Grow 07: Romans 7:1-6

Romans 7:1-6 (NASB)

¹Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? ²For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband. ³So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man. ⁴Therefore, 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. ⁵For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. ⁶But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

Where were we?

If there were one rule of understanding the Bible clearly it would be “Context.”  When a word, phrase, sentence or paragraph is taken out of context it can often lead to disaster. The goal of good Bible study is to find the clear answer to the question: “What does the Bible say?”  So, where have we been?

The Need for Salvation

Introduction and Purpose (1:1-17) – Key verses 1:16-17

The state of the heathen (1:18-32)

The state of the ‘moral’ person (2:1-16)

The state of the Jews (2:17-3:8)

Conclusion: All are in need of a Savior (3:9-20)

Salvation in Christ (Phase 1 - Justification)

Justification by Faith alone in Christ alone explained (3:21-31)

Justification by Faith illustrated (4:1-25)

The implications of Justification in Christ (5:1-11)

The Application of Justification in Christ (5:12-21)

Salvation in Christ (Phase 2 – Sanctification)

Identification with Christ (6:1-14)

Application of our Identification (6:15-23)

Did Paul get confused?

In chapter 6 Paul laid out the path for our sanctification.  Having established the fact that we can earn no righteousness of our own he clearly displayed how we must rely on Christ’s righteousness.  We saw how, just as we cannot be saved through our own works, so we will not be sanctified by our own good works.  It is the life of Christ within us, and not adherence to any external law, that will sanctify (set us apart in our daily condition).  Many interpreters, hoping to keep Christians under the Law, have interpreted chapter 7 as being out of place.  Suggesting that it would “fit” better just before chapter 3 when Paul was saying that man could never be saved by the works of the law.  They then argue that Paul is here going back to justification, and leaving his discussion of the process of sanctification.  However, we believe firmly that God does not make mistakes when speaking through His Apostles and Prophets, and the Bible is just as it is supposed to be. 

So what IS Paul saying?

Paul made the statement in 6:14: “For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”  This statement needs a great deal of explanation because, as it has been said, “Mankind is incurably religious.”  Mankind is always looking for the rules by which he can make God happy and get what he wants.  However, the uniform message of the word is the reality that God doesn’t just want robots that do what they are supposed to do.  He wants a relationship with His creatures that He loves (us).  This is why the relationship that God desires with man is repeatedly described in the most intimate terms: Shepherd/sheep, Father/children, Friends, Husband/wife, etc.  Yet, even understanding this humans repeatedly fall back into the legalism of “I gave God what He wanted, He has to give me what I want.”  The Lord wants us to focus on Jesus and what He is doing in us, not on conformity to some standard that we think is going to make him happy.

Romans 7:1-3

¹Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? ²For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband. ³So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man.

Or do you not know

Paul has used this phrase before (Romans 6:3, 16).  This question has the sense of “You should know this – this is basic!”  As salvation is presented logically there is a high premium placed on knowing what we are supposed to know.  Paul emphasizes what we should know in Romans 6:6, 9.  The reality is that, as believers we need to KNOW what the Bible says so that we can trust in it.  It is not “what does my pastor say” or “what does this Christian author say?” but what does the Bible say exclusively.

To those who know the law

This is a fascinating point.  Paul tells them that he is writing to them and they “know the law.”  The question is this: “Which law is in view?”  Surely the Jews that he was writing to would know the Mosaic Law.  However, this isn’t exclusively what Paul seems to be getting at.  One of the most famous and important contributions that Rome made to western culture is the contribution of law.  The Romans used their magnificent legal system to govern the largest empire then in existence.  So Paul is recognizing that they know how law works.  Law is based on outward behavior.  Rewarding one thing, punishing another.  They knew this way of thinking and Paul is quite clear in declaring that this, while appropriate for governing a nation, is not the way that the Lord intends to deal with those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ.  However, this is the constant temptation of mankind.

Out of your Jurisdiction

The next point Paul brings up is jurisdiction.  Nobody would try to drag a corpse into the defense box and hold a trial for a dead man.  Once a person has died they are no longer prosecutable under the legal system.  This will be one of the chief metaphors that Paul uses in order to explain the believers relationship to the Law (whether the law of Moses, or simply the principle of law as an operating procedure).  Paul brings this together with a practical example.

The Example of Marriage

In the context of marriage a wife is attached to her husband.  If she should seek another sexual relationship outside of marriage she would be committing adultery.  She is bound by the law NOT to seek other husbands, or live as if she were the husband of another person.  There were, of course, extreme consequences under the Law of Moses for adultery both for the adultress and for the one who committed adultery with her. 

