Page 88 - Laying Down the Law

Romans 8:2
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Yahshua has made me free from the
law of sin and death.

I wish to spend a moment looking at this statement of the apostle Paul. In these
words we have named the two laws. Let us compare and contrast them.

• Old Covenant: Law of sin and death
• New Covenant: Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus

The counterpart of death in the old covenant is life in the new covenant.
Following the parallels here, we see that sin in the old covenant is replaced by the
Spirit of Christ in the new.
The old covenant was given to men who were ruled by sin. We read this
previously in a quotation from Paul’s letter to Timothy. The Law of Moses was written
for the ungodly, profane and rebellious. It was written for men who were slaves of sin.
The new covenant has been given to men who are ruled by the Spirit.

Romans 8:1-9
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Yahshua,
who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law
of the Spirit of life in Christ Yahshua has made me free from the law of sin and
death... For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things
of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and
peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to
the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot
please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of
God dwells in you.

On the one hand we have an old covenant given to men who are dead spiritually
and ruled by sin. On the other hand we have a new covenant given to men who are
alive in Christ and ruled by the Spirit. We should have every anticipation that the
substance of these two covenants will be very different.
What do men do who are slaves to sin? They sin. They cannot keep from doing
so. Men who are strangers to the life of Christ might desire to please God, but they
find the ability is not present in them.

Romans 7:15, 24
For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do... O
wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

Men who are slaves to sin need something to restrain them. Yahweh does not