Free to Belong
I will attempt to explain the excellent news the Apostle Paul writes about in Romans chapter seven. Paul explains that those who die are not under the law. They are set free. The Apostle illustrates this truth in the law's treatment of adultery. A married person commits this offense when they have sexual relations outside of their marital bond. The Ten Commandments' instruction to not commit adultery remains in force until one of the members of the marriage bond dies. At this point, the living partner can marry another and have sexual relations with their new husband or wife. The action will not be considered adultery. However, not only the living spouse experiences the release from the statute of adultery. The dead spouse is also released from the statute and is, in fact, free from the law altogether. They are no longer bound to the law governing the world and find themselves freed into eternal redemption or eternal condemnation, depending on their decision regarding Jesus Christ. But let me get off that tangent...
The book of Romans goes on to tell us that we who have placed our faith in Jesus, although we live bodily, are considered dead to the law. Through the death of our Savior, Jesus Christ, we die to the law. The death of Jesus' body on the cross, His innocent blood spilled, and his Sinless life offered is every believer's death to the law. Under the law, our sins bore "fruit for death." But praise Jesus; His redeeming blood allows the life of every believer to bear "fruit for God."
Think about it:
Adam ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil.
His actions produced death because to live eternally would have meant eternal condemnation and enmity with the Creator. Hence the introduction of sin and death into our world.
The law follows because knowing good and evil does not keep humans from doing evil, so a guardian is needed.
But the law is imperfect. Why? Because it relied on humans to follow it.
So God gave Himself through His Son, and He came as one of us to fulfill the requirements of the law.
He lived a sinless life and died. His death completes atonement for all humans - who believe.
Those who believe in the atoning power of Jesus Christ are now considered dead to the law.
Freed from the binding requirements of the law, the believer now lives free! The believer is no longer bound to the law.
We are free to belong to our Savior.
We who were once bound are free to belong! Beautiful. No longer slaves to sin, we are the body of Christ, belonging to our God in love as a bride belongs to a groom and a groom to a bride. The old way of the written code is dead to us. We now worship and serve our Father in Heaven by the Spirit!
