What gives sin power in your life? Well, what does the Bible say? If you believe the Word of God and I know that you do, read on.
The Bible says: “The power of sin is the law.” I Cor 15:56
The Bible says “The law was added so that the trespass (sin) would increase.” Rom 5:20
The Bible says “You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ, you have fallen away from grace.” Gal 5:4
The Bible says “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” James 2:10
The Bible says “All who rely on observing the law are under a curse…” Gal 3:10
The law is an impossible standard for us to keep. It was designed to silence all human efforts to earn God’s favor and blessings. That is why the children of Israel needed the right offerings and sacrifices to cover them. They could never have kept the law perfectly the way God demanded it.
It was Jesus who taught that the law must be kept inwardly as well as outwardly.
The Bible says in the Sermon on the Mount “Whoever is angry with his brother without cause and calls him a name shall be in judgment for murder…and whoever looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery in his heart.” Matt 5:22, 28
You see, no man can be justified by the law. Now read this carefully, the Ten Commandments were never given to stop sin. They have no power to stop sin. God gave the law to expose sin. If you can grasp this truth, you will understand one of the greatest misunderstandings occurring in the church today.
The Bible says “What shall we say then…is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I (Paul) would not have known what sin was except through the law.” Rom 7:7
Let me illustrate. Pretend you knew everybody on the face of the earth was going to die from a sickness. And you had the only antidote that could save their lives, but no one believed that they were sick and going to die. This truly would be frustrating, don’t you agree? So you invent the x-ray machine, and when the x-ray reveals the darkness within them that will cause their death, they would be lined up for miles around your house to get the antidote.
Now here is the application. The x-ray machine is the law, and the antidote is Jesus Christ. And when they take the antidote, Christ into their lives; the darkness disappears and they now have eternal life in Christ.
So after one receives the antidote, there is no longer a need for the x-ray machine. It has done its job.
The Bible says “Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.” Rom 10:4
The Bible says “If we confess with our mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved.” Rom 10:9, 10
The Bible says “For sin shall not be our master, because we are no longer under law but under grace.” Rom 6:14 Remember the power of sin is the law.
Oswald Chambers in My Utmost for His Highest writes “The Sermon on the Mount is not some unattainable goal. It is a statement of what will happen in me when Jesus Christ has changed my nature by putting His own nature in me. Jesus Christ is the only one who can fulfill the Sermon on the Mount. He also writes that all of our Lord’s teaching is meant to be applied to the life which He puts within us. (Sep 25, Oct 6)
The Bible says “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves. It is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast.” Eph 2:8, 9
That’s what THE BIBLE SAYS.
I thank and praise God every day for your prayers and financial support as you partner with Growing in Grace for the glory of God. You’re the best! Thank you for your faithfulness.