Dead to the Law
The sermon emphasizes that while the Law reveals sin and condemns, faith in Christ frees us to live righteously through Him.
Theodore Epp emphasizes that the Law was never intended to save but to reveal humanity's need for faith in Christ. While the Law highlights God's righteousness, it offers no power to fulfill it and instead condemns those who fail. Through Christ, believers are liberated from both their sinful nature and the Law's condemnation, allowing them to live righteously. This transformation occurs when one trusts in Christ, enabling His life to manifest within them. Ultimately, freedom from the Law is not a license to sin, but an opportunity to embody God's righteousness.
Text
Romans 7:1-6
Everyone who claims he can keep the Law does not have a proper knowledge about the purpose of the Law. It was not given to save anyone; it was given to show everyone their need of placing faith in Christ.
The Law exhibits and expounds God's law of righteousness, but it gives no power to perform it. All it does is condemn us when we fail God.
God has set us free, however, through Christ, both from the old Adamic nature (Rom. 6) and from the Law (ch. 7). All of this has been done that we might be free to live unto God.
Not only does the Law itself never die, but also God's standards set forth in the Law can never be lowered.
The Law causes the individual to see his sin, and it condemns him because he is a sinner. But it does not help him to live a godly life. It is necessary, therefore, that a person's relationship to the Law be changed.
That is exactly what takes place when an individual trusts Christ as Saviour and thereby appropriates his death with Christ. The individual is no longer under the condemnation of the Law but is free from its curse and is free to please Jesus Christ.
God does not free us from the Law in order that we might sin without condemnation; He frees us from the Law in order that He might live out His righteousness in us. God has set us free not only from the sin nature but also from the law of condemnation.
This, then, makes it possible for Christ to live His life in us, and thus we live a godly life.
"For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God" (Gal. 2:19).
Sermon Outline
-
I
- Understanding the Purpose of the Law
- The Law's Role in Revealing Sin
- The Limitations of the Law
-
II
- Freedom from the Old Nature
- Freedom from the Law
- Living Unto God
-
III
- The Law's Standards Remain
- Changing Relationship to the Law
- Christ's Life in Us
-
IV
- The Law's Condemnation
- God's Righteousness in Us
- Living a Godly Life
Key Quotes
“The Law exhibits and expounds God's law of righteousness, but it gives no power to perform it.” — Theodore Epp
“God has set us free, however, through Christ, both from the old Adamic nature and from the Law.” — Theodore Epp
“For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.” — Theodore Epp
Application Points
- Recognize the Law's role in revealing your need for Christ.
- Embrace the freedom from condemnation to live a life that pleases God.
- Allow Christ's righteousness to manifest in your daily actions.