The Law or Love

DEVOTION

THE LETTER TO THE COLOSSIANS

THE LAW OR LOVE

Col 2:13-15

13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.  

NIV

There is no question that we were dead in our sins. We lived in the city of darkness and death and the only course of action in that place was to end up in eternal death, whatever that means. We will not spend any time discussing that death, for we have seen the light of Christ as he called us out of that city across the great chasm by way of his cross into the city of light and life. In that journey from death to life, darkness to light, all our sins were washed away, taken from us, forgiven, never to be brought up to us again. This would also include any guilt or shame for sin. There is not any way we could ever abide by any written code, any law whatsoever, as we would always fail, as we continue to always fail. We know this may go against everything many Christians believe, but it seems very clear that Jesus canceled the law. This would be the Mosaic Law, the written code, all the regulations that were given to the children of Israel. The question which remains is how much of the law was canceled and the answer is all of it. Does that include the Ten Commandments for the whole of the Law may well be based on them? God expanded those ten into all the laws he gave Moses to put upon the people. We know the purpose of the Law. It showed Israel its sin and it continues to show us our sin. There is no way possible to achieve righteousness through the law. It amazes us as to why we believers what to try to keep any of the law, either any of the Old Testament laws or those we devise on our own. It could not be any clearer, Jesus canceled the law which is against us. It both reveals our sin and condemns us for failing to abide by it perfectly. Paul made that same point in his letter to the Ephesians,

Eph 2:14-15

14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations.

NIV

The law is no longer in effect, for Jesus is our righteousness. We have the forgiveness of sin and are made righteous in Christ. We are saved by faith and we need to live in that same faith. Why we want to impose a canceled system on ourselves is beyond understanding. Of course, this does not mean we are free to live in any manner we want. We are to live a life worthy of the Lord. We are to live a life of love. When we explore how love rules our lives, we have to include that list in the Letter to the Corinthians that is usually quoted at weddings. All that Jesus taught is wrapped up in that list of what love means. If we love each other as Jesus loves us, then all else will fall perfectly in place and we will be living in a manner that pleases the Lord. Let us not burden ourselves with that which we cannot fulfill. Jesus fulfilled it for us, so then let us simply live in Christ, a life of love. So it comes down choosing either the law or love.