“Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.” – Romans 7:4
The Apostle Paul writes a literary masterpiece to the young Jewish converts in Rome on the applicability of the Law, or ten commandments, handed down by Moses as it relates to sin.
He rightfully points out that there was no written law when Adam was created in the Garden of Eden. Yet, Adam sinned in disobeying God and suffered the consequence of expulsion from God’s presence and physical death.
The time between Adam and Moses, Paul writes, there was no law, yet all still sinned. Even after the law was given by Moses, generations continued sinning and suffered the same consequences as Adam.
Back in Romans 2:15, Paul states that the present-day Gentiles, who were never administered the written Law, have God’s law written on their hearts.
“in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them” – Romans 2:15
Their consciences convict them of the evil that is in their hearts. In Romans 5:13 Paul states that if there is no law then one cannot be judged or convicted. All people have sinned; therefore, they have broken the Law and are convicted by their conscience, or the law written on their hearts, and they are condemned to death. No one is immune to the law of God.
“for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.” – Romans 5:13
Then, in Romans 7, Paul beautifully explains how those who are covered by the grace of Jesus Christ are immune to the law (and wrath of judgment) of God. He expounds that in order for one to escape the law they must die for the law has no jurisdiction over the dead. Law only rules over those who are alive. It is ineffective to those who have died and no longer subjected to its bounds. Likewise, we have died to the Law and are no longer subject to it because we are covered by grace and mercy.
But don’t celebrate just yet, for although we are not subject to law, we, by grace, are compelled by our new nature to adhere to the law in order to glorify the Law Maker. Law is good for it reveals our sinful nature and need for redemption. If it hadn’t been for the law, we would have no need for a Savior for we would have been unaware of our sinful condition before a Holy and Just God.
“Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, ‘You must not covet.'” – Romans 7:7
Paul uses a vivid and powerful analogy at the beginning of chapter 7 to explain this concept. A married woman is bound to her husband by marriage covenant (law) as long as he is alive. When he dies, she is no longer bound by covenant and is free to remarry another without committing adultery or breaking the law. Likewise, we who have died to sin are no longer convicted by Law but are freed by the one who raised Christ from the dead. We are free to marry another which happens to be the greatest bridegroom ever created, Jesus Christ. We, the church, are the new bride of Christ. We are no longer married to sin or this world.
“Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.” – Romans 7:4
We aren’t divorced from the law … it doesn’t hang around like a bad nightmare haunting our every move in life. No, it is dead to us! Not adhering to the law produced death to us. No longer does it have that sting. No longer does it linger in our minds torturing us with its stringent constraints. It is dead because Christ nailed it to the cross upon his death. We are now free to marry someone else, Jesus Christ, and once we accept Him as our Lord and Savior the marriage ceremony begins as we are sanctified by grace to conform into His image. Our new lives are conditioned by the Holy Spirit to live according to the Law out of obedience and dedication to our Savior who is the perfect example of the Law.
No longer bound, free in Christ! Hallelujah! Praise God!
Dave
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