Rom. 7:4-6 - Released from Law

4 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.
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.

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Bearing Fruit - Either for God or for Death

V. 4 - “You also were made to die to the Law” - Using the illustration in verses 1-3, above, we are subject to the strictures of the Law as long as the Law applies to us. The only way to avoid being subject to the justice the Law requires either the Law dies, or we die. Christ died on the cross, and in so doing fulfilled (completed) the Law. The Law has no jurisdiction over Christ. When we believe in Christ we are baptized into Christ (See: Rom. 10:9-10). We are in Christ. Christ is in us.

If the Law has no jurisdiction over Christ (and it does not), it has no jurisdiction over us when we are in Christ. That is the condition - Christ in us and us in Christ. The connection between the married man and woman is broken when one dies. When Christ died for our sin, the Law died with Him.

Considering the illustration above: When the man (husband) died the woman was free to re-marry. She would not be committing either adultery or bigamy, therefore not an adulteress. In our case, we ‘belong’ to the Law. There is no breaking free from the Law. When we accept Christ as Lord and Savior, we are immersed (baptized) in Him and by faith become one with Him. Since He died, we also died. We are partakers in His death.

We are partakers in His resurrected and eternal life.

If the Law is fulfilled, or completed, as it has been done by Christ we are no longer under the Law.

Except - there are a couple of ways we can be ‘free’ from the Law: either the Law is void or we die.

Note: in the illustration above, the dead husband is also ‘free’ from the marriage! The wife is free to re-marry, but the husband cannot! Our situation is more similar to the husband’s because we have died with Christ and therefore died to the Law. The Law has not died (even though fulfilled by Christ).

However, in Christ we live because He lives. Our life is tied to His. We have new life in Christ because He lives, therefore, we are no subject to the Law by our faith in Jesus Christ.

We Live Because He Lives
Christ came to fulfill the Law	See: Matt. 5:17-18; Rom. 10:4; Eph. 2:15
Set free from the Law	See: Rom. 8;2; Gal. 2:19
Not justified by the Law	See: Gal. 2:16, 3:11
We live by Spirit and faith	See: Rom. 3:27; Gal. 5:18; Phil. 3:9
Law is holy and spiritual	See: Rom. 7:12, 14; 1 Cor. 15:56; Gal. 3:23; Heb. 7:19, 10:1

“So that you might be joined to another” - The “other” is Jesus Christ. You are now free to be bound to Christ. Being in Christ, means being born again (See: John 3:3-8). The person who is born again is a new person with a new spiritual nature, not a repaired old-nature. (See: 2 Cor. 5:17)

V. 5 - “In the flesh” - This refers to our ‘pre-Christian’ life.

“sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law” - This could be understood to say “The Law made me do it.” (Does that remind you of the comedian Flip Wilson?) I do not believe the verse says we wouldn’t sin if it weren’t for the Law urging us to do so. The Law is not a causal agent. Do you think there is no adultery without the 7th commandment? (See: Exo. 20:14, Deut. 5:18) Or perhaps there would be no stealing? (See: Exo. 20:15, Deut. 5:19)

The Law is an identifier, a revealer. The Law says, “Do not murder.” Now it is official. We can’t say, ”No one told us not to kill another person!” Somehow, once it gets identified, we begin to notice it. When you walk out of church on Sunday, and someone says, “Look at all the SUVs park along that curb.” And you see about six or seven lined up. Those SUVs were there when you walked in, but you just hadn’t paid any attention. Or how about all the ‘medicine’ commercials on TV (now you’ll notice them).

“were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.” James writes “But each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires. Then when desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is full grown, it gives birth to death.” (Jam. 1:14-15) Sin means death, i.e., where there is unforgiven sin, death is inevitable. As apple trees produce apples, the end result (the fruit) of sin is death. See: Eze. 18:3, 20, 21, 32; Eze:33:11; Rom. 5:12, 21; Rom. 6:16, 23; 1 Cor. 15:56.

V. 6 - “we have been released from the Law” - We are dead to sin because of Christ. See verse 4 above.

“having died to that by which we were bound” - We no longer are slaves to sin, bonded to death, because we are in Christ! We are new.

