Romans 7:1-6

¹ “Or do you not know, brothers and sisters (for I am speaking to those who know the Law), that the Law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? ² For the married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he is alive; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband. ³ So then, if while her husband is alive she gives herself to another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress if she gives herself to another man.” ⁴ Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you also were put to death in regard to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might belong to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. ⁵ For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were brought to light by the Law, were at work in the parts of our body to bear fruit for death. ⁶ But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.”

Verse 1: Paul is addressing his fellow believers, specifically those who are familiar with the Jewish law. He reminds them that the law only has authority over a person as long as they are alive. Paul will reveal, however, that believers have died with Christ and are therefore not under the law.

Verse 2: Paul uses the analogy of marriage to illustrate the freedom that believers now have from the law. Just as a woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, believers were once bound to the law when they were spiritually dead. However, when we believed in Christ, we died to the law and were joined to God.

Verse 3: Paul continues the analogy, explaining that if a married woman were to have relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she would be considered an adulteress. However, if her husband were to die, she would be released from that law and free to marry another man without being labeled an adulteress. In other words, flirting with Moses is cheating on Jesus. Once we are bound to Christ we have no business flirting with the law.

Verse 4: Paul tells his fellow believers that they have died to the law through the body of Christ. This means that they are no longer bound to the law, just as a woman is released from the law of marriage when her husband dies. Instead, they now belong to Christ who was raised from the dead. The purpose of this release from the law is so that believers can bear fruit for God, something that is impossible under the law.

Verse 5: Paul explains that when believers were still in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions that were aroused by the law were at work in them. This resulted in bearing fruit for death, as the law only brought about condemnation and death.

Verse 6: Paul emphasizes the freedom that believers now have. By dying to what once bound them, they have been released from the law. This means that they can now serve in the new way of the Spirit, rather than being confined to the old way of following the written code of the law. This concept is foundational to Paul: the law breeds death but the Spirit eternal life.