By Pastor James Kimathi
We continue with our study of Romans 7 and 8. Last week we studied the law of the mind and we continue with the same study today and specifically, the traits of the law of the mind.
A third trait of the law of the mind, which we said is also called the law of God is that it is holy and good.
12 Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good (Rom. 7:12, NKJV).
The law is not sinful or unholy. In fact, it has nothing evil in it. It is God’s standard. The law of the mind is spiritual. It is divine and carries the nature of God.
14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin (Rom. 7:14, NKJV).
If the law is spiritual as we have seen in the scripture above, how then is it that it can not impart holiness or righteouness in us? The answer lies in the same verse; we are carnal beings.
The principle is that when you put a holy thing in an unholy vessel, the holy thing assumes the nature of its vessel. In this case the law, though holy in itself, becomes unholy by virtue of being put in carnal beings.
This is why God tells us to depart from that which is unholy. When you read the book of Leviticus, you realise that this was a common theme as God called the Israelites to separate themselves from unholy things if they were to stay holy.
The same call is echoed in the new testament.
14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what [a]fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what [b]communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you[c] are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.” (2 Cor. 6:14-16, NKJV).
Notice that the Lord has not called us to change that which is unholy, he has called us to separate ourselves. The Psalmist in Psalms 1 writes that; “blessed is he who does not sit in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scornful.” This is because most likely, the ungodly will change and influence you into their ungodliness than you will into your righteousness, but thanks be to our God because separation and consecration also comes with a reward.
All this is to show you that the law is not unholy, it is the carnal sinful human being that weakens and makes the law unholy.
