"4 So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, 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 when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death. 6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code." ~ Romans 7:4-6
Today, we continue our study of Romans 7 which describes the Christian's relationship to the law. The Apostle Paul addresses this theme because he is writing primarily to Jewish Christians who lived in Rome who had a faulty understanding of the purpose of the law of Moses.
In Romans 6-8, Paul is giving us a formula for sanctification. The first part of that formula is the Christian's relationship to sin which is to not be a slave to it. The second part of that formula, given here in Romans 7, is the Christian's relationship to the law: not to think we can adhere to it. Later, we will discuss the third part to this formula found in Romans 8 which is about the believer's relationship with the Holy Spirit.
In v.4 of today's passage we read, "So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God."
As believers in the Lord Jesus, we now serve God, not sin, because of our union with Christ through his death and resurrection. The proof that we are dead to the old and alive to Christ is by the fruit produced. Essential to our sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit who enables us to "bear fruit for God." In this new way, the Holy Spirit replaces the law and creates a new kind of servant who strives to obey God from the heart.
The "body of Christ" refers to the death of the Lord Jesus on the cross. The Lord Jesus came to earth to take on a perfect human body through the virgin birth. He did this so that He might die on the cross to provide forgiveness from God for our sin. On the cross of Calvary, the Lord Jesus Christ was made sin for sinful man. He took our place on the cross, and by doing so, He freed us from the penalty of the Law of Moses.
In v.5 of today's passage we read, "For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death."
The flesh here speaks of our old sinful nature. Through Christ the believer in Christ has been freed from the power of sin. This does not mean that we will ever be sinless this side of heaven, it merely means that we do not have to obey the allurements of our sinful flesh. Our struggle is with the idea that we are totally forgiven of our sin, past, present and future, and yet, we struggle with the flesh which still trips us up in its sin.
In v.6 of today's passage we read, "But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code."
Believers in Christ have been released from the penalty of the Law and the power of sin so that we could serve in the new way of the Spirit. The goal is service which is the ultimate point of the book of Romans. You will remember that in the first fifteen verses of the first chapter of Romans, the Apostle Paul subtly shared with us the characteristics that enables one to be a servant. And, you will also remember that the final five chapters of this book has as its theme service.
The word translated "serve" is the work that is chosen by the one who has experienced the grace of God. This service is perfect freedom, whereas the service of sin was a perfect drudgery. We gladly take on the role of a servant only after we have come to see the heart of God for the wretched sinners that we are. This service is the product of the Holy Spirit's work in our hearts.
"Bearing fruit for God" in v.4 is parallel to "serving in newness of the Spirit" in v.6. In John 15 the Lord Jesus shared the secret behind realizing the fruit of God in our lives: "abiding in the Vine." While the branch is a metaphor for the believer in Christ, the Vine is a metaphor for Christ. As a result of the branch abiding in the Vine, there will be fruit-bearing in and through his life. When we are consciously walking with the Lord, His life more freely flows through us. As a result, His fruit is realized in and through us. This is the secret to this life of service that the Lord Jesus has called us to. And, when we have been given His heart, we will want to do what a servant so desired to do: to carry out the will of this One who has laid down His life for us.
The new covenant promises an inner transformation. Under the old covenant, the law tried to control man's conduct. The new covenant promises a change in our hearts. By the law comes the knowledge of sin. But the law was unable to bring us to the complete knowledge of salvation. Under the law we were limited to reading the sheet music. Under the new covenant God says, I am going to put my song into your heart. This is why it is such a blessing to serve Him.
