#29 HCBC 6-17-07 AM
The Law, Marriage, Slavery, and Death
“In Christ” -- Part VI
Romans 7:1-6
Paul has been explaining what takes place in the life of a person when he or she becomes a Christian.
In Romans 5 & 6, we learned that we were, in Adam, slaves to sin.
We were in bondage to sin.
We could not not sin!
We also learned that sin leads to death.
Sin produces death.
The result of sin is death.
Rom 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death
through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned--
Being slaves to sin showed itself in our speech, our behavior, and our relationships.
Our lives were dominated by unwholesome speech,
wicked behavior,
and ungodly relationships!
At that time our lives produced the fruit of the sinful nature.
Gal 5:19-21 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity
and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of
rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness,
orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this
will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But at just the right time,
Rom 5:6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless,
Christ died for the ungodly.
Grace came and it brought the Cross of Christ!
Eph 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from
yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
He died!
Rom 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still
sinners, Christ died for us.
He was resurrected from the dead!
1 Cor 15:3-4 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance :
that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried,
that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
We died!
Rom 6:6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of
sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin--
We are raised with Christ!
Rom 6:8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
Now we are “in Christ.”
Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in
me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved
me and gave himself for me.
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ
Jesus our Lord.
Rom 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus
Now we belong to Christ!
We are bound to Him!
We are slaves to righteousness!
Which leads to holiness!
Which produces holiness!
The result of which is eternal life!
Rom 6:19 …Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity
and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to
righteousness leading to holiness.
This new slavery shows itself in our speech, in our behavior, and in our relationships!
Now our lives produce, more and more, speech that edifies others, behavior that
reflects Jesus Christ, and relationships that bring glory to God!
Now we produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit!
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is
no law.
NOW: An Illustration from Marriage! Romans 7:1-6
Verses 1 – 3
The Law:
Gal 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ,
that we might be justified by faith.
Rom 5:20-21 The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But
where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as
sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to
bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
In his illustration, Paul refers to the law of marriage that says it should only be
ended by death, as long as we both shall live.
Marriage:
The law says that marriage between one man and one woman, has a
permanency to it. The woman cannot just go and marry another man
while her husband is still living.
Let man not put asunder that which God has joined together!
Slavery:
“is bound” uses the same terminology that Paul has been using right along.
Marriage is a bond that was meant to be broken only by death!
Death:
So, Paul says that if a woman’s husband dies, she is free from the law of
marriage.
Death ends the law that bound the two together.
This is Paul’s point of the illustration:
In the same way that death brought about an end to this marriage;
We died to sin and are no longer bound to it!
Verses 4 – 6
The Law:
Col 1:21-22 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your
minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled
you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his
sight, without blemish and free from accusation--
Marriage: belong to another
Gal 2:19 For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God.
20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ
lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Now I Belong to Jesus, Jesus belongs to me,
Not for the years of time alone, but for eternity.
Slavery:
We now serve in the new way of the Spirit
Give versus take!
Death:
We have died to what once bound us – the law.
We don’t have to, we get to!