If you would, go ahead and open
your Bibles to Romans 7. We're going to begin this morning
with verse 1 and hopefully go through verse 6. Romans 7. The title of the message this
morning is Merit to Another. And that's taken from verse 3
from this section of study that we're going to do this morning.
And what we're going to do is we're going to talk about what
it means to not be under law, but to be under grace and go
over quite a few scriptures. You're going to have quite a
few scriptures you're going to look at this morning. And I hope because
of the study here that God will bless us and we might grow in
grace and knowledge. of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ and what he's done for us. The study this morning, like
I said, chapter 7, 1 through 6, our next study, the next time,
will be verses 7 through 13, and we'll be dealing with the
Apostle Paul and the law and his relation to the law. And
then, in verses 14 to the end of the chapter, We'll see a better
example of indwelling sin as Paul discusses his personal experience
with the law and indwelling sin. To start with, what I'm going
to do is go ahead and read verse 1 through verse 6 this morning.
Starts out with, 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 a husband
is bound to the law to her husband, so as long as she liveth. But
if the husband be dead, she is loose from the law of her husband,
so that if while her husband liveth, she be married to another,
she shall be called an adulteress. But if her husband be dead, she
is free from the 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 was 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 oldness
of the letter. In verse one here, this verse
actually begins with the word are, are in the original, are
do you not know brethren? Then Paul says, for I speak to
them that know the law. Paul is clear that he speaks
to people who have a knowledge of law. The is not in the original
manuscript, so law here refers to its general application and
how it's seen in its context. In Romans 2, beginning at verse
12, it says, for as many as have sinned without the law shall
also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the
law shall be judged by the law. For not the hearers of the law
are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles which have
not the law do by nature the things contained in the law,
these having not the law are a law unto themselves, which
show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience
also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing
or else excusing one another. And what it's saying here is
for the Jews, when we're speaking of law, the Jews, this would
be the law of Moses summarized in Ten Commandments. For the
Romans and all other Gentiles, this would be the law of conscience
and their civil laws by which they accused or else they excused
one another. It is God's law in whatever form
or code He is given to reveal it to men. Paul states the question,
do you know that the law has dominion over a man as long as
he liveth? This is certainly obvious in
the case of sinners, because the only thing that will free
a sinner from the law's jurisdiction is death. Romans 6, 23a says,
for the wages of sin is death. The law, any law, has dominion
over a man as long as the man is alive. How is this? Well, as long as the man is alive,
the law has dominion or authority or rule over that man. He is
fully responsible for obedience to that law as long as he lives.
It is only at his death that he is totally excluded from being
responsible for keeping the law. How is that? in that the law
cannot punish him once he is dead. It cannot collect the debt
of him once he is dead. It cannot call him into account
or demand subjection once he is dead. The implication is clear. Whether human or divine law,
it has power over a man as long as the man lives, until he dies. Once he dies, the law cannot
pursue him into the grave. All of these things cease at
the death of that man. The law has dominion up and until
death and no further. Thanks be to God that there is
a way to be dead to sin and dead to the law. And it is in and
by the Lord Jesus Christ and his death. Let's look back at
Romans 6. Well, we will see how the believers,
both dead to sin and dead to the law. In Romans 6, 2, reads,
God forbid, how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer
therein? And in Romans 6, 6, reads, knowing
this, that our old man is crucified with him, with Christ, that the
body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not
serve sin. And again, in Romans 6, 7, he
that is dead is free from sin. Well, how is this so? How are
we dead to sin and dead to the law? Let's look at Romans 7,
verse 4, where we read, wherefore, my brethren, you also are become
dead to the law, how? By the body of Christ, that you
should be married to another. even to him who was raised from
the dead that we should bring forth fruit unto God." This shows
that the believer, those that are in Christ, in Christ by representation,
substitution, have died to the law's curse and to its dominion
and rule. How? By the body of Christ. In
other words, when it says the body of Christ, it's talking
about Christ's obedience unto death. the death of the cross,
his shed blood, whereby God's elect are justified before this
holy God that we worship. The only way to be delivered
from the guilt and the pollution of sin or from the curse and
dominion of the law is to become dead unto them. And the only
way to become dead to both of them, both of them, is by the
death of the Lord Jesus Christ. He bore our sins and endured
the curse of the cross as our sin bearer, substitute, and our
surety for our debt that we owe but couldn't pay. This shows
the necessary connection with what Paul has stated earlier
when he summarized back in Romans 6 and verse 14. It says, for
sin shall not have dominion or lordship over you, for you are
not under law, you are under grace. This shows that believers
are not under law, but they're under grace. Because of the obedience
under death of Christ, our legal obligation to the law has been
completely fulfilled and satisfied. The law has no legal constraint
on the believer, as pictured in the death of the husband in
a marriage. We do not owe a legal debt to
God's justice, We are not married to the law any longer. We're
