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Grace Bible Church

4000 E. Collins Rd.   P.O. Box #3762   Gillette, WY  82717   (307) 686-1516

 

“Preaching the Living Word through the Written Word (2Tim 4:2)”

 

 

 

THE BELIEVER’S DEATH TO THE LAW

 (Rom 7:1-6)    10/05/07

Grace Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming

Pastor Daryl Hilbert

 

I.        THE CONTEXT OF ROMANS CHAPTER 7

 

A.      Paul taught that the believer is dead to sin because of his position in Christ (6:1-10), and that that is the basis for victory over sin (6:11-23).

B.      Paul now also teaches that the believer is dead to the Law because of his position in Christ. Both Jewish and Gentile believers would have questions concerning their relationship to the Law. The Law is referred to some 23 times in this chapter.

C.      Romans 7 teaches:

 

1.       The Believer Is Not Under The Law But Grace (7:1-6)

2.       The Unbeliever (and Believer) Is Convicted of Sin By The Law (7:7-13)

3.       The Believer Is Not Delivered From Sin Through The Law (7:14-25)

 

a)       This section is widely debated among Christians as to whether it refers to the experience of a believer or unbeliever.

b)       Certainly there is language in this section that could suggest that it is speaking of an unbeliever who was “sold into bondage to sin” (14); has “nothing good [dwelling] in” him (18); and is a “wretched man” trapped in a “body of … death” (24).

c)       However, we could also point out that the person in this section is one who “hate[s]” sin (15); “one who wants to do good” (19, 21); one who is humble and cognizant of his “sin” (17, 18, 20-22); and one who is “serving the law of God” with his mind (25); all terms characterizing believers.

d)       In addition, Paul uses the present tense in this section indicating present time as opposed to imperfect and aorist tenses in the previous section.

 

4.       The Believer Fulfills The Law By Walking In The Spirit (8:1-4)

 

II.      THE BELIEVER IS NOT UNDER LAW BUT GRACE (7:1-6)

 

A.      Under the Law Until Death (1)

 

1.       Verses 1-6 relate to Paul’s statements in 6:14-15, “not under law but under grace.”

2.       Paul rhetorically asks his readers if they do not know (agnoeo) the obvious facts about the Law and its jurisdiction upon the living only.

3.       While “those who know the Law” could generally refer to Jews exclusively, here it would also refer to Gentiles with a knowledge of the Law of Moses. Some suggest that “law” (nomos, anarthrous, but only in vs. 1a & 2a; 1b and 2b have an article; cp. 5:20, 7:7b) means any common law. However, the latter context is clearly centered around the Mosaic Law (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, ff).

4.       Paul’s point is this − that as long as a person is living, the Law has judicial dominion and rule (kurieuo) over his life. That dominion ends at death.

 

B.      Illustration of Marriage Under the Law (2-3)

 

1.       Marriage Bound By Law (2)

 

a)       Paul uses marriage, not as an exhaustive thesis on marriage but as an illustration about the Law. Marriage is dealt with more fully by both Christ and Paul in Matt. 5:31, 32; 19:3–12; 1Co 7:10–15.

b)       A spouse (in this case the woman) is bound (Perf. Ind. of deo - tie or bind) by the Law to her spouse as long as that spouse is living.

c)       If the husband dies, the woman is released from the Law concerning the issue of marriage. “Released” is katargeo (Perf. Ind.) and means to render inoperative or annul. We have seen this word used in 3:3, 31; 4:14, but especially 6:6 to show that sin has been rendered inoperative in the believer’s life. Now the Law is annulled in the life of the believer.

 

2.       Marriage Released By Death (3)

 

a)       In categorizing the Law’s application, it would be called adultery for a woman to be “joined to another man” (ginomai andri; expression for marriage; LXX - Deu 24:2; Jer 3:1) while her husband is still living.

b)       However, the Law would not consider it adultery for the woman who was joined to another man after her first husband had died.

 

C.      The Believer’s Position in Christ: Dead To The Law (4-6)

 

1.       Paul moves from the analogy to the spiritual truth that the believer in Christ is positionally dead to the Law.

a)        Made to die to the Law  (vs. 4 - lit. “put to death” Aor. Pass. Ind. of thanatoō cp. Rom 8:36; 1Pe 3:18)

b)       Released from the Law (vs. 6 - Aor. Pass. Ind. of katargeo) cp. vs. 2; Gal 5:14; 2Cor 3:14.

2.       Through Christ’s work on the cross (“through the body of Christ”) the Law was:

a)       Terminated (Rom 10:4 “end”)

b)       Cancelled (Col 2:14 “blot out”; Eph 2:15 “annulled”)

c)       Replaced by Grace (Joh 1:16-17; Col 2:16-17)

3.       Paul takes the analogy further. The believer has died to and has been released from the Law so that he could be joined to Christ, placing the believer, “in Christ (Eph 1:3ff).

4.       Though the believer is obligated to the Law’s moral essence (i.e. the righteousness of God), he is not required to carry out the Law’s regulations, nor is he under the Law’s condemnation (Rom 8:1).

5.       Before the believer was saved, he was, “in the flesh” (vs. 5) not “in the Spirit.” The “flesh (sarx), here is defined as the, “sinful passions,” was aroused by the Law  and bore fruit unto death. But, having died to the law in Christ, the believer lives and serves not under the regulations of the Law (“oldness of the letter”) but through the Spirit’s power (“newness of the Spirit”) cp. Rom 8:2-4.

 

III.   APPLICATIONS

 

A.      Grace Not Judgment

1.       Rom 8:1-2

B.      Grace Not Law System

1.       Rom 8:3

C.      Grace Not Law’s Power

1.       Rom 8:4

D.      People of grace - teach grace, live in grace, give grace to one another.