Release Through Death

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Romans 7:1-6

 

Romans 7:6

But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code

(ESV)

 

The account of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32 could rightly be named the parable of the Prodigal Sons as both sons had wandered from what their father believed. The younger son believed the grace of his father would allow him to take the inheritance from his father and waste it on riotous living without consequences (Luke 15:11-13). The older son was full of pride and refused to attend the celebration, celebrating the return of the lost son (Luke 15:25-28). When confronted by his father regarding his absence at the celebration, the older son pridefully touts his years of service to his father and never receiving any celebratory reward for this service (Luke 15:29-30).

 

God evicted Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden because after disobeying God and eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, eating from the tree of life would have meant Adam and Eve, and their descendants would have been sentenced to eternal life in their sin (Genesis 3:22-24). This situation would have been worse than living in sin so God chooses to banish humanity from access to the tree of life and promises a savior who will bring salvation to humanity (Genesis 3:15). The purpose of the law was an illustration of the extent of sin in fallen humanity for even though sin was in the world before the law, sin is counted as sin because of the law (Romans 5:13).

 

In Romans 7:1-6, the apostle Paul uses the illustration of marriage to illustrate how death releases one from bondage to the law. Paul begins by telling his readers, who know the law, that one is only bound to the law as long as he or she lives (Romans 7:1). Similarly, Paul uses the example of a woman bound to her husband by the law of marriage until he dies (Romans 7:2-3). Paul is not saying a woman is in bondage to her husband by marriage but bonded by the law to remain married to him till his death. The biblical basis for this is found in Paul’s discourse on marriage found in Ephesians 5:22-33. Both spouses in a marriage are equal in the sight of God and bound by the law of marriage with each having a different role in the marriage. Therefore neither spouse is in bondage to the other but bonded by the law of marriage which mirrors the Church’s relationship to Christ.

Paul continues by telling the believers he addresses that they have achieved freedom from the bondage to the law of sin through the death of the body of Jesus Christ (Romans 7:4). This release of one from the law of sin fulfills the legal requirement of death for sin in Romans 6:23 and frees one to join with the resurrected Lord resulting in a life of fruitfulness (Galatians 5:22-23; Romans 7:5-6).

 

The promised savior in Genesis 3:15 is Jesus Christ who fulfilled the legal requirement of death for sin through His death on the cross. Since Jesus knew no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), there was no need for him to die but chose to surrender to the will of God and drink the cup of wrath for humanity’s sin in their place (Matthew 26:39). This provides release from the law of sin, freeing us to join the resurrected Lord and have eternal life.

 

However, one does not automatically receive salvation and eternal life and must make a conscious choice to accept the substitutionary death of Jesus for their sin and join in a relationship with the resurrected Lord. Romans 10: 9-10 tells us that this conscience choice occurs through a public profession of belief in the death burial and resurrection of Christ. I encourage those reading this who have not made this choice to do so now by praying with me,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

I encourage those reading this who have a personal relationship with the resurrected Lord to grow deeper in that relationship through the reading of God’s Word, the Bible, regular prayer, and meditation on how God’s Word applies in their life. One should strive for distance and depth in their study of the Bible by having a plan to read through the bible in a year and meditating on verses that stand out to them as they read the Bible. Prayer should also be more than making petitions to the Lord by following the pattern of the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). This pattern begins with adoration and praise to God for who He is (Matthew 6:9), his coming kingdom (Matthew 6:10), Asking for provision of daily needs and forgiveness (Matthew 6:11-12), and ending with deliverance from temptation and evil (Matthew 6:13). May God challenge and bless everyone reading this post.