit and the glory for our liberation and transformation go to Jesus Christ, not to ourselves and not to the law. Therefore, God calls us not to turn to the law for transformation but to turn to the living Christ, who worked for us in history and works in us now by his Spirit.

The law cannot give the Son glory for justification and sanctification

The law cannot magnify the Son of God as more glorious, valuable, and desirable than the pleasures of sin. Only when Christ wins our affections over all else will He receive the glory that God intends for Him to have. Even if one were to turn to the law and experience success in becoming a law-abiding person, Christ would not be honoured. God's purpose in the plan of redemption is that His Son receives glory not only for our justification but also for our sanctification. And this the law could not do.

The law cannot remove our condemnation. It is futile to turn to the law to have our condemnation lifted. The great ground of transformation is the removal of condemnation, and only God can do this because of Christ. The law cannot sanctify or transform us. It cannot change us at the root of our nature: our fallenness and rebellion against God. It cannot take away our reluctance to love God and our treasonous preference for God's gifts above God. On the contrary, the law aggravates our sin and stirs up our rebellion. The law plays into the hands of our sinful passions and stirs them up. It does not conquer the flesh but rouses it, giving it another base of operation. The law does not remedy our condemnation or our rebellion. In fact, it is given to turn our inner rebellion into more blatant and visible transgressions.

The law cannot give us a loving spirit. It cannot overcome our rebellion or conquer our addiction to the praise of men. It is letter, and letter kills. Only the Spirit – the living, indwelling Jesus Christ – gives life. He changes us to the core. He writes the law on our heart. He wins from us our deepest delight, admiration, and trust. And thus, He breaks the power of cancelled sin.

The law cannot make you a loving person

The law is not the key to unlocking a life of love. It cannot remove our condemnation, nor can it conquer the flesh. It is a letter that kills, rather than imbuing life. Only the Spirit of Christ can sanctify and transform us, writing the law on our hearts and winning our deepest delight, admiration and trust.

The law is intended to lead us to God and to guide us into a relationship with Him and our brothers and sisters. It is meant to lead us to act with justice, to love tenderly, and to walk humbly with the Lord. The law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good. However, it is not enough to merely follow the rules and regulations. We must change our hearts and enter into a deeper relationship with God, loving Him with our whole heart, mind, and soul, and loving our neighbour as ourselves.

Jesus clarified that it is not what someone brings into their body that defiles them and makes them unrighteous, but what comes out of the mouth and the heart. Today, striving for holiness means having a relationship with God defined by obedience to His will and being shaped to have His character. Holiness is something that will always take effort in this life. It requires humility to admit that without help from God, we are unable to be righteous and holy.

God's ultimate desire for His people is that we be holy, conformed into the image of His Son, Jesus.

The law is not the key to unlocking a life of love

The Law Cannot Remove Our Condemnation

The law cannot remove our condemnation; only God can through Christ. Our verdict of guilty must be reversed for us to be changed into the image of Jesus, and this is something the law cannot do. We receive forgiveness and transformation by faith alone in Christ.

The Law Cannot Conquer the Flesh

The law cannot change our fallen nature and our rebellion against God. Instead, it aggravates our sin and stirs up our rebellion. Paul teaches that the law increases transgressions, making our inner rebellion more blatant and visible. It does not conquer the flesh but gives it another base of operation.

The Law Cannot Give the Son the Glory

God's purpose is to sanctify us in a way that gives glory to Jesus Christ, not to the law. We are called to turn to the living Christ, who works in us by His Spirit, and not to the law. The power of sanctification is found in the indwelling of the Spirit of Christ, not in the law.

The Law Cannot Make You a Loving Person

The law cannot overcome our rebellion or our addiction to the praise of men. Only the Spirit of Christ, who indwells us, can give us life and transform us from the inside out. He writes the law on our hearts, wins our deepest delight and admiration, and thus breaks the power of sin.

The Law Must Lead to a Relationship with God

Following the rules and regulations of the law can make one a conformist, but it does not necessarily lead to holiness. The law is intended to guide us into a deeper relationship with God and our fellow humans. It is this relationship with God, characterized by obedience and shaped by His character, that leads to holiness.

In conclusion, while the law is holy and good, it is not the key to unlocking a life of love and holiness. True transformation and holiness come through faith in Christ, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and a relationship with God defined by obedience and love.

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