The Bible Uses Marriage To Help Us Understand LAW and CHRIST

Romans 7:1-6, “Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.”

More and more as I study the Word of God I am impressed with the wisdom of the Apostle Paul. Paul simplifies things, making them easy to understand. In our text passage Paul uses marriage as an illustration to explain the Law. This is beautiful. Paul teaches that a wife is bound to her husband as long as her husband is alive. Paul likens this illustration to the Law, to whom all humanity is married because of our own sin (Romans 5:12). But the Scripture teaches that when we place our trust (faith, reliance) in Jesus Christ, the Law becomes dead to us. That is, the Law no longer has any power to condemn us, because our sins have been forgiven and washed away by the precious blood of Jesus.

Romans 7:4, “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.”

Now that every believer is dead to the Law, we are no longer bound by marriage to the Law. We are now married to Christ by faith, which wrought the new birth. Praise God! We are no longer married to the Law which kept us in bondage and condemnation. We are now liberated, free in Christ from all condemnation!!! Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Some false teachers misinterpret Romans 8:1 by saying that it is not enough to be saved to avoid condemnation. They claim that as a believer you must also live in holiness. 

That is, they say you must also Walk in the Spirit instead of Walking in the Flesh. Galatians 5:25, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” It would be easy to misinterpret the Bible here. As a general rule we should never use an obscure passage of Scripture to contradict a clear one; such as Romans 8:34, “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” Here we plainly see that there is NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ (i.e., saved).

Here is another clear passage of Scripture from John 3:18, “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” It is foolish to misinterpret Romans 8:1 contrary to the plain teaching of Romans 8:32 and John 3:18. Also, Acts 13:39, “And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.” Every child of God is JUSTIFIED FROM ALL THINGS!!!