The Painful Marriage of Law and Sinner

The Painful Marriage of Law and SinnerWords of Faith
Words of Faith 9-2-2021
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2021
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Romans 7
    Do you not know, brothers--for I am speaking to men who know the law--that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives? [2] For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. [3] So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man. [4] So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.

   There once was a couple that was in an unhappy marriage. The husband's name was Law, and the wife's name was Sinner. Their marriage was a painful one as they were oddly matched.
   Law was, well, perfect. Sinner was, well, flawed, to say the least. This might not have been so bad except that Law took it upon himself to point out all the faults in his bride. It was his hope to make Sinner better. By his nature, Law was detailed and meticulous in the documentation of his wife's flaws. He didn't miss a thing. He was calm and dispassionate in pointing out the many details of his wife's shortcomings.  
   Needless to say, life was difficult for Sinner. Sinner tried hard to respond to her husband's correction. She worked and worked at making herself better, but the harder she worked, the more she fell short of his approval. No matter how Sinner tried, she could not seem to make herself better, yet she was bound to Law. The standard of Law was so high that it was apparent Sinner could never measure up. She always fell short. In fact, Law's attention to her faults seemed only to bring out the worst in Sinner.
    Anyone could have recognized that it was a bad marriage, this union between Law and Sinner. It was doomed from the start. It seemed that these two would never resolve their differences. No matter how hard Sinner tried, Law seemed only to bring out the worst in her.  Sinner always disappointed Law. Many times, Sinner thought of leaving Law, but even that was an option that left her more at fault. It became a miserable existence.  
    One day, Sinner met a handsome Prince. He seemed to come out of nowhere. The Prince was completely different from her critical husband. Rather than point out the worst in her, He seemed to bring out the best in her. Of course, Sinner could not pursue the Prince as long as her husband was alive, but there seemed to be such hope whenever the Prince came around.
   Then, one day, everything changed. Law died. It was a sad day and yet not sad, for this had been a loveless marriage wrought with antagonism and failure. Law was finally laid to rest, and the claim of this painful marriage was broken.
    Suddenly, Sinner was no longer bound to Law. As a widow, Sinner was now free to marry.  The handsome Prince came in search of Sinner. When he came, the Prince placed upon Sinner a beautiful wedding gown. The gown was made of a white fabric called righteousness. It was woven together with a material called grace. The remarkable thing about this gown was that it covered all her faults and flaws. When wearing it, she felt nothing but beauty.
    What a very happy day it was when Sinner was married to the handsome Prince. She would never again be reminded of her failings. She would never again hear the details of her faults. She would never again struggle for the approval of her husband. And on that day, she looked so very beautiful, and she knew that she had never been so happy. This was the way she wanted to live forever.

     Thank You, God, for breaking the hold of sin upon us. Thank You for pulling us free from Law. Thank You for coming as the rescuing Prince of grace and bringing clothing of righteousness made from Your grace. In Jesus' Name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2021
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)        
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2021 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.