“we serve in newness of the Spirit” - “But a time is coming - and now is here - when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such people to be his worshipers. God is spirit, and the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:23-24)

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Romans 7:1-3 - Example: Marriage

CHAPTER 7 - Outline
7:1-3 - Law Example: Marriage
7:4-6 - Released from Law
7:7-12 - Law Reveals Our Sin
7:13-14 - Law is Spiritual
7:15-18 - A Dilemma
7:19-25 - War: Flesh vs Mind
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Chpaters 6-8 is a long discussion regarding our union with Christ, and the work of the Holy Spirit. Chapter seven emphasizes the warning to avoid falling back into the Law - obedience to rules and regulations rather than following Christ. Chapter eight is an elegiac song about the glory of being Christ’s own.

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Rom. 7:1-3 - Example: Marriage
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1 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.

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The Law No Longer Holds Jurisdiction

V. 1 - “Or do you not know” - Of course they know!

“I am speaking to those who know the law” - Although this letter is written to the church in Rome, predominantly Gentile in make-up (interesting paradox: “Gentile” is a term used for non-Jews, and in the church, Christ’s body, there is no distinction as such) Paul knows the Jews are trying to divert believers into legalism. He is calling them (the Jews) out.

“the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives?” - Neither the law (secular and governmental) or, the Law applies to you when you are dead. You cannot be given a ticket for speeding. You cannot be sued for divorce. You will not violate the sabbath law, nor covet your neighbor’s possessions.

V. 2-3 - “but if her husband dies” - Here Paul uses marriage as an example of how the “Law” no longer applies to believers. Jesus was no fan of divorce - see Matt. 19:3-9. God does not sanction divorce. God knows that mankind is so stubborn and hard-hearted they would break up marriages in spite of God’s wishes. How do we know this? Did Jews steal from each other and violate the Eighth Commandment? Of course they did. Did Jews commit adultery, violating the Seventh Commandment? Of course they did.

“She is free...” - Jesus is saying a man who divorces his wife and takes up with another woman is committing adultery. This is a hard saying, especially when our society is blasé about marriage. See Deut. 24:1-4 which says a man can divorce his wife if he finds an indecency in her. I do not think this means he is merely unhappy with her. By the way, the man is not to remarry her because he would then be committing adultery. Jesus is saying God is allowing divorce in a limited sense in order to prevent the Jews from living in continual sin when divorced.
The lesson here is: if a husband dies, then the woman may marry again and neither the woman or her new husband are adulterers. The first husband has no claim on her from the grave. The relationship is dead. She is free from the commitment made to him.

The Law died when Christ died on the cross, was dead and buried and then rose from the dead. He came to fulfill the Law. His sacrifice satisfied all of the Law. The Law is dead. It no longer has jurisdiction over anyone. If you are adhering to the Law, then you are doing it voluntarily, not as a requirement for salvation. You are unnecessarily loading yourself down. Christ came to set you free. Free to believe and follow Him. Free to be led by the Holy Spirit, Who has been given to us.

We tend to be very critical of 'The Law' - seeing it as strict, even harsh. It is very clear about what is expected of those who follow the Law. We do not like such clear, precise boundaries. We like 'flexibility'. Yet, God in His mercy, provided for reasonable behavior. Jesus and his disciples ran into criticism when they plucked a few heads of grain and ate them on the Sabbath. They were accused of 'working' - a violation of the Law. (See: Mark 2:3-28) Likewise, Jesus was chastised because he healed a woman on the Sabbath - again, working. (See: Luke 13:10-17) Both times the Pharisees were subjecting people to man-made rules, not actually the Law. Look at Deut. 23:24-25, where God allows them to 'snack' on the Sabbath by eating a handful of grain or grapes, but not to harvest (that is to use tools or implements). Jesus reminds them that their king David ate 'holy bread', even though that was not allowed.(See: 1 Sam. 21:6ff) He also reminds them they would rescue an animal on the Sabbath rather than let it die (See: Prov. 12:10) We need to take care so as to NOT substitute our rules for God's commands.

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Romans 6:3, 6, 9, 11, 13, 16-17 - Steps of Faith

This posting is looking back at the last few posts in Romans, chapter 6, from a slightly different approach.

