Title: Free from the Law
Text: Rom 7:1-6
Date: 12-20-07.am
Passage:
Introduction:
Ro 7:1-6
7 Or 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? 2 For 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. 3 So 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. 4 Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for God. 5 For 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. 6 But 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.
NASB
As we close out the year, I want to go back to Romans chapter 6 where we left off almost two months ago now. In the first five chapters Paul developed the theme of justification by faith. We heard that term over and over again. Justification - the sovereign and gracious act of God where He declares believers righteous. Justification takes place the moment we believe.
In chapter 6 Paul introduced us to another doctrine, sanctification. In 6:22 he wrote But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. NASB
Sanctification means to be holy means to be set apart. It comes from the Greek hagias which is most often translated holy. Sanctification is used in two basic ways in Scripture.
Sanctification can refer to the entire salvation process or experience. It is God setting the believer apart for Himself:
Positionally we are set apart the moment we trust Christ which we refer to as justification.
Progressively we are continually being set apart throughout life as we mature spiritually and grow in Christ likeness. This is how we most often understand and use the term sanctification and how it is used in here in chapters 6-8. Ultimately when the believer arrives in God’s presence in heaven which we refer to as glorification. The way we most often use the term, sanctification grows out of justification and ultimately results in glorification.
In chapter 6, Paul also provided a basic understanding or knowledge of the nature of our union with Christ, but also explains our relationship as believers to sin. In verses 2 - 7 we saw he used a number of different phrases to explain the relationship we have with Christ
v 2 Died to sin?
v.3 Baptized into Christ Jesus and His death
v.4 Raised to walk in newness of life
v.5 United with Him in likeness
v.6 Crucified with Him
v.6 No longer slaves to sin
v.7 Freed from sin
He summed all of that up in verse 8 saying because we have died with Him or since we have died with Him (referring to Jesus) , we shall also live with Him – He wrote in v 11 we are dead to sin alive to God. He used the analogy of baptism in verses 3-4 and slavery in 15-23 to illustrate his point.
Verse 14 of chapter 6 is what I call the lead in to chapter 7. Paul wrote: For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace. NASB
The question we want to ask and answer is what did Paul mean when he wrote we are not under law, but grace. What is our relationship to the law as Christians?
The law has been viewed in different ways within Christianity. There have been, over the years and still today, those who practice what we refer to as legalism. Much like the Pharisees of Jesus day legalists have good intentions they desire and seek to maintain a strong committed relationship with the Lord. They take Jesus words in Jn 14:15 "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. very seriously. The problem is they wrongly believe their relationship to God depends on their obedience to the Law. They talk about grace, but in practical reality seek to be both justified and sanctified by obedience to the law.
On the other side of the coin are those who lean towards the opposite extreme of Christian liberty and reject the law all together saying the law has no place in Christian life. Unfortunately they usually turn liberty into license, much like we see in the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians. That view is called Antinomianism freedom to behave without restraint. That view was condemned by the Christian church centuries ago. Unfortunately this seems to be the general teaching of the emerging church movement today led by Brian McLaren among others.
So what does the Bible teach about our relationship to the Law? Paul used the phrase “not under the law” twice in his writings in 6:14 and also in Gal 5:18. In the context of 6:14 he is referring to the contrast between law and grace as the means of justification. We are not justified by obedience to the law, only by God’s grace.
Gal 2:16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified. NASB
Paul begins chapter 7 making this same point. He wrote in verse 1 he was writing to those who knew the law. Paul had already asked if they understood the meaning of baptism v. 3 and the implication of slavery v. 16 now he is asking if they understand the limit of the law by using the analogy of marriage. He isn’t teaching about marriage just making a connection between marriage and the limit of the law.
Paul doesn’t specify who those who know the law are, but we might assume they are Jewish converts or Gentile proselytes who had converted to Judaism and then became Christians. In either case the law would be familiar and it’s place within their faith system couldn’t be understated. The law was king, it was very, very important.
Ps 19:7-11
The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. 10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them Thy servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward. NASB
The entire 119 Psalm is dedicated to the majesty and glory of God’s law. It was important to hold it in high regard and it was even more important to obey the law.
Dt 6:1-2
1 "Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgments which the Lord your God has commanded me to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you are going over to possess it, 2 so that you and your son and your grandson might fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. NASB
Deut 6:4-9
4 "Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! 5 "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart; 7 and you shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. 8 And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. 9 And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. NASB
King Solomon summed it all up by saying in Eccles. 12:13, The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.
The law was important . By the time of Christ, many if not most Jews considered obedience to God’s law to be not only the demonstration of salvations godliness which God intended it to be but also the means of salvation, which God didn’t intended to be.
