Those who are freed from the law

 

 


[Romans 7:5-6]

 

Look at Romans 7:5-6:
“For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death; but now we have been released from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.”

In Romans 7:5-6, the word “we” appears five times—three times in verse 5 and two times in verse 6—but the “we” in verse 5 and the “we” in verse 6 are completely different. The “we” in verse 5 refers to the “we” before regeneration, and the “we” in verse 6 refers to the “we” after regeneration.

 

First, let us think about the “we” before regeneration.


Let’s look again at Romans 7:5:
“For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.”
Here, the term “flesh” refers to three main things:

  1. The pure body,

  2. The morally corrupt flesh influenced by evil,

  3. The flesh that is influenced by goodness.

In this context, the “flesh” that the Apostle Paul refers to in Romans 7:5 is the second, the morally corrupt flesh influenced by evil.
“To be in the flesh” refers to the time before regeneration when we lived in sin. At that time, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the law, worked in our members to bring forth fruit for death.

Here, “sinful passions” means desires that lead us into sin. The word “passions” can mean pure enthusiasm or zeal, but Paul refers to “sinful passions” in this case. These “sinful passions” were not just at work in one part of our body, but in all our members (for example, eyes, nose, mouth, hands, feet, etc.).

When we were in the flesh, the sinful passions led us to bear fruit for death.
After regeneration, the believer bears fruit for God (Romans 7:4), and that fruit is eternal life (Romans 6:23). But before regeneration, the unbeliever bears fruit for Satan, and that fruit is death.
Satan, like a cruel tyrant, made us bear the fruit of death before we were regenerated. This means that not only did our sinful desires bear the fruit that brought about physical death, but they also led to the second death, eternal death in the lake of fire.
Before regeneration, when we bore this fruit of death, our souls were dead, we were enemies of God, and our fellowship with God was broken.
People who do not receive Jesus Christ as Savior—unbelievers—will die physically as a result of sin, and then they will face eternal punishment (“the second death”).
In fact, before we believed in Jesus, we were destined to face physical death as the penalty for sin, and in the end, the second death.
But God loved us first, sending His only Son Jesus to die on the cross as the atonement for our sins, saving us and regenerating us.
Therefore, now we will not face death for sin, but we will sleep (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), and we will not perish eternally but will receive eternal life (John 3:16).

 

Think about “we” after regeneration.


Look again at Romans 7:6:
“But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.”
The word “now” here is emphasized in three ways. Before regeneration, we bore the fruit of death for Satan (we were not only destined to face physical death as the penalty for sin, but also eternal destruction), but “now” we bear fruit for eternal life for God (Romans 7:4, 6:23). We have been freed from the law because we have died to the law to which we were once bound.

Before regeneration, we were bound by the law. We had to keep the law. But now, we are no longer under the law. The reason is that, through faith in Jesus, we have died to the law and been regenerated. We have been liberated from the law's bondage and now enjoy freedom.

So how did we become freed from the law? Look at Galatians 4:4-5:
“But when the fullness of the 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.”
God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to be born of a woman by the Holy Spirit, and He was born under the law. In doing so, God redeemed us from being under the law and set us free.

When the Bible says that God “redeemed” us through His Son Jesus Christ, it means that He paid the full price to free us from the power of Satan and the law. This redemption was not done by paying a price to Satan, but rather by offering Jesus as a propitiation for our sins.

Why did God do this? What was the purpose? It was to make us His children (Galatians 4:5, Modern Korean Bible). God not only sent His Son (verse 4) but also sent His Spirit, the Spirit of His Son (verse 6), to be with us. Therefore, God has made us His temple (1 Corinthians 6:19) and has made His Spirit dwell with us.

Because of this, God allows us to call Him “Abba Father” (Galatians 4:6). Look at Romans 8:15-17:
“For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”
As former servants of Satan, we have been made children and heirs of God through the sending of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. This is why we now serve in the newness of the Spirit (Romans 7:6).

In other words, before regeneration, we were led by the devil to serve Satan, but after regeneration, we now serve God in the newness of the Spirit. The “newness of the Spirit” refers to the Holy Spirit, whom God sent to dwell within us, making us new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17). Now, we serve God with the Holy Spirit, as He guides us.

Before, Satan used our members to produce the fruit of death, but now the Holy Spirit uses our members to bear the fruit of eternal life. Now we praise, pray, and worship God with the Holy Spirit. We should offer our lives—our hands, feet, voices, treasures, and time—to God and serve Him according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit (new hymn 213, “I Give My Life”).

Now, we are no longer serving by the letter of the law (Romans 7:6).
Here, the “letter of the law” refers to the law that God gave to the Israelites at Mount Sinai. He called Moses to the mountain and personally wrote the commandments on two tablets of stone, which are the written form of the law. However, now, after regeneration, we no longer serve by the letter of the law, but by the Holy Spirit.

Thus, by God’s grace, through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, we have been saved, regenerated, and empowered to serve God with the Holy Spirit. Now, as regenerated believers, we bear fruit for God, and that fruit is eternal life.

God has shown us immense love. Jesus paid an enormous price for our salvation. The Holy Spirit is interceding for us with inexpressible groans (Romans 8:26). And when He intercedes, He does so according to God's will on our behalf (v. 27). Moreover, the Holy Spirit sanctifies us, making us more like Jesus. Therefore, we must not grieve the Holy Spirit, but live according to His guidance.

We should become holier every day and grow more like Jesus, becoming little Jesuses. As the Scripture says, "The one who loves others has fulfilled the law" (Romans 13:8), so we must love our neighbors. This is how we bear fruit for God, live as those who possess eternal life (1 John 3:14, Modern Bible), and live as citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20).

When we live according to the Holy Spirit's guidance, loving our neighbors as ourselves and following the Lord's commandments, our joy will be complete (John 15:11).