There is a lesson for Christian life embedded in these verses I want to explore. I am not sure where I learned or read this; I think I have pieced it together from several studies. Some of the information is from “The Normal Christian Life” by Watchman Nee; some is from Dr. Toussaint of the Dallas Theological Seminary. I apologize if I am copying some Christian author. But the thoughts here are important to me.
I have been watching a lecture series on Hebrews by Dr. Toussaint (Dallas Theological Seminary). He stated in one of the sessions that Faith has three steps: (1) Information; (2) Mental assent; and (3) Trust.

Although the lecture was on the Letter to the Hebrews, the letter to the Romans also lays out this concept in the following verses.

STEP 1 - INFORMATION - KNOW

Romans 6:3, 6, 9 - Know - The first of the three steps Toussaint posits is knowledge. Contrary to some secular apologists, Christianity is not leap of blind faith. Christians are not losers - believing in a fairy tale. We know that Jesus Christ was born and lived in Israel during the Roman occupation. We know He was crucified by the Roman authorities at the Jewish leaders behest, and was buried in a guarded tomb. We know that Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the third day after His execution. We know He was seen after the resurrection by many, many people. John wrote that he writes about that which he saw with his own eyes. (John 3:11) He also writes that we know that we are in Christ, and that he is writing so that we may know that we have eternal life. (See: 1 John 2:5; 5:13)
Paul also addresses this later in this letter: Rom. 10:14 - We have to hear about Christ before we can believe in Christ.

STEP 2 - MENTAL ASSENT - RECKON

Romans 6:11 - Reckon - The second step is mental assent. The NASB uses the word “consider” in this verse; the KJV uses “reckon”. I suppose that ‘reckon’ and ‘consider’ are synonymous. For me, however, the difference is that “to consider” is contemplative, whereas “to reckon” is to have a new way of thinking and living. I am considering having a pizza for dinner, but I reckon my life is changed by accepting Christ as savior. That may be quibbling about word meanings.
As an example: in the early days of airplanes there were few maps to help the pilots navigate. The daring barnstorming and air mail pilots often flew by ‘dead reckoning’ - they basically said, “I need to go this way...” - and committed themselves to that direction. There was no flight plan, other than in their own head, plus their compass. They looked for landmarks to confirm they were going in the right direction. Famously, ‘Wrong Way Corrigan’ flew to Ireland from New York (instead of to Long Beach, CA) because he “got confused” and his “compass failed”. Also, in the move “Spirit of St. Louis”, James Stewart portrays a young Charles Lindbergh as mail courier pilot doing the same reckoning as he flew cross country. Consider the stress of flying across the Atlantic Ocean - no landmarks until he reaches the British Isles. He had to trust his compass; he had to trust it and his ability. 

We are to take the information about Christ and make a decision - make the mental assent to have our lives directed by Him, being dead to sin and alive in Christ Jesus. 

STEP 3 - TRUST - YIELD

Romans 6:13 - Yield - The word ‘presenting’ is adequate, but doesn’t quite get the feeling of what Paul says. For me, a clearer is: “Do not continue to yield your body to sin”. For example: We present awards, but we yield our allegiance. Yield has the meaning of surrendering of myself to Jesus. ‘Presenting’ has a passive connotation (for me, at least), with little personal involvement. Whereas, ‘yield’ involves a willful decision to give myself to another, in this case Jesus. Think of knights of old, bending down on one knee, handing their sword with both hands, palms up, to their king. They pledge their allegiance to the king.
The third step of faith is Trust: We take the information that Jesus died for our sins; make the mental assent that we will follow Him. This step is surrendering ourselves to Christ.

STEP 3 - TRUST - OBEY

Romans 6:16-17 - Obey - This is a continuation of the third step: Trust. We are invited, required, to obey the Lord. Our faith in Christ is not passive, but an active living relationship with the Holy God, the Messiah, our Savior.
There is no way to yield to Christ and yet remain aloof. There is no way to surrender to Jesus yet be unfaithful on a continuing basis. I am not advocating for ‘sinless perfection’, but emphasizing that trusting in Jesus means surrender and obedience.
As long as we are in this physical body, we have two natures within us - the old nature and the new one from Jesus. There is a battle for our allegiance. Jesus knows we will fail. “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8) The sin breaks the relationship. Does not end it, but damages it. God in His mercy has provided a way to return to Him. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

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