The Daily Word of Righteousness

Death and Resurrection, continued

For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. (Galatians 2:18)

Do we demonstrate our freedom from Moses and our pursuit of Christ by behaving sinfully? Is Christ the promoter of sin in His followers?

Galatians 2:18 makes the same statement as Romans 6:2:

God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

If, after having left Moses for Christ, we continue to live in the lusts of our animal personality, we break the Law of Moses. The Law of Moses has authority over our adamic personality. If we continue to live in our adamic personality we rebuild what had been destroyed and are found guilty of transgressing the Law of Moses.

James repeats this concept:

But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. (James 2:9)

When we choose to live in our adamic personality, rather than to enter the death and resurrection of Christ, we are under the condemnation of the Law of Moses whether or not we have been baptized in water and profess to be a Christian.

The Law of Moses serves as a slave that keeps us under control until we come to maturity in Christ and are judged by the law of liberty.

So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. (James 2:12)

The Law had brought Paul into death because of Paul's sinful nature. By choosing to enter the death of the righteous Jesus, Paul had died to the Law of Moses so that he would be legally free to live unto God through Christ.

For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. (Galatians 2:19)

Then Paul expresses the solution to the perplexing problem of the relationship of the Law of Moses to the new covenant, and the relationship of sinful behavior to the new covenant:

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

Paul had abandoned Moses in order that his righteousness might proceed from faith in Christ alone—not the type of faith that is mere belief in doctrine but the faith that is a life lived in the Presence of the Lord, life guided and empowered by the righteous Nature of Christ. How can he be released from Moses? By being crucified with Christ.

How can Paul be released from sinful behavior? By living in Christ and Christ in him. The answer to Moses and to sin is entrance into Christ's crucifixion and entrance into Christ's resurrection.

Deliverance From Sin by Means of Death and Resurrection

If we would be free from Moses we must be crucified with Christ. If we would be free from sin our adamic personality must count itself crucified with Christ and raised with Christ. The tribulations of life must actually conform us to the death of Christ, and the Life of Christ in us must enable us to gain the upper hand over sin and disobedience.

To be continued.