married to Christ. Christ fulfilled our law obligation
by his perfect obedience and by his precious blood shed on
the cross of Calvary. Our obligation to obedience is
not law, but grace. Believers are not under law,
we're under grace. I was held in bondage to the
law all of my life. until God revealed how that Christ
satisfied all the debt that I owed. He satisfied all that debt that
was against me and brought me to understand that all the laws
demands against me was fulfilled and was satisfied in the person
and in the work of my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. At that
time, in my experience, I became married to another. Even to him
who was raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit
unto God. Then and only then will a sinner
stop going about to establish a righteousness of his own, and
he'll start looking to Christ for all his salvation, not to
the law and what I can do to appease God or anything that
I might do to gain or maintain salvation in any way. Now, continuing
from our previous verse in verse one, where it says the law has
dominion over a man as long as he liveth. Beginning at verse
two here, it says, for the woman which hath a husband is bound
to the law to a husband as long as he liveth. But if the husband
be dead, she is loose from the law of her husband. So then,
if while her husband liveth, she be married to another, 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. The subject of marriage is not
Paul's main subject here, but he used the legal binding contract
of marriage to illustrate his point concerning being dead to
the law. His primary subject is freedom
from the law by the death of Christ. A wife, his primary subject
is freedom from that law by the death of Christ. A wife becomes
free from the law of marriage not at the expense of law and
not by diminishing the law. She becomes free from the law
by satisfaction to the law's demand, which in this case of
marriage is the death of her husband. And in the case of every
believer, it's the death of Christ. He made us free from the law.
by his death. Her personal character and conduct,
whether good or bad, could not contribute in any way to her
being set free from this law. Nothing but the death of her
husband would satisfy that law. His death alone would demand
her freedom in full accordance with the same law of marriage.
If she were to marry another man while her husband lived,
she would be an adulteress and not free from the law of marriage.
But if the husband is dead, she is free from that obligation
to the law and not an adulteress. The way that the soul, the way
that a believer, the way that the soul gets released from the
law is by the body of Christ. The soul that sees that the law
cursed the Savior as well as the sinner whom he represented,
and that the Lord died under the law, and that it was the
law of death to the Savior as well as to the sinner, And finding
Christ raised from the dead, that believer, that soul, goes
after him and unites to him and is begotten to a lively hope
by the resurrection of the dead. The resurrection of the dead
and Christ formed in that soul of the believer, the hope of
glory, is an incorruptible seed, a precious fruit. Such souls,
such believers, are no adulterers, though they be married to another.
Nor do they deserve the name of licentious antinomians, or
those that are without law. Seeing the Holy Ghost affirm
that this is done, that they may bring forth fruit unto God,
Romans 7, 4. Namely, the fruits of the Spirit. Sinners saved by grace are not
under any moral code or conduct, as it relates to their being
saved by their obedience to it. Believers do not look to the
law for refuge. We look to Christ for all our
refuge and salvation. Referring back to verse three,
where it says, but if the husband be dead, she is free from the
law. He begins verse four with, wherefore my brother, ye also
are become dead to the law. How? By the body of Christ, that
you should be married to another, even to him who was raised from
the dead, that you should bring forth fruit unto God. This speaks
of believers who are children of God, sinners saved by the
grace of God in Christ, are dead to the law, or they're freed
from any obligation to the law's precepts and penalty by the body
of Christ, by the death of Christ. Our freedom from the law is in
no way attributed to our obedience, suffering, or death. It is only
attributed to Christ's obedience, suffering, and death as our substitute
and our surety to come and pay that sin debt in our place as
our substitute. We contributed nothing to this
great transaction. We who are in Christ died with
him as he is our representative. He stood in our place. Look at
Romans 5, 18 and 19. Therefore, as by the offense
of one judgment came upon all men the condemnation, even so
by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men,
that is all he represented unto justification and life. For as
one man disobedient, many were made sinners, so by the obedience
of one shall many be made righteous. And in Romans six, beginning
verse four, Therefore, we are buried with him, with Christ,
in baptism unto death, that like as Christ was raised from the
dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in
newness of life. For if we have been planted together
in the likeness of his death, we shall also be also in the
likeness of his resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man
is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed,
that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead
is free from sin. Now, if we be dead with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with him, knowing that Christ,
being raised from the dead, dieth no more. Death hath no more dominion
over him. For in that he died, he died
unto sin once, but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise,
likewise, in the same way. you also yourselves to be dead
indeed unto sin, but alive to God through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Now the law of God was honored. It was fully satisfied
in the death of Christ for us, as Christ represented us in his
death. Our whole salvation is by the
shed blood and imputed righteousness of Christ alone. Because of Christ's
obedience unto death, We are no longer married to the law.
