December 1, 2008

Death Puts an End To Law

“Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to [her] husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of [her] husband. So then if, while [her] husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man. Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another——to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not [in] the oldness of the letter.” (Romans 7:1-6 NKJV)

Paul continues his argument with an illustration. Previously (Rom. 6:14-23), he made the assertion that sin no longer had dominion over a saved person. Now he explains the legal reason for this with the example of marriage.

Husbands and wives enter into a life-long covenant when they marry. When one of them dies, that covenant is no longer binding on the survivor. The same is true for the law. The law is no longer binding when one dies. In this case, the death is not physical.

A person dies to the law through the body of Christ. Faith in Christ is death to faith in the law. This is a good thing because the law could not save. It took advantage of our flesh and produced all kinds of evil leading to death. Dying to the law is the only way to escape its dominion. You must become married to another that is Christ.

This of course has a profound impact on the believer. He now serves in newness of the Spirit and not oldness of the letter. The Spirit gives power over the flesh allowing the new man to serve God in faith. The law is no longer seen as a means to salvation, but the way of life in Christ.

This is an abiding truth for those in Christ. However, the flesh loves law. Abandoning the faith to serve the law is a pitfall into which it is easy to fall. Look at the Galatians’ example.

“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:1-3 NKJV)

Please don’t push this aside too easily for even Peter had come near to falling, and Paul had to confront him over his hypocrisy.

“Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.” (Galatians 2:11-13 NKJV)

Have faith in Christ and His righteousness for you have no righteousness except that which is imputed to you because of Christ. If you resurrect the law as a means of salvation then you will die condemned by the law. Remember, you must be married to another—Jesus Christ! Amen.