This passage does a nice job of explaining the mechanics of our salvation. Although Paul has alluded to the process in the preceding verses, here he reiterates and unpacks it.
- The Law (which is the standard of righteousness) can only save us if we keep it perfectly.
- Unfortunately we do not keep the Law because we are weakened by our sinful nature.
- When we do not keep the Law, it becomes a double-edged sword because it reveals our lack of righteousness _and_ we are condemned (there's that word again) by it and condemnation means the wrath of God.
- Jesus came as one of us, but did not sin. So He was able to bear your and my condemnation on Himself.
- Now the law is satisfied on both counts: Jesus was fully righteous _and_ our unrighteousness was condemned by His death on the cross.
- Now Jesus imputes His righteousness and His wrath-satisfying death onto us. When God sees us through the lenses of what Christ has done, the requirements (righteousness and wrath-for-unrighteousness) of the law are fully met in us.
- This clean slate means that we have a new start, a new birth and we can live under new management. The law has been satisfied, we can move beyond the Law to the Spirit.
"Hallelujah!" is, I believe, the right response...
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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