Imagine a woman who was promised from birth to marry a man.  This man is a horrible, hard-nosed task master, demanding perfection at every turn and absolute submission to every single whim.  However, the woman has known another from her childhood who has loved her unconditionally.  Here she is between the husband she hates, but she is obligated to him, and the man who loves her and longs to care for her.  If she engages in the relationship with the man who loves her she will be an adultress, and yet she cannot continue in the relationship with her cruel husband. 

Then a miracle happens…the husband dies!  She is no free to pursue the marriage with the one who loves her.  She is able to marry him and live in that relationship for the rest of her life.  Is she then an adultress?  By no means!  The law that bound her to her cruel ex-husband is broken with his death, and she is now free to marry the one who loves her.

Romans 7:4-6

⁴Therefore, 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. ⁵For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. ⁶But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

Applying the Story

Verses 4-6 apply the story that Paul just told about the wife who was bound to a husband.  Each person who is born into this world is born under the system of law.  As one poet put it:             

                Do this and life, the law commands, but gives me neither feet nor hands.

                A better word the gospel brings.  It bids me fly and gives me wings.

The relationship of the believer to the law is very well, and very clearly established:  death.

Death

As we have seen “death” in scripture means separation.  Physical death is separation of the body from the immaterial parts of man.  Relational death is separation from another person in relationship.  Spiritual death is used to describe separation in our relationship with God.  What has the believer died to here?  THE PRINCIPLE OF LAW.  The believer’s relationship with God is no longer governed by the principle of Law.  Notice that this is passive we were “made to die to the law” through our association with Jesus Christ.  The word used for death here specifically insinuates a violent death – meaning the death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross.  The Law had one thing to offer man, who is incapable of keeping it: Death.  And this is exactly what was accomplished at the cross.  He paid the penalty for us, forever freeing us from the demands of the law principle.

So that

This, however, isn’t simply a death, we are also united to Someone: Jesus Christ.  This word “joined to” has the idea of being recreated in union with another.  The KJV translates this as “married to”.  We must also note that the “might” here is not a contingency.  It could be translated as a definite statement – if you have placed faith in Jesus Christ you ARE dead to the law and joined (united, married to) Christ.

Him who was raised from the dead

This is saying, quite clearly, that when Christ was raised from the dead, you were united with Him!  You are joined to Him, identified with Him, in that action.  When Christ died on the cross, the believer died with Him. When Christ was raised from the dead, you were raised with Him.  It is His power, His life, that is now the operating procedure for your life.  Not a list of rules, but a person: God incarnate.  It is a relationship.

In order that

Notice all of the logical connections that are being used here.  The believer is made dead to the law SO THAT he may be united to Christ IN ORDER THAT fruit may come.  Before good works came out of our lives because we felt we should, felt guilty or “wanted to do the right thing.”  Now the fruit grows naturally in the life of the believer, because we are connected to the source of life.  The works that come out of the believer are not because of a rule or law, but because they are sourced in God himself.  Just as fruit grows naturally from a healthy tree so the believer who is connected to Jesus Christ in daily relationship will naturally produce the fruit described in Galatians 5:22-23:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Then and now (verse 5)

Paul refers back to before a person is a believer.  The only operating principle for the unbelievers life is the Sin Nature (the flesh, the sin).  The person who is not in a relationship with Jesus Christ has only this Sinful Nature to work with.  The effect of the Law on that sin nature is only excited by the opportunity of more “rules” to break.  The fruit of that relationship only brought forth death.  As the sin nature sought repeatedly to disobey the law the results are only pain, hurtfulness, anger, hatred, fear and loss.  Yet this is the only principle, and the only relationship that we have apart from entering into a relationship with Jesus Christ.

But now…

Praise the Lord something changed!  We have been delivered from the Law!  The Greek word used here means to “cut off completely” or “render inoperative”.  Having died to the principle of Law we are now free!  Completely and utterly free to live in the new relationship with Jesus Christ who has made us.

It’s a life

Our new “code of conduct” isn’t a set of rules that bring punishment for disobedience and reward for obedience.  Our new way of life is governed by our being identified with Christ and His power and ability in us.  This newness of life is not simply an outward conformity by an inward transformation.  It doesn’t just involve our outward actions, it involves our attitudes, our thoughts, our words, and our actions.  We are now free to be what God intended us to be all along!  His beloved children who freely conform to His will for us all by the work, power and life of Jesus Christ.  Which He has given us, all by grace, all through faith, all of the time.  Amen!