Rom 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."
Imagine being married to Mr. or Mrs. Perfect. They are always right and never wrong. You wake up next to them every morning to the smell of their minty fresh breath, they get up and bring you breakfast in bed, help with the dishes, then head out to work. At work Mr/Mrs. right always punch in and out on time, not a minute too soon or a minute too late just right. Again you married Mr/Mrs. Perfect. Yet you come to find marriage isn't quite so perfect because when your perfect spouse comes home they begin to notice your imperfections; they let you know there is dust on the ceiling fan, that your food wasn't warm enough. The marriage would be great if it wasn't for your imperfections. In Romans chapter 7 Paul also gives us an illustration of our old relationship to the law of God. Before Christ we were under the law, we were married to the law. The law is perfect but we are not so it always pointed out our imperfections like a mirror constantly before us showing us our flaws. But in Christ we have now been delivered from the law, we have died to the law, and risen again with Christ- He is our groom and we are His bride. Death brought about our deliverance from the law. The law is perfect it is not wrong it does what it was meant to do--show us our sins and thus point us to Christ. Paul told the Galatians "the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." (Gal 3:24 KJV) The law is perfect we are not, but Christ has fulfilled the law and we have died to the law and are alive again unto Christ being born-again of the Spirit. God desires a loving relationship with you not a legal contract, it isn't that we are forced to serve and nothing else, it's that we get to serve nothing else. We serve in the newness of the spirit not in the oldness of the letter as Paul says. Much of the law was foreshadowing of who was to come ie. Jesus Christ! In Him we fulfill the law as we love Him and as we love one another, Christ is our fulfillment. And all He desires is a true personal relationship with us. If now being in Christ we attempt to somehow justify ourselves by keeping the law we miss the point and are accountable to keep the whole law. No the law is a good friend in Christ but a terrible spouse, the law must be now kept in the friend zone. While we don't kill, lie or steal it is not to keep the law but a response to the righteousness instilled in us through Christ. So drop the tablet and carry the cross.
- READ GALATIANS 4:21-31 WHAT ARE SARAH AND HAGAR REPRESENTATIONS OF? HOW ARE WE FREE IN CHRIST? WHAT ARE WE FREE FROM?
- Paul the Apostle "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace." (Rom 6:14)