The never ending story of sin

The Old Testament Law: Obsolete Power of Sin and Death

The Old Testament law, the cornerstone of the Old Covenant, is described by the Apostle Paul in stark terms: a “ministry of death” (2 Corinthians 3:7), the “law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2), the “power of sin” (1 Corinthians 15:56), and, in effect, the “victory of death” (1 Corinthians 15:55). These descriptors reveal a sobering reality: the Mosaic Law, while holy, amplifies sin and death’s grip on humanity, offering no path to salvation. The book of Hebrews declares the Old Covenant “obsolete” and “about to disappear” (Hebrews 8:13), signaling its irrelevance for believers freed by Christ’s death and resurrection. Through Jesus, “who was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (Romans 4:25), believers escape the law’s condemning cycle. For Christians, clinging to the Old Testament law risks perpetuating sin and death’s power, making it critical to focus on the New Testament’s gospel of grace, where true freedom is found.
The Old Testament Law: A Cycle of Sin and Death
Paul, a former Pharisee steeped in the Old Testament (Philippians 3:5-6), understood the law’s power and limitations better than most. In Romans 7:7-11, he calls the law “holy, righteous and good” (7:12) but explains its fatal flaw: “I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law… When the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died” (7:7, 9). By setting God’s perfect standard, the law exposes human failure, making condemnation inevitable (Romans 3:23). 
This creates a “never-ending story of sin,” where the law highlights guilt without offering redemption.Paul’s descriptions paint a vivid picture of the law’s condemning role:

• Ministry of Death (2 Corinthians 3:7): The law, “carved in letters on stone,” is a “ministry of death” because it condemns without saving. Its glory, seen in Moses’ radiant face, was temporary and fading, unable to justify sinners (2 Corinthians 3:9).

• Law of Sin and Death (Romans 8:2): This principle, amplified by the law, shows that sin leads to spiritual and physical death (Romans 6:23). The law reveals sin’s guilt but offers no escape, trapping humanity in condemnation.

• Power of Sin (1 Corinthians 15:56): Paul declares, “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.” The law empowers sin by defining it, making humanity’s failure clear and strengthening death’s grip.

• Victory of Death (1 Corinthians 15:55): In taunting, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” Paul echoes Hosea 13:14 to show that, under the Old Covenant, death seemed victorious because the law condemned without redeeming.

These descriptors unify the Old Testament law as a force that perpetuates sin and death’s cycle, offering no salvation. For Christians, this underscores the danger of clinging to the law, which keeps the “power of sin” alive.

The Old Covenant: Obsolete and About to Disappear

The book of Hebrews delivers a definitive verdict on the Old Covenant: “By calling this covenant ‘new,’ he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear” (Hebrews 8:13). The Mosaic Law, the heart of the Old Covenant, was temporary, designed to reveal sin and point to Christ (Galatians 3:24). Its obsolescence is clear:

• Flawed and External: The law was written on stone, powerless to change hearts (Hebrews 8:7-9). It demanded obedience but couldn’t empower it, leading to condemnation.

• Replaced by Christ: The New Covenant, established through Christ’s blood, writes God’s laws on believers’ hearts, offering forgiveness and direct access to God (Hebrews 8:10-12).

• Ineffective Sacrifices: The law’s repetitive sacrifices could not perfect sinners; Christ’s single sacrifice atones forever (Hebrews 10:11-14).

Hebrews 8:13’s declaration that the Old Covenant is “obsolete” and “about to disappear” was prophetic. Written likely before the temple’s destruction in 70 AD, it signaled the law’s fading relevance. For believers, the law’s authority ended with Christ’s death (Romans 7:4), making it irrelevant as a path to righteousness. Clinging to the Old Testament law risks reviving its condemning power, keeping Christians trapped in the “ministry of death” when they should embrace the New Covenant’s life.

Christ’s Victory: Breaking the Cycle of Sin and Death

Paul’s despair in Romans 7:24—“What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?”—finds its answer in Christ: “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (7:25). The New Testament proclaims that Christ’s death and resurrection shatter the law’s cycle of sin and death. Romans 4:25 encapsulates this: “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.” Through His sacrifice, Jesus paid sin’s penalty, and through His resurrection, He secured believers’ righteousness before God.

This victory unfolds in three ways:

• Christ’s Death: Jesus was “delivered over to death for our sins” (Romans 4:25), bearing the law’s curse (Galatians 3:13) and fulfilling its demands (Romans 8:3-4). Believers are “dead to the law” (Romans 7:4), freed from its condemnation.

