Q1. The Weak Link, the Flesh

[Uncle Dave]

Q1. (Romans 8:3-4) Why can't obedience to the law save us? What is the weak link? What then does it take to save us?

 

The problem with obedience to the law is that nobody can do it. Yes, the law is good, the law is holy, but if it were possible to fulfill it the way Jesus did, anybody desiring eternal life could do it without having any thought for God. To save us takes faith in the things Jesus did, not only while He walked the earth, but for what He did non the cross.

[Lottie]

We cannot be saved by the law; it only shows us that we are sinning while at the same time creating a desire inside of us to sin. The weak link is that the law is powerless to save us. It is weakened by our own sinful nature.

Jesus, God's own Son is the only one who can save us. He took our punishment for our sins on the cross; when we are saved we are united with Him. 

[Godswriter]

Q1. (Romans 8:3-4) Why can't obedience to the law save us? What is the weak link? What then does it take to save us?

Obedience to the law cannot save us from our sins because we are born dead in our trespasses and sins and we are unable to make restitution for our sins before the Lord. The weak link is our flesh because we are living in the flesh. It takes the Son of  God in human form on a cross dying once for everyone and raising again to the life to conquer sin death and the grave.

[AmyF]

Q1. (Romans 8:3-4) Why can't obedience to the law save us? What is the weak link? What then does it take to save us?
 

We are utterly unable to produce in ourselves the righteous living in thought and deed that the law requires. The unregenerate heart of man is desperately wicked. The sin sickness we inherited from Adam dwells inside us and can’t be overcome by human effort. The law condemns sin and sin reigns in me apart from a new birth in Christ. The weak link is the human heart that is corrupted by the sinful nature. 
 

Only a loving, compassionate God who could supply a righteousness not of our own making or doing can save us. Sin’s wages is death. Jesus took our place as the perfect Lamb of God ~ He was cursed for us. Through faith in Christ we are counted “not guilty”. Again we see the marvelous grace granted to us by our union with Christ. 

[Irmela]

We fail. We are not and cannot be obedient to the law. Our unregenerate and carnal nature is the 'weak link' to being fully obedient to the law which is holy. 

It took Christ who was sinless, who took our sin upon Himself as it were and gave Himself as an offering for our sin. In this way the punishment of our sin was met and we are assured of salvation. 

[Krissi]

We cannot be saved by our good behaviour/thoughts or by obeying the law because we inevitably fail at it -- we're not good enough to keep the law. The law stands outside of us as goals to strive for we'll never reach. 

So we are the weak link in this chain. Just as the law is the standard ... grace is the solution. The unredeemed stand condemned by the law. They have no grace. There's no way that they can come to a just God and ask for leniency. 

Praise you, Christ! Christ came to get us out of this conundrum. We'd never be able to approach God without His death. We can only approach God through Christ. Without Christ's blood, the final sacrifice, we'd still be condemned and under the law. Christ's blood changed this. His death on the cross was a stand-in or proxy for my own death by the law. His resurrection, then, was also my salvation or lifting above the condemnation that I deserved because of the law. 

I am secure in my salvation because of the one-time sacrifice of Christ on the cross. This satisfied God's demand for justice. Now, I can hide under Christ's wing from the judgment I deserve because I know that Christ will stand before God, as my advocate before a judge, and declare me non-guilty.  

Still, in heaven, I'll be judged, but not for salvation. My salvation is secure. I'll be judged for my good/bad deeds/thoughts and rewards will be meted out on the basis of what I've done here on earth.

It's rather scary, really. I know I'll go to heaven. I know my salvation is secure. Yet I know, too, that I'll be judged and that judgment will be severe. Christ guarantees I'll make it to heaven and eternal life, but not that I'll be well-rewarded there. This is contingent on me. On my life here on earth. 

 

 

[Krissi]

I'll never be a good enough person to keep the law. I can't do it. Jesus summarized the decalogue as love God and love my neighbour, but how often have I failed at this? Truly loving God ... truly loving others ... this is impossible.

Thus, the law has condemned me. It has pointed out my sinful core and has highlighted my inability to be moral.

I am the weak link. Had I been a stronger, wiser or better person, perhaps I could have kept the law. But no one can do this-- no one is good enough to keep the law. We're all condemned.

The fact that we all fail explains why the Jews had elaborate ceremonies to get rid of past transgressions -- they knew the law but couldn't keep it, so they needed a work-around.

Our work-around is Jesus Christ. 

Just like the Jews needed to have sacrifices to put themselves in good standing before God, I need a sacrifice, something that reconciles me to Him and makes it all better. That sacrifice is Jesus. 

Jesus came to earth, pre-planned, to substitute for the old Jewish sacrifices. He was everything I am, but perfect -- sinless -- yet was also God. His death on the cross didn't minimize my sin by pretending that it wasn't a big deal. Rather, Jesus looked at my sin squarely and condemned it. His death was part of that condemnation. 

Yes, Jesus died. He died in lieu of my death under the law. He died so that my blatant sins would be erased before God. Jesus put Himself in my place. He took my sins as His. He went to the cross laden with my past, my sins, my lack of forgiveness ... and then died with these sins "on his back," so to speak.

Jesus is my offering. He is my sacrifice. He makes me acceptable to God. And the best part of it all is that now that I'm clean before God, God has put his Holy Spirit in me. Without the Spirit, I'd revert to the sort of life I had under the law. But with the Spirit I'm slowly changing into His image.

The operative word here is "slowly."