Marie’s daily verse: You, Lord, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation (Lamentations 5:19).

DAILY DEVOTION, December 18, 2023

But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code (Romans 7:6).

This is an interesting verse to think about. But what exactly does Paul mean? Can we throw away the Ten Commandments? He says we are released from the law. The law kept us captive because we don’t obey it to God’s satisfaction. The new way mentioned by Paul is to live by the Spirit. The point is not that the written law and the Holy Spirit conflict. We read that under the new covenant, the law is written on our hearts. “clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart” (2 Corinthians 3:3).

The law of God written in the Bible and the Spirit of God are in perfect harmony.  Paul tells us that we cannot please God if all we have are written laws. When we place our faith in Jesus, we receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us the strength to obey God, albeit not perfectly in this life. But, as we trust the Holy Spirit to guide our steps, we find new strength to live as faithful disciples of Jesus. Paul tells us not to try to live the Christian life by following written laws alone but by trusting in the Holy Spirit.

Father, thank you so much for the Gift of the Holy Spirit. I confess that I have failed to keep Your commandments written with ink in the Bible. Please help me to rely on the Holy Spirit to give me the wisdom and strength to follow Jesus. Amen.