The Work of the Law

The work of the law is to show us sin, to make covetousness come alive, and to be our tutor to Christ. Romans 7:7; Galatians 3:24. In Romans 7:7 Paul says he would not have known sin except through the law. Since all salvation and progress depends on acknowledg­ment, we realize how extremely important it is to know God’s laws. An unsaved person is not saved until the law works an acknowledg­ment of sin, and a saved person does not advance on the way except by new laws. Therefore we read in Romans 7:8, “For apart from the law sin was dead.” Then we are free, not only from sin and accusa­tion, but also from salvation and growth, when there is no law that intervenes and disturbs us—we remain on the plane on which we are.

Paul delighted in the law of God according to his inward man, serving it with his mind. Romans 7:22 and 25. Having become one with God’s laws, he entered into a deep and extensive ministry. It was his goal to make an end of sin in the flesh—the desires—receive light over them, and bring them into the death of Christ. He received light through the law, for he would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”

The flesh with all its desires and demands has been silenced once and for all by the death of Christ. Now this work must also occur in us. Romans 8:3-4. When Christ is in us, the body is dead because of sin. Romans 8:10. There is sin in this body of death (Romans 7:24), which the light and laws of the Spirit shall now reveal to us. There is ample sin in this flesh that needs to be brought to light. God’s nature comes to view with each step that we take according to these laws. We are under law toward Christ. 1 Corinthians 9:21.

As long as the Child did not know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land was lying waste (Isaiah 7:16)—there were neither curds nor honey. Opportunities for salvation and sanctification will pass us by if we do not consciously have the laws of Christ as our guideline. We must meditate in the laws of the Lord so that certain areas in our mind do not lie waste. Things will become obscure and dark again in these areas where we, according to the time, should have had light.

The Hebrews had “become” babes and needed to be taught again the first principles in the word of God. One’s interest in the elemen­tary principles of Christ (Hebrews 6:1) can be so one-sided that one does not see salvation by the law of the Spirit (Romans 8:2).

There was a time in which Paul was alive without the law, but when the commandment came, he died. Romans 7:9. Yet the com­mandment was to bring him life. Romans 7:10. Progress and growth is: not drawing back from greater light over the commandment, and not resting until the deepest meaning of the commandment has been fulfilled.

You can love your wife and be nice and good to her, but do you love her as you love your own body (Ephesians 5:28), and as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25)? A wife can be submissive and obedient to her own husband, but does she do it out of love, with rev­erence? Ephesians 5:33. You can willingly go to a meeting of the church, but do you go because you also have something to give? 1 Corinthians 14:26. You can be ready to witness and do good works, but is it always? 1 Peter 3:15. When the Spirit makes God’s laws come alive, one sees that only a minute departure from the commandment is exceedingly sinful. Romans 7:13.

We are always open and receptive to an abundant and glorious salvation if we receive the laws and commandments of Christ, exalt­ing and magnifying them. All the upright praise God for this deeper cleansing according to the perfect law of liberty, which is a direct re­sult of the laws and commandments of the new covenant.