Dale Ridge church of Christ

Before entering into full-time ministry, I worked for about ten years as a stock clerk in a grocery store.  Within this ten-year period, I worked in two different stores under two entirely different managers.  One of these managers ran his store with a harsh “iron fisted,” distant authoritarian approach.  He utilized harsh overbearing techniques to get us as his employees to output according to the expected standards. Negative external motivators were often used, and a competitive environment was encouraged.  Needless to say, the overall sales and output were only mediocre for this particular store.  Thankfully, I only had to work in this environment for about a year. 

The environment of the second store was completely opposite.  The manager of this store encouraged cooperation instead of competition.  He was very personable and utilized internal forms of motivation.  He believed we could be the best, and as a result, we wanted to be the best.  Under this manager, the employees worked as a team, and we were able to produce well beyond expected outcomes.  The team at this particular store was therefore recognized as the best in our region of the state and was often awarded as such. 

This scenario is similar to what we read about in Romans 7 and 8.  Romans 7 is a picture of the Apostle Paul in his condition when he lived under the Law of Moses before his conversion (Acts 22:16Acts 22:16
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.  

).  Under this system (the Law of Moses), his sin was revealed (Romans 7:7Romans 7:7
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. lust: or, concupiscence  

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).  Paul said this was a good thing but explained that something remained (Romans 7:10-11Romans 7:10-11
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. ¹¹ For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.  

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).  The Law of Moses did not remove the burdensome law of sin and death (Romans 7:21-24Romans 7:21-24
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. ²² For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: ²³ But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. ²⁴ O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? the body...: or, this body of death  

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).  Under the Old Covenant, Christ was coming in prospect and had not yet come in reality.  Therefore, although there was a sense of forgiveness (Psalm 32:1-2Psalm 32:1-2
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
32 A Psalm of David, Maschil. A Psalm...: or, A Psalm of David giving instruction ¹ Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. ² Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.  

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), the burdening consciousness of sin remained (Hebrews 10:1-3Hebrews 10:1-3
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
10 ¹ For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. ² For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. would...: or, they would have ceased to be offered, because, etc. ³ But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.  

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).  Sin and death therefore had a domineering effect, and the desire to serve was low.

Looking back at his mindset under that old system, Paul cries out “who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”  The answer is Jesus Christ (Romans 8:1-2Romans 8:1-2
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
8 ¹ There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. ² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.  

).  The key phrase is “But now”.  To say that “now there is no condemnation” implies that before there was condemnation.  We are therefore “under new management” so to speak and have a greater and freer incentive and motivation to serve God (Romans 7:6Romans 7:6
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. that being...: or, being dead to that  

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– the key verse BTW in this section).  May we then praise God and offer thanksgiving with Paul saying, “I thank God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 7:25).              

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Filed under: Devotional, Michael Carter on August 24th, 2008