Romans 7:1-13
The Law’s Expiry Date
As Paul explains how those who accept Jesus are to relate to God’s law, new insights are given to us. In this sense, we are told that the law, just like any marital relationship, expires upon death (Rom 7:1-3). Consequently, we need to understand the law in the context of our relationship with Christ, our new “spouse” and “master” who has set us free from Sin’s slavery and the law’s censure (Rom 6:15-18).
The Law’s Twofold Purpose
Being dead to Sin and God’s law is not something we do by ourselves. Such a spiritual death can only happen through and because of Jesus (v. 4). The law has two objectives: (1) to expose our sinfulness and (2) to highlight our need of a Savior (v. 5). Being dead to the law means that we longer turn to it for salvation, but rather fix our eyes on Christ, the one who teaches us to “serve in the new way of the Spirit” (v. 6).
The Law’s True Nature
With everything that has been said about the law, it does sound like Paul is fighting against it. This is why the Apostle to the Gentiles makes it very clear in verse 12 that God’s law is “holy, righteous, and good.” As such, it is our attitude towards the law, and not the law itself, that must be changed. Simply put, we need new lenses, or better yet, a new relationship with the law of God.
Still, we need to ask ourselves, “How does that relationship look like?” Let us find the answer together in Romans 7:1-13!
Reflection Questions
-
In what way(s) do you think we are called to die to the law?
-
What do you think Paul meant when he wrote in Rom 7:5, “When we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us“?
-
After reading Rom 7:1-13, how are we to relate to God’s law while embracing the good news of salvation?