Spirit Vs. Law (9-21-10)

Romans 8:2 – “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.”

I just have a few quick thoughts on this subject. Lets start with the law. First off, the law is not bad. The law reveals sin. The law was to result in life, but proved to result in death, because through the commandments we were deceived by sin. The Law is a mirror, it shows us our problem but can’t do anything to fix it.
Romans 7:7-13 says – “What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, "YOU SHALL NOT COVET." But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead. I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died; and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful.”

The Spirit however works through Gods children to make known the way of salvation by faith rather than by works of the law. The law condemns while the Spirit reveals the way of salvation.
A good illustration of this is found by comparing Exodus chapter 32 and Acts chapter 2.
In Exodus 32 Moses had just come down from mount Sinai after receiving the law from the Lord, and the people were worshiping a golden calf (you know the story). Well starting in verse 26 it says – “then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, "Whoever is for the LORD, come to me!" And all the sons of Levi gathered together to him. He said to them, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Every man of you put his sword upon his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate in the camp, and kill every man his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his neighbor.'" So the sons of Levi did as Moses instructed, and about three thousand men of the people fell that day.”
On the day that the law came down from the mountain three thousand people were killed.
Now, Acts 2, as you know, is where we read about the day of Pentecost, when the tongues of fire came down and it says of those gathered in verse 4 – “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” And now look at verse 41 – “So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.”
So on the day that the law came down 3000 were killed, but on the day the Spirit came down 3000 were saved.

Romans 7:6 – “But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.”

Galatians 5:18 – “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.”