FOUNDATIONS | WEEK 19

📖 What is the Law of Sin and Death?

Not the Law of Moses.

In Epistle to the Romans 7–8, Paul contrasts two opposing principles:

The Law of the Spirit of Life

The Law of Sin and Death

These are not the same—and Paul does not treat them as such.

He writes:

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:2)

Freedom from one law by definition means it stands in opposition to the other.

Two Laws in Contrast

Paul consistently frames:

Spirit vs. Flesh

Life vs. Death

Obedience vs. Sin

The “law of sin and death” is tied to the flesh—the inclination toward sin that leads to death (Romans 6:23).

The “law of life” is tied to the Spirit—a life aligned with Yahusha and in agreement with Yahuah’s ways.

What About the Law of Moses?

Paul does not equate the Law of Moses with sin and death. In fact, he distinguishes them.

To collapse these into one category creates a contradiction within Paul’s own argument.

Scripture maintains a consistent tension:

All have sinned (Romans 3:23)

Yet we are called to walk according to the Spirit

This is not about perfection—it is about direction.

Paul directly refers to the Law of Moses as opposite of the Law of Sin and Death:

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.

Romans 7:7-8

He then makes a statement that proves his character was never that which is represented in many church doctrines of men:

Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

Romans 7:12

There was no conflict here in Paul's words:

Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

Romans 7:13

Paul repeats this while contrasting the difference defining the Law of Sin and Death as that of the flesh, never as the Law of Moses:

For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

Romans 7:23-23

Finally, Paul repeats himself over and over in these 2 chapters defining:

"I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin."

Romans 7:25

If a pastor is teaching the Law of Moses is the Law of the Flesh, they have been deceived and are teaching the opposite of Paul's words. To teach lawlessness, is to teach sin (1 John 3:4) in fact. Thus, in espousing such satanic doctrines, they undermine the whole of scripture leading the lambs to slaughter. We do not believe most do this knowingly and their hearts are to serve. However, this is a structural challenge for a church which is becoming impertinent in these days of increasing knowledge.

For those wishing to us the next verse to claim we are not to condemn false unbiblical teachings, they also do not even read the sentence:

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

Such doctrines justify the flesh and are not protected by this passage which requires such person to walk in the spirit which they have reframed as sin and death. There is condemnation for such false doctrines.

Paul says Yahusha came to keep the Law:

"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."

For those who position this statement as condemning the Law of Moses which Yahuah wrote with His own finger to start, is one of the very worst deceptions of our time. A claim that one who followed the Law of Moses was serving their flesh is blatantly false and blasphemous in fact. The real question is why do those they follow hate Yahuah's Law so much. Paul did not.

Those who lived by the Law of Sin and Death in the Old Testament were not considered Israel even as they were lawless not operating in covenant:

"Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed."

Romans 9:6-8

In other words, the Law of Moses followed in the Old Testament was the opposite of the Law of Sin and Death as well. Equating the Law of Moses as the Law of Sin and Death requires profound deception. No people could ever claim salvation was a bloodline but it was always about covenant. Paul address those in Israel not keeping the covenant as "not Israel." This is how the Bible always treated such. YasharEl (Elohim is Upright) is not a people of man's blood but that of spiritual covenant. The "stranger among them" (Gentiles) were saved in the Old Testament the same as we all are today and YasharEl is a people defined by covenant, not by blood. It was a mixed multitude all along even I the days of Abraham and Moses.

A Matter of Alignment

Paul’s framework is clear:

Walk according to the flesh → leads to death

Walk according to the Spirit → leads to life

A choice is required.

Testing What We Are Taught

Scripture warns us:

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21)

Interpretations must be tested against the full context—not isolated phrases especially when Paul provided 2 entire chapters on this conflict of 2 opposing laws even labeled as such in the KJV. That would be strange, new doctrine never taught by the Apostles which Paul rebuked.

Final Thought

The distinction Paul makes is not complicated:

Life and death do not come from the same source.

They are opposing paths.

The call is to walk in the one that leads to life.

Yah Bless.

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