22 March
The rule of the Spirit, that makes alive in Christ Jesus, has freed me from the rule of sin and death. Romans 8:2.
These words are full of comfort, with which you can respond to law and conscience when they say:
“You have sinned,“ by saying: “It is true, I have sinned.“
“So now, that’s why our Lord God will condemn and punish you.“
“No, not so!“
“But God’s law says so, it surely would not lie to you.”
“What does the law matter to me?“
“How can that be possible?“
“Because I have a different law, namely freedom, which forces the other law to keep silent.“
“What kind of freedom?“
“Christ’s Freedom; for by Christ I have been made free of the law. Therefore also the law which the godless have and try to keep, is no law to me, instead freedom is my law, it binds the other law that wants to condemn me. And thus also the law, that for a time held me captive and in bondage, is now again taken captive by the grace and freedom which from now on has become my law and says to the other law, which accuses me: ‘You will not bind this person nor take him captive, much less so will you condemn him, instead I will take you captive, bind up your feet, so that you won’t be able to do anything to this person who lives in Christ and is dead to all your things.‘”
A tough one to translate; I put in some quotation marks to help us get through it. My faith was well nourished at church yesterday through Word and Sacrament. God grant yours was too.
Grateful for Christ’s freedom from the rule of sin and death.
Living in Christ,
Elmer H.
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