The law reveals sin. Without a law there is no infraction. I cannot break a law that doesn't exist. If I rob someone it would mean nothing except there is a law against robbing someone. We even have law against damaging the reputation of someone. A law reveals a wrong. If we did away with the laws then robbery would no longer be wrong, hurting the reputation of someone would no longer be wrong, killing someone would no longer be wrong. The law is necessary and can never be done away with- what will be done away with is anyone breaking the laws and when there finally exists a world where none will ever break a law the law will no longer need to be enforced because there will be nothing to enforce.
The law tells us we are guilty and deserving of punishment.
Only Jesus tells us we are guilty and deserving of punishment but HE will save us from the punishment that would destroy our existence.
The law will never free us from guilt, it can't, only Christ can.
If we are under the law without Christ we are dead. It is only when we are under the law with Christ that we live. The law's dominion is death, is guilt. When we are freed from the condemnation of the law through Christ there is life.
The law reveals our sins. The law reveals that we are sinners. The law tells us we are sinners deserving of death. The law tells us we sin. The law shows us the sinners we are. The law reveals the sin surrounding our lives and shows us our desperate need of a SAVIOR.
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'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 a 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 form 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 sin, which were by the law, did work in our bodies 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.' (Romans 7:1-6).
The ground covered by this seventh chapter is really gone over twice. The first part lays the broad facts before us; the latter part goes into the details and particulars of what is given in the beginning.
In the six verses that have been read, there is given us an illustration and the application. The illustration is easily understood. The simple fact of marriage is taken. A woman having a husband is bound to that husband so long as he liveth. By what is she bound? By the law. It is contrary to the law for her to have two husbands at the same time; but if the first husband be dead, the same law will allow her to marry another man. This is but a plain illustration, and if it is kept in mind throughout the study of the chapter, it will be a great help to us in understanding it.
There is no need of any argument in this chapter for the perpetuity of the law. That is not the question under consideration. The apostle is not making a special argument to prove that the law is not abolished. His argument starts from that point as one already settled, and shows the practical working of the law in individual cases.
He brings it right home to the hearts of men that they are under the law; and if they are under it, how can it be abolished? He urges its claims upon the hearts of men, and by the Spirit of God they feel its working power upon them, and therefore know that it is not abolished.
Note the class of people to whom Paul is writing. "I speak to them that know the law."
This epistle is addressed to professed followers of Christ. We find that in the second chapter, commencing with the seventeenth verse: "Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law and makest thy boast of God."
Now to the illustration: While the law will not allow the woman to be united to two husbands at the same time, it will allow her to be united to two in succession.
It is the law that allows her, and it is the law that unites her. The same law that unites her to the first husband also allows her to be united to the second, after that the first is dead. This is easy to be understood and there is no need to consider it further.
Now to the application: "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 ye should bring forth fruit unto God."
We can determine who the two husbands are by beginning with the second one. The "another" to whom we are to be married, is the one who has been raised from the dead, and that is Christ. We are one of the parties in the second marriage, and Christ is the other. He is the second husband.
The question now arises, Who was the first husband that died, in order that we might be united to the second? The sixth chapter has answered that. Compare Romans 7:5 with Romans 6.
"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."
The law held us in the first union and now to what were we united? What were we in? We were in union with the flesh.
In the sixth chapter we found that the body of sin is destroyed by Christ. By what means is it that the body of sin becomes destroyed? By the man being crucified with Christ.
In the first place we are joined to sin--the sinful flesh. We cannot serve two masters. Here are two figures. We are servants to one master--united to one husband. We cannot serve two masters at the same time and we cannot be united to two husbands at the same time.
But we can be united to two in succession.
The first one of these, to whom we have all been united, is the body of sin; the second is Christ, who is raised from the dead.
The question arises, what is meant by our being dead to the law by the body of Christ?
That brings us to the point where the illustration fails us.
The illustration fails us--why?
Because it is utterly impossible to find anything in life that will correctly represent in every particular divine things.
There is no illustration that will serve in every particular.
That is why we have so many types of Christ.
No one person could serve as a complete type of Him.
We have Adam in one place as a type of Christ; we have Abel; we have Moses; we have Aaron; David; and Melchizedek, and many others who represent different phases of Christ, because there is no one of them who could represent Him in every particular.
So when the apostle would represent the union of all people with the house of Israel, he says, "I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery."
It is a mystery; it is something unnatural. He says that it is a grafting process, but that is contrary to the natural method. Therefore this illustration of marriage cannot be considered as complete in every particular. And yet, after all, the illustration does not fail, if we choose to consider that the union with the first husband is a criminal connection. It is so in the application. Those who are united to the flesh are guilty of a capital crime. The law holds them in that connection; i.e., it will not allow them to lightly dissolve the union and pass it by as though nothing had taken place--but it demands their life. With this explanation we can understand what follows.
We find that we are united with sin and with the body of sin. Then Christ comes to us and He presents Himself as the one altogether lovely. And in reality He is the only one who has any real claim upon us.
"I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love." The apostle is writing to those who know the law and who have left their first love, and what applies to them will also apply in larger measure to those of the world.
Christ comes to the door of our hearts and knocks and begs that we will come to Him. He has spread out His hands all the day unto a rebellious people, "which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts." How deep, how unfathomable is the love of God!
1891 G.C. Sermons #11 E.J. Waggoner
To be continued…
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