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5 Things To Know Before You Will Die To The Law

Five things you need to know before you will die to the Law

What does it mean to die to the law?

Romans 7:6 “But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.”

To die to the law means you accept the release from your obligation to live by and attempt to obey the Old Testament Law (Ten commandments and all other laws under the Old Covenant) This release from the law comes as a result of your death with Christ (Gal 2:19, 20 & Romans 6:3, 4). You no longer look at “attempted obedience” to the law as the way you serve God. Death to the law would also include a release from any list of rules that a person believes they are obligated, by God, to live by. Death to the law comes when you make your life all about what Jesus has done and you recognize that it is not about what you can do.

So many Christians have a hard time understanding this concept and therefore are still living their Christian lives through attempted obedience to the law.

So here are the five things that Christians need to know before they will be willing to give up living a life of attempted obedience to the law.

1. Before a person will die to the Law they must learn, through their failed attempts to obey the Law, that they are unable to do what the law says through attempted obedience to it.

Galatians 2:19-21 “For I through the Law died to the Law that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for If righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died in vain.”

Notice that Paul shows us what got him to the place where he died to the law; it was his attempted obedience to the law and failure to keep it. Paul constantly failed to do what the law told him to do (Romans 7:15-23) and through his failures, he came to the realization that he was unable to keep the law (Romans 7:24). Well, it is the same for us. It is through our failure to live a righteous life before God through the law (or any other set of rules) that we learn of our inability and see our need for Jesus (Romans 7:24, 25). This is the first thing that a person needs to know, yet it is the hardest conclusion for a person to come to—“I can’t get myself to live right”.  But it is when we have thirsted and hungered for righteousness (Matthew 5:6) and attempted to fulfill that hunger, through the law, that we recognize the law is not the way that this desire for righteousness will be filled. When we learn this lesson from our failure to keep the law, it will bring us to a place where we are willing to let go of the law (or any attempt to live by rules).

2. The second thing a person must know before they will die to the Law is: the only means of being in right relationship with God is through a person’s acceptance, by faith, of what Jesus did for him/her at the cross.

Romans 7:4 “Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the Law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that <span>we should bear fruit to God.”

Notice what Paul says in this verse; it is through the body of Christ that we become dead to the law. In other words, it is by Jesus giving his body as a sacrifice for our sins and our acceptance by faith that by His sacrifice we are in perfect right relationship with God. This is what will bring us to die to the law.

Before a person will die to the law they must fully accept by faith that Jesus Christ ,on the Cross, atoned for all of their sins and has placed him/her in perfect right relationship with God. They must know that this right standing with God was given to them because they exercised faith in God through Jesus Christ. They must know that being in right relationship with God has nothing to do with any attempted obedience to the law or any other set of rules (Romans 3:21-28). A person won’t feel comfortable giving up their obligation to make themselves right in the sight of God through attempted obedience to the Law unless they know in their hearts that they are already in right relationship with God because of what Jesus did for them on the Cross.

3. The third thing a person must know before they will die to the Law is: God has a WAY for people to live righteously before Him and that it has “Nothing” to do with attempted obedience to the Law.

Romans 8:3-4 “For what the  in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

Notice in Romans 8:3-4 Paul tells us that what could not be accomplished through attempted obedience to the law, could be accomplished by walking according to the Spirit.

The law could not make a person right with God because it constantly focused man on his failures (Romans 3:20).  At the same time the law could not enable a person to live righteously before God because it (the law) arouses sinful desires within them whenever they attempted to make themselves keep the law (Romans 7:8). Therefore, God put in place a way in which mankind could know that they were right with God and could live righteously before God and that way is called (Walking according to the Spirit).

To walk according to the Spirit means to be in agreement with, and totally dependent upon the Holy Spirit to manifest in our lives all that Christ made available for us.

Through Jesus’ death, he made available right relationship with God and everything that comes as a result of that right relationship with God (Peace, Hope etc….).

Through Jesus’ resurrection, He made available enabling power from the Spirit of God (Romans 8:11) which will produce God’s nature (Eph 3:16-19) and Christ like Character (Gal 5:22, 23) within us.

But all of this takes place as we live by faith in Christ (Gal 2:20) and no longer live by the law (Gal 2:19).

When we live a life of attempted obedience to the law, our focus is on the evil that we have to try not to do and the good that we have to try to do (Romans 7:19). This only arouses sinful desires within us (Romans 7:8) that propel us toward habitual sinful action (Romans 7:15-20). If we are walking in the Spirit, we are not focused on sin at all, instead we are focused on what Jesus has done and what He will do through us (Gal 2:20) by His Spirit (Romans 8:11).

When Jesus is the focus of our faith, we will see the Holy Spirit doing his great work in our lives to make us more like Christ (2Cor 3:16-18). The Holy Spirit will also manifest Godly desires within us that propel us toward Christ like action. (John 7:37-39)

But the Holy Spirit cannot do what He is called to do (John 16:14) as long as we live by the law (Gal 5:18) which will have our focus on sin and not Jesus.

Romans 13:10 “Love does no harm to a neighbor, therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

As we allow the Holy Spirit to manifest Christ’s character and desires within us, we simply recognize that the purpose for which He is doing this great work in us is so that love can be expressed through us. As Jesus is our focus and love is our purpose, what the law demanded man to do will be automatically done through us by the power of the Holy Spirit. But again, none of this happens if we at anytime decide to live a life of attempted obedience to rules.

No one who truly has a heart for God will feel comfortable with no longer trying to make themselves do what they believe is right (try to obey the law) unless they recognize that this is not the way God has set up for righteousness to be accomplished.

