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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