September 8, 2002

THEM THAT KNOW LAW

Romans 7:1-6

   Paul's explanation how and why we are not under law but under grace is in two parts. Having addressed Gentiles in Romans 6:16-23 by the illustration of the master and slave, he then turned to Jews in 7:1-6 using the figure of the married woman and her husband. Another paraphrased it thus:

   "Your objection would be quite valid if my gospel meant nothing more than a change of opinion or creed. You would have every right to resist even unto death any attempt to tamper with your allegiance to the holy law of God. I quite agree that the law given at Sinai is in the nature of a marriage covenant, and you rightly consider any departure from the covenant in the light of adultery. You are in all this quite right -- only you have omitted the vital feature of my gospel that alters the whole state of affairs. I readily admit that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives, or, to continue the analogy of marriage, that a married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives. If she left him during his lifetime and married another, she would rightly be called an adulteress. So far we agree.

   But my gospel is nothing if it is not a message that the believer is dead to sin (and so dead to its dominion), and also dead to law (and so dead to its dominion). You will agree that, if the husband die, the woman is at once loosed from the law of her husband. If she marries again, her action is perfectly legitimate and honorable. That, brethren, is the real fact of the case.

   Every one that believes the gospel of God concerning His son is reckoned to have died with Him, and death breaks all the bonds of law. The new husband, who represents Christ, and the new marriage, which represents our union with Him, are all on an entirely new plane, that of resurrection--'even to Him Who was raised from the dead.' The issue of that new marriage is entirely new and acceptable to God. Instead of bringing forth 'fruit unto death' as you did while under the law, you now bring forth 'fruit unto God.' This then is the true state of affairs; and any objection that obedience to the gospel involves spiritual adultery is without foundation."

Ivan L. Burgener