We're married to Christ. The fruit and the result of Christ's
death for us is that all for whom he died, all whom he freed
from the law, should be married to another, even to him who was
raised from the dead, which is Christ himself. Now Christ, not
the law, has dominion over us. Now Christ, not the law, is our
rule of life. Another result of our union with
Christ by faith is that we should bring forth fruit under God.
Notice it is not that we produce fruit under God, but that we
bear fruit. Christ is divine, and we're the
branches, as we'll see here in these next few verses. Beginning,
this is John 15, beginning at verse 8. Where Christ says, I
am the true vine, and my father is the husbandman. Every branch
in me that bears not fruit, he taketh away. And every branch
that bears fruit, he purchased it, that it may bring forth more
fruit. Now you are clean through the
word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit
of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can you accept
ye abide in me. I am the vine, and you are the
branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth
forth much fruit. For without me ye can do nothing. If a man abideth not in me, he
is cast forth as a branch, and is withered, and men gather them,
and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide
in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will,
and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified,
that you bear much fruit, so shall you be my disciples. The
life is in Christ, our life is in Christ, and it flows from
him through us by the Holy Spirit. This fruit is spiritual life
given to us by the Holy Spirit in the new birth. It is also
those gifts, those fruits and effects of what Christ did for
us in our place at the cross, faith, repentance, love, humility,
and all the obedience of a justified born-again believer. It is Christ
living in us by his spirit, his life, and his word as we grow
in grace and knowledge of what Christ has done for us. Once
again, continuing from previous verse four, where it says that
we should bring forth fruit unto God. It says in verse 5, 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. Now, in Scripture, flesh sometimes
refers to our physical bodies. An example of these are in Romans
2.28, where it says, for he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly,
neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh.
And in 2 Corinthians 10.3, for though we walk in the flesh,
we do not war after the flesh. I like Young's literal translation
that says, for walking in the flesh, not according to the flesh. And in Galatians 2.20, I am crucified
with Christ, nevertheless, I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth
in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, in this fleshly
body, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and
gave himself for me. In scripture, flesh also is meant
to refer to the remaining passions of sin within us, even as believers. Examples of that is Galatians
3.3. Are ye so foolish, this is Paul
speaking to the Galatians here, having begun in the spirit, are
you now made perfect by the flesh? And in Galatians 5, beginning
at verse 16, this I say then, walk in the spirit and you shall
not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against
the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary
one to another so that you cannot do the things that you would. Here in verse five that we're
looking at right now, to be in the flesh refers to being unregenerate. We know this by the context.
This is before our union with Christ by faith, before we're
born again. The motions of sins are the sinful
passions that controlled and motivated us before we were born
again. This is proven by the fact that
Paul describes believers as not being in the flesh in Romans
8 and 9. But you are not in the flesh,
but in the Spirit. If so be that the Spirit of God
dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit
of Christ, he is none of his. Being in the flesh is the opposite
of being in the Spirit. Our field are controlled and
motivated by the Spirit. Then it says this, which were
by the law, speaking of the motions of sin that was in us before
regeneration, which were by the law. The law can never conquer
our sinful passions. It can only arouse them to work
in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. Members is
used for parts of physical bodies by which sin operates. and fulfill
its lusts. All we can do as unregenerate
persons is bear fruit of death. But how does the law stir up
such passions? Well, the law does it in two
different ways. It inflames our natural rebellion
so as to incite open disobedience to its commands, or it incites
us to seek to establish a righteousness of our own for salvation. as
the Apostle Paul gives account of in Philippians 3 verse 4. Though I might also have confidence
in the flesh, this is Paul speaking, have confidence in those things
that he did, if any other man thinketh that he hath whereof
he might trust in the flesh, I more. Circumcise the eighth
day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew
of Hebrews, as touching the law of Pharisees. concerning zeal,
persecuting the church, touching the righteousness which is in
the law, blameless. Either way, the fruit of rebellion
and self-righteousness is fruit unto death, and is dead worse.
