Mark's thoughts: The Law is good.

 

In the third chapter of Paul’s letter to the Colossians he says:

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful (Colossians 3:12-15)

 These words are law. They tell us what we are to do. 

We may wonder why Paul feels the need to say this to Christians.  After all he says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).  He also says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

 

In Baptism we have received the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.  God has created the new man in us, and we are children of God.  However, we are not only new man.  Paul tells the Galatians, “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do” (Galatians 5:17).  Until we die or Christ returns, we also still have the flesh – the fallen sinful nature present in us.  This old Adam resists God’s will and battles against the new man.

 

Because this is so, Paul tells us what we are to do.  He speaks law.  The Holy Spirit uses this law to do two things. First, the law teaches us how we are to live. We receive guidance in what a God pleasing life looks like – a life that is lived in Christ.  Second, the Spirit uses that law to repress and compel the old Adam.  Hearing this law helps to prevent the old Adam from controlling our actions.  In doing so, it assists the new man in his struggle against the old Adam.

 

We are new man in Christ, and so when we hear these words we also find in them a word of encouragement.  For the new man, the law is something he wants to hear.  Christians hear descriptions of God’s will in the law, and through the work of the Spirit they experience the response: “Yes, that’s exactly what I want to do!”

 

Paul’s intent in writing these words is not to show Christians that they are sinners.  However, Paul also says, “through the law comes knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20).  The Holy Spirit may use this word of law to reveal how we don’t do these things. In doing so he leads us to repent and take comfort in the forgiveness that we have through Christ.  This faith then prompts us to live according to these words.

 

The law is God’s good gift.  The Holy Spirit uses that law to address our spiritual needs.  He reveals our sin to lead us to forgiveness.  He teaches us how to live.  He represses and compels the old Adam to assist the new man in his struggle.  He encourages us to live in God pleasing ways.