What Does Living Under the Law Look Like?

In the last post on this topic I quickly defined what living “under the law” looks like, so you can know if that’s why you’re so attracted to living like Paul’s illustration of Romans 7. I used the following criteria:

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

It’s time I let you know what I mean by those.

Judgment over Grace

When we live under the law, we live with Judgment. Judgment blames God for the works of the enemy. The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy and Christ came that we might have life and have it abundantly.

Judgment correctly points out that God is Holy and Just but fails to understand that the age we’ve been living in since Christ came into the world is grace.

When Jesus said:

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:17 (New International Version)

He signified the age grace prophesied by Isaiah:

“To me this is like the days of Noah,
when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.
So now I have sworn not to be angry with you,
never to rebuke you again.
Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed,”
says the LORD, who has compassion on you.
Isaiah 54:9-10 (New International Version)

There is coming a final judgment when the God of all the universe will judge rightly and with justice, and we need to stand before Him by His blood and grace.  But now the judgment of God is left to us reaping what we sow.

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.
Galatians 6:7-8 (New Living Translation)

When we are in the condemnation cycle, we self flagellate to appease a notion that we need to pay for our sin.

Well we can’t….But Jesus did.

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (New Living Translation)

Works over Relationship

Living under the Law means we put more into our works than relying on our relationship.

Yes, we need to work out our salvation, but that’s sanctification not propitiation.

…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Philippians 2:12-13 (New International Version)

Propitiation is a big word that means “the washing of sins”. This what Jesus does when we confess our sins to Him.

But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:9 (New Living Translation)

When we’re in the Condemnation Cycle, we’re trying to work out our justification (removing the guilt), or redemption (paying the price of sin), or propitiation (washing the sin away), or reconciliation (make friends again with God) or more likely, expiation (satisfying the demands of God) and we’re not capable of doing any of it.

All of these requirements were satisfied by Jesus on the cross. They were not fully met by the law. They can’t be met if you’re trying to obey the law today.

Shame over Identity

Living under the Law means we operate out of shame rather than our identity in Christ. Shame and guilt will never cause you to change. But knowing who you are allows you to live up to what you’ve already attained. (Philippians 3:16)

Paul wrote:

For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace. Galatians 5:4 (New Living Translation)

Do you want to come back under the grace of God today? Have you been living under the Law? I’ll map out how you can do it in the next post. I love to hear your comments. I know what I’ve written won’t sit well with many readers.