This post is Day 25 in a series of studies about “Commandments”. I strongly suggest you begin with the introduction to this study, please click here to read it.

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Commandments – Day 25

Read Romans 7 today. Imagine yourself sitting in that place where Paul was teaching. Would you be nodding in agreement, feeling guilty at some of the things, or wishing you could listen again to the message? Think about what it means to bear fruit for life, rather than for death.

Romans 7:5-6

When we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

The Thought

I don’t think for a moment that Paul is condemning the commandments as part of the written code here. Rather he is saying that once we are followers of Jesus we can have a new sort of life with new emphasis, and new passions. We can live by hearing His Spirit guide us in our decisions and general way of life if we make that choice. God forces nothing on us. We have the choice to follow or not.

Paul likens it to divorce and remarriage in the way that the previous partner has no more legal influence over the other who has made the choice and is now legally bound to a new partner.

As Christians, we no longer obey the rules of the world. Those rules that suggest that drugs are a good idea, sex with different people is a must, and if you want to change sex, that’s OK too!

We live according to the rules which Father God lay down thousands of years ago for the well-being of His people. They still work today!

Action

Read Romans 7 today. Imagine yourself sitting in that place where Paul was teaching. Would you be nodding in agreement? Feeling guilty at some of the things? Or wishing the message was recorded so you could listen again?

Think about what it means to bear fruit for life, rather than fruit for death.

Pray for those you know who are on the slippery slope to following the customs of the world today. Pray in faith that God hears and will answer, in His time.

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