We must understand that God has a way for us to live righteously, but it has absolutely nothing to do with any self-effort attempt to keep a list of rules. If we are attempting to obey the Law that means we are still living according to our self-efforts (Still walking according to the flesh) and not walking according to the Spirit.

A life free from bondage to sin can only be accomplished when a person lives a life of faith in the grace that the word of God says that Jesus has made available for them through His death, burial and resurrection. We must then depend upon the Holy Spirit to empower us to live a life of love.  Any self-effort attempt to keep the law or any set of rules will only lead to defeat (Romans 7:13-25) while faith in Jesus and dependence upon the Holy Spirit leads to victory (Romans 8:1-17).

4.  The fourth thing that a person must know before they will die to the Law is: the Law was not created for the purpose that many people are attempting to use it.

Many people think that if I keep a certain list of rules (the law) then I will be right with God

But the Bible shows that this is not the case:

a. Romans 3:28 “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the Law”.  Galatians 2:16 “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.”

Galatians 5:4 “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by Law; you have fallen from grace.”

So then these scriptures show us that no one will be justified (declared to be righteous by God and therefore right with God) through keeping the law or any other set of rules that they may have.

Many people think that giving effort to keep a list of rules (the law) is what they have to do to live righteously.

But the Bible shows that this is not the case as well.

b. Galatians 2:21 “I do not set a aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died in vain.”

Galatians 3:21 “Is the Law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law.

Romans 8:3, 4 “3 For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

So these scriptures show us that to live righteously through the law is not possible and therefore the law being used as a guide to live righteously is not its purpose

Most people think that if I try to keep the law then I become eligible to receive the promises of God

But the Bible shows that this is wrong as well

c. 1 Cor. 2:12- “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.”

Romans 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

2 Cor. 1:20- “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”

Philippians 4:19- “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Through all of these scriptures we learn that what we are attempting to attain (justification, righteous living, and the promises of God) through the law can ONLY be received freely by God’s grace through faith in Jesus. When a person comes to this realization, they will be willing to give up living by the law to attain these things because they have them already in Jesus and will experience them through faith in Him.

It is through this understanding that we die to the law.

So then a question arises!! Why was the Law sent by God?

5. The last thing a person must know before they will die to the Law is:  Why did God send the law?

Romans 3:19 “Now we know that whatever the Law says, it says to those who are under the Law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” Romans 3:20 “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the Law is the knowledge of sin

We see in this scripture that the purpose of the law was for man to:

1. See the impossible standard found in the law,

2. Recognize their inability to keep this standard

3. And then see their need for Jesus.

This is what it says in:

Galatians 3:19-25 “What purpose then does the Law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one. 21 Is the Law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. 22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”

Paul shows us here that God sent the law to show man his sin so that he could recognize that he is a sinner. This is so that we could see our need for someone to save us from our sins. That Savior is God Himself in the person of Jesus Christ. Through faith in Jesus we are justified (declared right with God) and because of being justified we have peace with God and rejoice in the fact that He will do great things in our lives (Romans 5:1, 2). God does these great things by His Spirit as we focus on all that Jesus has made available for us. After we have come to live by faith in Jesus and God is doing great things in our lives, we are no longer in need of a tutor (the law) to show us our sins and need for a Savior. The Law was to point man to the grace and mercy of God found in the sacrificial system in Old Testament times. In New Testament times it is to point to Jesus all who want a relationship with God. Once the Law has done its job you no longer need its services because to you it is now obsolete (Heb 8:13).

When a person comes to the realization that this is the purpose for the law, they are willing to give up trying to use the law for any other purpose. They will accept that they have died with Christ from the law (Gal 2:19, 20). They will see that the law is not for the New Testament believer but that it is for those who do not believe (1tim 1:8-11). It is needed to teach unbelievers the same lessons that it taught us. “That I need a Savior” “Bless God for Jesus”

What it ultimately comes down to is that we die to the law when we make our lives all about Christ and we must not pick the law back up.

Paul wrote the book of Galatians to correct and rebuke believers who were attempting to go back under the law (Gal 4:21). He told them that because of them going back to the law they had “fallen from grace” (Gal 5:4) “were not obeying the truth” (Gal 3:1, 2) “were trying to be perfect through the flesh” (Gal 3:3) “were placing themselves under the curse” (Gal 3:10) and they were preventing the Holy spirit from “forming Christ’s character and desires within them” (Gal 4:19).

Paul took great offense to those who attempted to place people under law and even considered those that did to be “false brothers” (Gal 2:4) and people who were “perverting the Gospel” (Gal 1:7).

The reason Paul took such great offense to people teaching Christians to live by the law is because of all of the things the law will cause in the life of a believer if it is not taught with the proper purpose in mind. Sinful desires will arise (Romans 7:8), condemnation (2Cor 3:7), guilt (Romans 3:19), fear (Romans 8:15), Pride (Gal 6:13, 14), self-righteousness (Phil 3:9), and being judgmental of others (Romans 2:1-3).

We have to learn that everything is by God’s grace and that grace is extended to us through Jesus. We take hold of that grace through our faith in Jesus. As we do this the Holy Spirit will use that grace to affectively change us and move us forward in God’s will. But again, all of this is done apart from any attempted obedience to the law or any list of rules anyone attempts to place you under!!!!!

God bless you!! If you have any questions about this study simply message me!! Also please comment, “like” and let others know about this study!! Alot of people need this understanding!!!

?By: Jason Hill