Are you Living Under the Law?

If you go back a few posts you’ll see I’m writing up understanding Romans 7. It’s the passage that makes so much sense to us when we are caught in habitual sin -

For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.

If you’re caught in that cycle, there are two possibilities you need to consider. The first is “Are you living under the law?”

In Romans 7:15-23 Paul is illustrating his life under the law. He is showing the hopelessness of being made right by obeying the law. In verse 24 the illustration reaches its crescendo:

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Romans 7:24 (New International Version)

The answer is Jesus:

For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. Romans 8:3 (New International Version)

So how do you know if you’re living under the law?

I’ve found a cycle that is common in Christians that can help you know if you’re living under the law. I call it “The Condemnation Cycle”

Condemnation Cycle

The Condemnation Cycle seems a lot like a circle:

This cycle is a circle because shame and condemnation will never cause you to change, they only cement and exploit lies in your life. What people try to do with self flagellation is to earn their right standing with God. We can’t do that.

Maybe I should define what living ‘under the law’ looks like:

• Judgement over Grace
• Works over Relationship
• Shame over Identity

We’ll look at each of these in the next post on this topic. I love to know your thoughts – can Christians still live under the Law? Love to have your comments.