Articles
Romans 7 Free From The Law
Romans 7 Free From The Law
While some were arguing that Christians needed to be circumcised and keep the law of Moses (cp. Acts 15), Paul argues that we are saved apart from the law and are in fact now free from the law. He compares it to the ideal of marriage - one man for one woman. If a woman marries another while her husband still lives, she is an adulteress. But she is only bound to such law of her husband as long as he lives.
As a way of being right with God (justified, righteous, saved), Paul says that we have ‘died to the law through the body of Christ’ (vs. 4) and that ‘now we are released from the law’ (vs. 6). In chapter 10 he writes: "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Rom. 10:4).
In order to avoid the force of this argument, it is sometimes affirmed that the ‘law’ was actually to be divided into ‘moral’ law and ‘ceremonial’ law. Having argued for this distinction, it is then stated that only the ceremonial law was ‘done away with’. In particular it is affirmed that the 10 commandments are the ‘moral’ law and Christians are yet ‘bound’ to them.
The problem is that Paul identifies in this chapter what he means by ‘the law’. In verse 7 he states that ‘the law said… ‘you shall not covet’. He thus quotes one of the 10 commandments as ‘the law’ that we are now free from and dead to. He refers to this not only as ‘the law’ (cp. 3 times in vs. 7, and also 8, 9, 12, etc.), he also identifies it as ‘the commandment’ (vs. 8 9, 10 11, 12, 13, etc.).
The teaching of Jesus through His apostles yet forbids many of the same things - adultery, murder, lust, covetousness, stealing, etc. (cp. Gal. 5:19-21; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; Eph. 4:25-32; etc.). Those that live by the teaching of Jesus are to hold to an even higher standard avoiding not only murder and adultery but also anger and lust. We are not only not to steal, but we are to be generous in giving. While we are free from the law (of Moses, the Old or First covenant) we are not free from law, rather we are now under law to Christ (1Cor. 9:21).
Paul warns: "Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ" (Col. 2:17-18).
Hugh DeLong