Faithfulness to the law superseded faith in the God who had given the law. We see that illustrated throughout the gospel accounts, where the Jews leaders often accused Jesus of contradicting and disobeying the Mosaic law.
Today there are those who think that about Christianity and the Bible. That’s Christianity is all about rules or laws and the Bible is just a law book that keeps from living and enjoying life rather than a book that tells us about have to have life and have it abundantly, and there are even some Christians who believe that. As we’ll see that’s an errant view of both Christianity and the Bible.
Those who came out of that Jewish background would be well familiar with that high regard for the law and abundantly aware of it’s teachings. They would be more than familiar with what the law said in regard to marriage. So, Paul makes his point in verse 1 then supports it with the analogy of the law and marriage.
Ro 7:1-4
Here is Paul’s point: Verse 1 “. . .the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives?” That’s the message of verses 2 and 3, nothing more. 2 For 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. 3 So 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.
That’s what the law said about marriage and here’s Paul’s point: “A married person is bound by law to his or her spouse only as long as the spouse lives. If your spouse dies, you are no longer bound by law to him or her. The law of marriage binds people only while they are alive.” (MacArthur)
4 Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for God. NASB
Paul is emphasizing Christ's present relationship with all believers. The body of Christ referrers to His crucified body on the cross. Where Christ died for sin.Christians are identified with Christ's death in the past, which releases them from their bondage to sin and also their bondage to the law. But not only that we are also identified with a living Savior in the present.
That means the believer is assured of his/her salvation. Again that understanding of eternal security. In Romans 6:9 Paul declares that Christ's death was sufficient and that He will never have to die again. Because of His death we are now dead in Him to the law and are married to another. We are now, by faith, the bride of Christ. Those who place their faith in Jesus Christ, because He lives will never lose their husband. Our marriage bond with Christ will last forever!
The wonderful thing about this truth Paul makes clear is that believers are free from having to earn or from trying to earn their salvation. The resurrection of Jesus (v. 4) is the key to that reality. Ro 4:25 says: He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification NIV.
Paul goes on to say in verse 4 the purpose of every believer's life is to glorify God by bearing fruit. Dr. John MacArthur says, “This is not a command, but a statement of fact. Paul's words could literally read, "we do bring forth fruit unto God."” Salvation has a byproduct – a transformed life that bears fruit for God.
The message of Salvation by grace through faith does not in any way teach or lead to licence to sin! The truth is If you are truly united with Christ Jesus Christ, you will bring forth fruit unto God, produced by His Spirit in you.
What is that fruit? In Galatians 5:22-23 Paul says, "The fruit of the Spirit or the fruit produced by the Spirit in the life of a believers is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control."
Salvation produces within the believer a transformed mind-set, or transformed attitudes. However, attitudes are empty unless they are accompanied by actions as well.
In Eph 2:10 Paul wrote For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. NASB Paul in his prayer for the Colossian church in Col 1:10 wrote he prayed they may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; NASB
The fruit of a new life in Christ is not only new attitudes but new actions as well – Actions that honor and glorify God.
In verse 5 Paul said prior to salvation the opposite was true Ro 7:5 For 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. NASB
Paul began that verse with the words But now - [in other words after salvation after we have believed and been justified by grace through faith] we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, [And this is the important part to see] -so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter. NASB
In Galatians 5:18 Paul wrote But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. NASB The contrast in that verse between the law and the Spirit of God and refers to sanctification. We are not justified by keeping the law nor are we sanctified by struggling to keep the law. Rather we are justified by grace and we are sanctified by the power of the indwelling Spirit of God.
However , because we are justified by grace and sanctified by the Spirit doesn’t mean the law is irrelevant or that we have no more obligation to it. Paul wrote in v6 so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.
The law is still important to the Christian.
We are now able to meet the law’s demands for righteousness (which was God’s desire when He gave it in the first place). How? In Christ. His righteousness credited to us as righteousness
Although we will never be perfect in this life we now have a new nature and God’s own Spirit to empower our obedience and our desire to obey.
As believers, we are dead to the law, we are no longer under it’s bondage or condemnation. We now live in newness of the Spirit, which means we are more eager and willing and able to live by its godly standards out of love and desire rather than compulsion. We love and obey God’s law with a joyful heart, because we love our Lord. God’s law is no longer an anchor to drag us down but a life jacket to keep us afloat. We desire to obey His law, keep His commandments and do His will because we love Him and we desire to give Him honor and bring Him glory.
Does that describe your life this morning? It can if you give Him your life and by the power of His presence Live for Him.