That's all it can lead to. says, therefore, leaving the
principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection,
like laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works
and of faith toward God. And in Hebrews 9, 14, says, how
much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal
spirit offer himself without spot to God, purge your conscience
from dead works to serve the living God? any and all attempts
at keeping the law by sinners. Keeping the law thinking that
somehow or another you might attain or maintain salvation. Keeping the law thinking that
you owe a debt to the law in some way. It can only lead to
eternal death in a person being without Christ. In Romans 7.6,
our next verse here, says, but now we are delivered from the
law. that being dead wherein we were held, that we should
serve in newness of the spirit and not in oldness of the letter. Being married to Christ, we are
now delivered from the law, free from its condemnation because
of our sin, and free from any legal obligation to its precepts
in order to be saved. We died to the law, to that by
which we were bound, when Christ died for us and released us from
its condemnation and from its curse. And we experienced that
at the new birth, what Christ has done for us, that what he
did is he stood in our place, satisfied the laws, satisfied
the law in every jot and tittle. The fruit and result of God's
grace accomplished in his death, in Christ's death and resurrection
was that we should serve in newness of spirit, which is the spirit
of grace, of love, and of gratitude, and of liberty, as willing and
loving bond slaves of Christ. This is how we serve God, in
newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. This
newness of spirit is the work of the Holy Spirit within us
at the new birth, as he gives us life from Christ, and in closing,
We're gonna take a look at faith toward Christ, not the law, being
the believer's rule of life. And we're gonna look at quite
a few verses here, and some of them are mixed in here together,
if you'll just follow along with me. Paul says in Hebrews 11,
6a, 6b rather, he that cometh to God must believe that he is
a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. then faith must be
the rule of our coming to Christ. Romans 5, 2. We have access by
faith into this grace wherein we stand. Then faith is the rule
of our approach to God. Romans 1, 17b, the just shall
live by his faith. Then faith is the just man's
rule of life. And in 2 Corinthians 5, verse
7, We walk by faith, not by sight. Then faith is our rule of walk,
and not the law. And in Romans 11 20b, thou standest
by faith. Paul says, then faith, or Christ,
the rule of the believer's standing. By faith, Enoch had this testimony,
that he pleased God. And in Hebrews 11 6a, but without
faith, it's impossible. to please him, then faith is
a rule that God approves of and he's well pleased with. Romans
14, 23b, whatsoever is not of faith is sin, then faith is a
perfect rule of holiness. And in Acts 13, 39, and by him
all that believeth are justified from all things from which you
could not be justified by the law of Moses, then faith is our
rule of righteousness, this faith that looks to Christ. Christ
is the object of that faith. Christ is the one that satisfied
the law and justice of God. It is by faith we overcome the
world to lay hold on eternal life. We fight the good fight
of faith according to Paul in 2 Timothy 4 and verse 7. where he says, I have fought
a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Then faith was the rule of his
warfare and the rule of his race. And it was the grace of God that
made Paul obedient to that rule. Paul counts all things but dumb
that he may win Christ in Philippians 3.9. Paul says, and to be found
in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that
which is through the faith of Christ, the faithfulness of Christ,
the righteousness which is of God, by faith. And in Philippians
3, verse 16b, Paul tells us, let us walk by the same rule,
let us mind the same thing. By faith Christ dwells in our
heart, and by faith we dwell in him. And in Christ Jesus,
neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision,
but a new creature, which is Christ formed within us. And
in Galatians 6, beginning at verse 14, this is what Paul says. This is what he gloryed in. He
says, But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our
Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and
I unto the world, For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth
anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many
as walk according to this rule, peace be on them and mercy and
upon the Israel of God. Faith is the rule of life according
to the revealed will of God in Christ Jesus. Once again, that
faith that looks to Christ for all of your salvation, not to
the law, He satisfied, He satisfied the law and He satisfied all
the debt we owe, anything that we might have been obligated
toward, Christ satisfied it all. And John 6, 40 says, and this
is the will of Him that sent me, this is Christ speaking of
the Father, that everyone would see of the Son and believeth
on Him may have everlasting life and I'll raise Him up at the
last day. So faith appears to be the believer's rule of life
according to the will of God in Christ Jesus, and the letter
of the law is the bond children's rule of life. He that doeth these
things, those things written in the law, shall live in them.
Let him do according to this rule, and he shall live. The
law is not the rule of believing, but of doing. The law is not
a faith, but of works, and the man that doeth them shall live
in them." Galatians 3.12. Now, Christ alone, Christ's work
alone, entitles us to everlasting life according to God's will. Then looking unto Jesus and the
author and the finisher of our faith must be the rule of that
life, and one would think that if he liveth, he that liveth
and believeth shall never die. Faith must be a safe rule to
live by. Amen.