Bittersweet Refinements: Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Law and Disorder

For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one {point,} he has become guilty of all. [James 2:10 NAS]

No, it is not at all true that we are really nothing more than puppets on our Heavenly Father’s string.  For how could we be found guilty of breaking His Law if it was not by our own actions that it was broken [Colossians 3:25]?

Nonetheless, it would not be all that far-fetched to think of the reality of our situation in this world as having been given enough rope to hang ourselves [Romans 7:14-25].  That is, at least not from our own very limited ground-based points of view [Colossians 3:2].  For our Heavenly Father could have created us just as invulnerable to the temptations of sin as He absolutely is [James 1:13-15].

On the other hand, it would be better if we did not think in such a way as that, of course.  For it is written: For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God {did:} sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and {as an offering} for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. [Romans 8:3-4 NAS]

Is this to say that our Heavenly Father’s Law failed to meet its objective?  MAY IT NEVER BE!  For it is also written: So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.  For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.  The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. [Romans 5:18-21 NAS]

In other words, we (as in regards to all of mankind) have been in need of a Savior ever since sin entered into this world through the disobedience of Adam in the Garden of Eden [Genesis 3:1-15], but before the Law was given through Moses [John 1:17], sin was not generally taken into account as being unlawful by mankind [Romans 5:12-14].  Therefore, the Law was given in order to make it easier for us to see just how desperately in need of a Savior we naturally are [1 Timothy 1:8-11].

Yes, much of that certainly appears to support the notion that we are all born into sin, but be assured that to believe in such a way as this is to miss the point.  For being physically born into a world full of sin is not the same as to be born sinful [Ezekiel 18:20]!