Pink Elephants (the Power of Sin Is the Law)

Remember this number 35940. Now, don’t think about pink elephants. Remember do not think about pink elephants. Again, do not think about pink elephants! What is in your mind right now, a Pink elephant? Typically the good that we try to do in, “our” effort will not have good results. This was the problem the apostle Paul had. Paul said, “I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.” [Romans 7:9 NASB] Paul describes the law as the problem. What is He thinking? Most people would see the old covenant as the solution.

Many people today even claim that we need to bring the law back to help morals. But the word says, “And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death.” [v. 10 NASB] So, when the commandment came (the law) it brought death, not life. 11” for sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me”. [v. 11 NASB] It killed his morals, the old covenant did not make Paul stronger, but rather it was the hair that broke the camel’s back. Paul wrote, “The commandment which was to bring life, brought death.” People think the law helps us live Holy lives, but the Bible says it does not bring life. The commandments is used to condemn you, make you feel guilty, and destroy you life.

Yes, Caleb we are not under the ceremonially and dietary law, but we still are under moral law (the Ten Commandments).

The truth is that Paul was specifically talking about the Ten Commandments! He wrote, “For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead” [Romans 7:9-11]. This whole passage is about the commandment that got him, “thou shall not covet.” For if the law did not say, “thou shall not covet,” Paul would have been set free from coveting, but instead this commandment produced all manner of evil desires. Apart from the Ten Commandments sin is useless (dead).

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. – 1 Corinthians 15:56

 

The power of sin is the old covenant, law. The law is like that pink elephant; we want to stop sinning, but the law keeps reminding us about sin. Grace, on the other hand, reminds us about Christ and what he has done! He has set us free from the law, and as a result we have been set free from the power of sin! Your mind is not on these lowly things (sin), but now your eyes are on higher things, Jesus! Let’s not worry about trying our best to not sin; instead when we focus on Jesus we will forget about that pink elephant (sin), and our lives will be filled with life.

Related Posts:

Repentance – Change Your Mind About It

Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Written In Red – Rightly Dividing The Old And New Covenants

photo credit: Cody Jensen