Word for Wednesday
For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. Romans 7:14
More than 110,000 people in the world belong to an organization known as Mensa. This organization is open to people of all races, nationalities, political and religious persuasions, and social classes. It is a very prestigious organization, and many people would like to join it. But very few are able to do so. There is only one requirement for admission to this organization, but that one requirement stands as a huge barrier that keeps most people out. That requirement is for applicants to pass an approved IQ test with a score that places them at the 98th percentile or higher. That means only two percent of the people can possibly qualify. It’s a tough test to pass. But it’s nowhere near as tough a test as God’s law, as described in today’s text. The standard is so high that none of us can pass. Thank God for His marvellous grace!
Because the law is spiritual, it can be obeyed only by the spirit of man. It is a revelation from God to the spirit. But it does not provide any enablement, because, as Paul states, we are all carnal. Before our salvation, we are all spiritually dead. There is nothing about us that can grasp the law and fulfill it. Most people in the world simply don’t have the mental capability to be accepted into Mensa. Nobody in the world has the spiritual capability to be accepted by God’s law. So, what good is the law? Actually, it serves a very valuable function, by proving to us that we are unable to meet God’s standard. The law divides the world into two classes. Firstly, there are those who try and struggle to keep the law. They are the religious. In the very same class are those who ignore or reject the law. The second class is composed of those who acknowledge their inability to meet the law’s demands, and have turned to God’s grace. They (we) are the redeemed.
As recipients of God’s grace, we rise above the carnal and become spiritual. Unlike prospective Mensa members who can take tests and perform mental exercises to increase their likelihood of making the club, we rise to a spiritual level only by the abilities of Another. This is not something that we can do for ourselves; it is entirely of God’s providing. You and I are able to serve God today, and to follow His precepts. But not in our own power.
God calls us today to trust and obey Him. And He has given us the spiritual life to do so. -Jim MacIntosh