• Christ’s Resurrection: He “was raised to life for our justification” (Romans 4:25), declaring believers righteous and empowering them through the Holy Spirit to resist sin’s dominion (Romans 8:11-13).

• Freedom from Sin and Death: Romans 8:1-2 declares, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” The Spirit overcomes the law’s “power of sin,” enabling righteous living.

In 1 Corinthians 15:55-57, Paul celebrates this victory: “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Christ nullifies the law’s condemning power and death’s triumph, offering freedom now and eternal life in the resurrection.

The Danger of Clinging to the Old Testament Law

Many Christians unknowingly cling to the Old Testament law, treating it as a binding code or a path to righteousness, despite its obsolescence (Hebrews 8:13). This risks reviving the “power of sin” and “ministry of death”:

• Legalism: Emphasizing laws like tithing or Sabbath-keeping without their New Covenant context can lead to a works-based faith, which Paul warns against: “You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ” (Galatians 5:4).

• Focus on Sin: The law’s role in revealing sin (Romans 7:7) can trap believers in guilt, missing the freedom of Romans 8:1 and the justification of Romans 4:25.

• Misunderstanding Freedom: Relying on the law obscures the New Covenant’s promise of life through Christ’s death and resurrection (Romans 4:25), keeping believers bound to the “victory of death.”

Paul, despite his expertise in Judaism, rejected the law’s power: “I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8). John G. Lake, a healing evangelist, focused on New Testament promises like Romans 8:11, emphasizing Christ’s atonement over the law’s condemnation. Their teachings prioritized the New Covenant’s freedom, not the law’s cycle of sin.

The New Testament: The Gospel of Freedom and Life

The New Testament offers the antidote to the Old Testament law’s “power of sin” and “victory of death” by proclaiming Christ’s victory through His death and resurrection. Romans 4:25 declares, “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification,” establishing the foundation of the New Covenant. This gospel of grace 

provides:

• Justification by Faith: Christ’s resurrection justifies believers, declaring them righteous before God (Romans 4:25; Romans 5:1). Unlike the law, which condemns, faith in Christ brings acceptance.

• No Condemnation: Romans 8:1 assures, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” The law’s “ministry of death” is replaced by the Spirit’s life-giving power.

• Empowerment by the Spirit: The Holy Spirit enables believers to overcome sin’s dominion (Romans 8:13; Galatians 5:16), fulfilling the law’s righteous intent through love (Romans 13:10).

Books like Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews emphasize that believers are “not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14). By focusing on the New Testament, Christians can live in the freedom Christ secured, leaving behind the law’s condemning cycle. Galatians 5:1 urges, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” The New Testament’s message is clear: Christ’s work has broken the law’s power, offering life now and forever.

Living in the Spirit: The New Covenant’s Call

Rather than looking back to the obsolete law (Hebrews 8:13), Christians are called to live by the Spirit, who brings life and victory. Romans 8:11 promises, “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.” This life is both spiritual now—empowering believers to resist sin (Romans 8:13)—and eternal, culminating in the resurrection (Romans 8:23).

The New Testament provides practical guidance for this life:

• Abide in Christ: John 15:4-5 calls believers to remain in Christ, bearing fruit through His life-giving presence.

• Walk by the Spirit: Galatians 5:22-23 describes the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, and more—as the hallmark of a life free from the law’s condemnation.

• Proclaim Victory: 1 Corinthians 15:57 declares, “Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” This victory, rooted in Christ’s death and resurrection (Romans 4:25), is the believer’s inheritance.

By immersing ourselves in the New Testament, we embrace the reality of Romans 8:2: “Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” This is the path to living in Christ’s freedom, unburdened by the law’s “power of sin.”

Conclusion: Embrace the New Covenant’s Freedom

The Old Testament law, as the “ministry of death,” “law of sin and death,” “power of sin,” and “victory of death,” reveals sin and condemns without saving, perpetuating a cycle of failure. Hebrews 8:13 declares it “obsolete” and “about to disappear,” replaced by the New Covenant of grace. Christ, “delivered over to death for our sins and raised to life for our justification” (Romans 4:25), breaks this cycle, freeing believers from condemnation (Romans 8:1) and sin’s dominion (Romans 8:13). Christians must release the law’s condemning power, focusing on the New Testament’s message of grace and life in the Spirit. By embracing the New Covenant, we live in the victory Paul celebrated: “Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57). Let’s move forward in this freedom, leaving the “power of sin” behind and walking in the Spirit’s life.