How To Reckon Yourself As Dead to the Law and United to Christ (Rom. 7:1-6)
Illustration;Sometimes we as Christians need to stop along life’s road and look back. Although it might have been winding and steep, we can see how God directed us by His faithfulness. Here’s how F.E. Marsh described what the Christian can see when he looks back:
The deliverances the Lord has wrought (Deut. 5:15).
The way He has led (Deut. 8:2)
The blessings He has bestowed (Deut. 32:7-12).
The victories He has won (Deut. ll:2-7).
The encouragements He has given (Josh. 23:14).
When we face difficulties, we sometimes forget God’s past faithfulness. We see only the detours and the dangerous path. But look back and you will also see the joy of victory, the challenge of the climb, and the presence of your traveling Companion who has promised never to leave you nor forsake you.
1. Have you ever wondered what it means to be dead to the law and married to Christ? Sadly, many people continue to live as if they are they are still married to the law.
Their lives are characterized by discouragement, frustration and feelings of failure.
Many Christians try to be good, but they never seem to be good enough because they live as if they were still bound to the law instead of Christ’s grace.
Paul teaches us in this passage how we have been discharged from the law. Those of us who are married to Christ are no longer obligated to be restricted by the power of the law with its tendency toward legalism, proceduralism and perfectionism.
Ask the Lord to help you learn to live as if you have dissolved your former union with the law and are now completely committed to your new marriage partner – Christ.
2. Paul teaches us how we have transferred from a relationship that never makes one happy to one that always satisfies.
When a person is married to a demanding partner nothing we do ever seems to make them happy.
Nothing ever seems to be good enough when you are married to a perfect standard – the law. Nothing is ever clean enough.
Nothing is ever sufficient or adequate to satisfy its demands.
It is terrible to be constantly under the scrutiny of a marriage partner who is critical, picky and right all the time – the law.
Yet, when we died to the law, in Christ, we were made free and found our new marriage partner in the loving Lord Jesus.
Ask the Lord to help you live more as one who has dissolved all obligations to the law freeing you to give your complete commitment to loving and serving Jesus.
3. Paul teaches us that we have traded a loser (the law) for a winner (Christ Jesus).
The Lord Jesus is always loving, forgiving, encouraging and accepting of us.
Even when we disappoint our new marriage partner, Jesus is ready to restore our fellowship so we can grow in all aspects in Him.
It is the greatest security in the world to know that you do not have to walk on pins and needles around your new partner.
He will never leave you or forsake you emotionally, socially, mentally, or spiritually. His love is unconditional.
Thank the Lord for the blessings of having traded a relationship with a loser for a consistent winner.
Ask the Lord to help you live more as a winner than a loser. You become like the one you most associate with in your mind.
4. Paul teaches us that our new marriage partner helps us change our desires.
We are no longer the same person. We no longer desire to please someone by our outward performance, but by our inner love, faith and hope.
Frustration and failure gives way to a burning desire to please the Lord in all aspects of our life.
I recently wrote a book called, Maturity – 45 Teaches Outlines in How to Grow in Christ. The book gives at least four steps to maturity in 45 keys dimensions of life.
Ask the Lord to help you learn to mature in your mental, emotional, social and behavioral aspects of life as an expression of how you are growing in grace and intimacy with Jesus.
5. Paul teaches us that the law makes unhappy partners.
The law sets limits, but Christ gives us goals for love from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith.
The law set demands that requires constant evaluation before approval is given, but Christ sanctifies us making us acceptable as we are.
Ask the Lord to help you root out any law orientation and learn to live more by Christ’s gracious goals.
6. Paul teaches us that our new marriage to Christ should produce fruitfulness.
Those are happily married to Christ should evidence the fruits of a healthy union.
The fruit should be seen in more Christ like character, conduct and evangelism.
Converts should come from those who are married to Christ as proof of their abiding relationship.
If there is no fruit from our union with Christ it may indicate that there is something unhealthy in our relationship with Him.
There may be enough love given to the Lord to produce the fruit that is given through the control of the Holy Spirit.
Ask the Lord to help you bear a better quality and quantity of fruit.
7. Paul teaches us how to serve Jesus with the power of the Spirit instead of out of a sense of obligation.
We are no longer under constraint to do more, to push harder or nag as the former lawful husband would require.
We are led by love, grace and the Spirit’s enabling us to will and to do of His good pleasure. The law says, "You must." Love says, "I want to."
Ask the Lord to help you to be led more by the empowering of our loving Holy Spirit than by fleshly impulses.
8. Paul teaches those who are still stuck in their first marriage to the Law how to die to it and marry Christ as their Savior and new marriage partner.
We must be willing to die to the law and our fleshly impulses before we can find new life in Christ.
Stop living by a performance based union to the law and ask Christ to be your Savior and permanent marriage partner.
Give up your dependency on the law, your reliance on religion, or past perceptions of how to please God.
Your new life can begin through a prayer to place your saving faith in Christ if you will just ask Him. Let’s pray about living more by grace and less by law.
Conclusion:I think of David Livingstone, the pioneer missionary to Africa, who walked over 29,000 miles. His wife died early in their ministry and he faced stiff opposition from his Scottish brethern. He ministered half blind. His kind of perseverance spurs me on. As I run, I remember the words in his diary: Send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. Sever me from any tie but the tie that binds me to Your service and to Your heart.
Joseph Stowell, Through The Fire, Victor Books, 1988, p. 150.
