Those Who Have Been Killed in Relation to the Law
[Romans 7:1-4]
Look at Romans 7:1-4: "Brothers, I am speaking to those who know the law: do you not know that the law has authority over a man as long as he lives? For example, a married woman is bound by the law to her husband while he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. So then, if while her husband is alive, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man, she is not an adulteress. So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God."
Romans 7 is known as the "Chapter on the Law." In Romans 7:1-3, the word "law" is mentioned five times, and in verse 4, the word "law" appears once. Here, the "law" in verses 1-3 refers to the Law of Moses (according to Yoon Sun Park). When the Apostle Paul writes to the Roman church, he addresses them as "brothers" (verse 1), meaning the believers in the church of Rome who, as Christians, were already familiar with the law, such as the Ten Commandments. Therefore, Paul begins his letter by saying, "Brothers, I am speaking to those who know the law..." (verse 1).
Then, in verses 2-3, Paul uses the law concerning marriage as a metaphor to explain the law. In verse 2, Paul says that the law only applies while the husband is alive; if he dies, the law no longer applies. When a couple marries, they make a vow to stay together until death. This vow is a promise that they will not separate except by death. Paul then says in verse 3 that if the husband is alive and his wife marries another man, she will be considered an adulteress (i.e., committing adultery).
In verse 4, Paul explains to the Roman Christians, "You also died to the law through the body of Christ." This is a very important verse, and that is why the title of this section is "Those Who Have Been Killed in Relation to the Law."
Let’s look again at Romans 7:4: "So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God." (Modern Bible Translation: "Brothers, therefore, through the crucified Christ, you also died to the law. This is so that we can belong to another, to the risen Christ, and bear fruit for God.")
Who are the ones who have died in relation to the law? It is the "brothers" (verses 1, 4). In other words, the Christians in the Roman church, and us, the Christians today. Before (before believing in Jesus), all of us were under the law (under sin).
Let’s look at Romans 3:19: "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God."
We were all under the law (under sin), and therefore, under God’s judgment. The reason for this is that all of us had broken the law.
Let’s look at Romans 3:23: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Before (before believing in Jesus), all of us were under the law (sin), and by our own efforts (good works), we could not be justified before God.
Let’s also look at Romans 3:20: "Therefore, no one will be declared righteous in his sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin."
How did we become those who have died to the law?
It is through the body of Christ (Romans 7:4).
Let’s look at Galatians 4:4-5: “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”
At the appointed time, God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to the earth, born of the Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit, and born under the law. The purpose of this was to save us, who were under the law.
Now, let’s look at Galatians 2:19: “For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God.”
This is the apostle Paul’s confession. He had tried to obey the law in order to be justified, but no matter how hard he tried, it was useless. Only when he met Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus did he die to the law and live for God, thus receiving salvation. The reason God sent Jesus Christ was to save Saul (Paul) and all of us who were under the law.
Let’s see Ephesians 2:4-5: “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).”
God made us alive, even when we were dead in our trespasses and sins (verse 1). God caused us to be born again (regeneration).
We, who were by nature children of wrath (verse 3), God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us (verse 4), made us alive together with Christ (verse 5). He also raised us up together (we were resurrected with Christ) and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (verse 6).
Let’s look at Revelation 3:21: “To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”
(Modern Bible Translation: “To the victor, I will make him sit with Me on My throne, as I, the victor, sit with My Father on His throne.”)
He has promised that, in the heavenly kingdom, we will sit with Christ on the throne of the saints.
God redeemed us, who were under the law (Galatians 4:5), and to make us children of God (verse 5, Modern Bible Translation), He made the righteous Jesus Christ (1 John 2:1) the propitiation for our sins (verse 2).
Jesus Christ, who was born under the law (Galatians 4:4), kept the law perfectly and also took upon Himself the curse of the law. For our sake, He laid down His life on the cross (1 John 3:16) to reconcile us to God.
Therefore, we have become children of God because of the great love that God the Father has given to us (verses 1, 2). Now, we can cry out to God as “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6; see also Mark 14:36).
We have become new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17): “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
We, who were once under the law, have now become new creations in Jesus Christ.
What is the purpose of being put to death with respect to the law through the body of Christ?
The purpose is that we may bear fruit for God.
Let’s look at Romans 7:4: “… so that we might bear fruit for God by being united with Him who was raised from the dead.”
(Modern Translation: “… This is so that we may become the people of the One who was raised from the dead, and bear fruit for God.”)
Here, “fruit” refers to eternal life, as mentioned in Romans 6:22:
“But now, having been set free from sin and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.”
This eternal life is not the fruit of sitting on the throne of the saints with Christ. The reason is that this fruit of eternal life is entirely a gift of God’s grace.
Let’s look at Romans 6:23: “… the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(Modern Translation: “… the gift God gives is eternal life in our Lord Jesus Christ.”)
In other words, the fruit mentioned in Romans 7:4 refers to our growing sanctification and becoming more like Jesus. The fruit we must bear is that we become increasingly holy, more and more like Jesus, and thus become little Christs.
Let’s see Philippians 2:12: “… work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
This means working out our sanctification, which is the process of becoming more like Christ as we move toward eternal life.
We have become one with Christ through Christ, so we should become like Christ.
Does this mean that, since we have been put to death to the law, we are now exempt from it? No.
Let’s look at Matthew 5:17: “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”
Jesus did not come to abolish the law; rather, He came to fulfill it. Therefore, we, too, must seek to fulfill the law, just as Jesus did.
What does this mean?
Let’s look at Romans 13:8-10: “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not covet,' and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”
This means that love is the fulfillment of the law, and we must love one another. In other words, we must love one another in order to fulfill the law.
I will conclude with the hymn New Hymnal, 213: “I Give My Life to Thee”:
(Verse 1) I give my life to Thee, O Lord, receive it,
That I may live my life in praise of Thee.
(Verse 2) My hands and feet I give to Thee, O Lord,
That I may swiftly do Thy work.
(Verse 3) My voice I give to Thee, O Lord,
That I may proclaim Thy truth.
(Verse 4) My treasures I give to Thee, O Lord,
That they may be used for Thy kingdom.
(Verse 5) My time I give to Thee, O Lord,
That I may serve Thee all my life.
Amen.