Week 9 - Monday

The Cross Confirms God's Law

Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law. (Romans 3:31)

In Romans 3:19-31 Paul is teaching that salvation cannot be achieved by obeying the Law, it is only available through faith in Jesus Christ. Because the Jew's had such a high regard for God's Law, Paul knew they would object to this. So in verse 31, just as he has done several other times in Romans, Paul anticipates their objection and answers the question he knows they must be thinking. Their question to Paul would have been, "if salvation is by faith and not by the Law, can we disregard the Law? Do we then nullify the Law through faith?" The answer Paul gives is the strongest negative expression in Greek, me genoito, which has been translated as may it never be! (Gal. 3:21). Salvation by faith does not nullify the Law in any way. In fact the opposite is true.

When Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins, it did not do away with any of God’s Law. On the contrary, it established it (Matt. 5:17-18). The death of Jesus established or confirmed God's Law in three ways. The first way Christ's death on the cross confirmed God's Law was by paying the penalty that the Law required for sin. The Law says the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23) and that without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness for sin (Heb. 9:22). When Jesus died on the cross He shed His own blood for our sins, thus fullfilling the legal requirement of God’s Law. Now, because Jesus has already died for our sins, God can forgive us without violating His Law. The second way the cross confirms God's Law is by leading people to Christ, thus fulfilling the purpose of the Law. The Law was never intended by God as a way for anyone to be saved. God gave the Law to show people how sinful they were and how impossible it is for them to meet God’s standard of righteousness through their own efforts. After the Law has done it's work of convicting a person of sin, it's purpose then becomes to lead them to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. The third way the cross confirms God's Law is by giving believers both the power and the motive to actually obey the Law. On the third day after Jesus died on the cross He was raised from the dead by the power of God's Holy Spirit, proving He really is God. Those who receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, die and are born again too. This doesn't happen to them physically but it does in the spiritual sense. The same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, also comes to live inside of them and gives them the power they need to obey God Law. To begin their new life God also gives them a new heart, a heart that desires to obey Him. Christ's death on the cross gives us a good reason to want to obey Him. He saved our lives. Jesus took the punishment we deserved and saved us from God’s wrath. He did it so that He could be our Lord and so we would willingly commit ourselves to obeying Him. Jesus wants us to obey Him, not because we have to but because we love Him. The most reliable evidence of true saving faith is a heart that loves Jesus and desires, more than anything else, to obey Him. Examine your heart today. Do you truly love Jesus? Do you really desire to obey Him? If so, thank Him for saving you and follow him with all your heart. If not, ask Jesus to forgive your sins. Tell Him that you want to follow Him from now on. Ask Him to give you the new heart you need to do that.

Readings for today: Rom. 3:19-20; Gal. 3:22, 24; Rom. 8:3-4; Rom. 14:9; 2 Cor. 5:14-17