People around the world, regardless of
their religions, perform noble things every now and then. Even the Atheists.
And so do we, Christians. What is the difference? What sustains us to do good deeds?
Our reading today teaches us about how
we are released from the law to live with Christ. Generally, a law applies only
when the person is living but no longer does when he dies. Like a woman is
released from a marriage law when her husband dies. She is not bound to him
anymore and free to marry another (v.2-3). Verse 4 says, “So, my dear brothers
and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died
with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the
dead...” We are no longer serving the
law, but living together with the risen Christ in the Spirit (v.6) - where we
ask for His counsel all the time, acknowledging that we cannot do anything good
without the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Imagine when we live to serve the law.
It will all about how obedient we are compared to others in following each
rule. How many books of the Bible we have finished reading, how long we can
fast, how many times we are able to pray in a day, how perfect we are of not
missing a day in attending the church, how great we are in avoiding pornography
and prostitution, in controlling our drinking addiction, etc., etc. However,
can we find God is exalted there? Sadly, it is more about how good we are, how
far we have achieved. In the end, we will eventually fall into the same pit
again, because our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our
members to bear fruit for death (v.5). We are sinful by nature.
There’s no other way. We may become
somehow good people but eventually are dead with no future. We will fail to experience
the work of the Spirit which only can be achieved when we finally surrender
ourselves to Jesus. He renews everything. Our spirit, our goals, our tendencies
and our consciousness of who we are, who Lord Jesus is, how weak we are but how
loving and strong He is. Moreover, how safe we are under His protection as He
knows who we are.
Living together with Christ in Spirit
enables us to produce a harvest of good deeds for God (v.4). It’s not us. We
are exhausted somehow. It’s the Son of God who enables us with the Spirit. We
are even capable to serve others more – not only paying attention to our own
progress. Let’s take a rest and put our hope totally in Him. Praise be to God! Amen.
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