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Romans 7:1-4
The Apostle Paul gives instructions to those who know the law (Romans 7:1), which implies that they would have been striving to keep the law and its requirements in their quest for righteousness in the eyes of God. But in death is freedom from the law, just as a criminal, while committing a crime dies, will not be tried for his or her crime – he or she is dead and no dead person is put on trial. Paul uses the example of a woman bound to her husband through the law of marriage, but if the husband dies, the woman is set free from the law of marriage and is free to marry another man, being that she so desires. But if a woman marries another man while her husband is still living, Paul teaches that this is still yet under the law of marriage and the woman is then guilty of being an adulteress (Romans 7:2-3). Paul brings us to the point of this teaching in Romans 7:4 (NKJV), “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.”
This is death to our old self, and life in Christ Jesus.
Those who have put their faith in Christ Jesus are dead to the law, just as we are dead to the sinful nature as we now strive to follow the ways of the Lord Jesus Christ. We have learned in Romans 6:4 (ESV), “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” The fruit that we bear in our new life in Christ Jesus is no longer reflective of the old self in the sinful nature, but is reflective of God through our salvation in Christ Jesus.
Dear LORD,
Please help us to see that we are no longer striving to prove ourselves righteous to You, but that we should be striving to live in humility to You through what Jesus has done for us in providing us with salvation through His work on the cross – for all who will believe in Him, that our fruit would be reflective of Him to everyone around us and throughout the world – in Christ. In Jesus name I pray, amen.