Who died? In Romans 7:4 Paul says, “My brothers you also have died to the law through the body of Christ.” Christ’s death was a substitute for us in more ways than one. Just as we died to sin through Jesus’ death (Romans 6:8-11), we also died to the law through His death (Romans 7:4). It was in a spiritual sense that the people of God died to the law. The death that cut away old ties took place on the cross at Calvary. Death has set God’s people free to marry a new husband.
Verse 4 tells who that new husband is. “My brothers you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to Him who has been raised from the dead.” (The old English of the King James Version even used the word “married” in Romans 7:4: “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.”) Of course, the One raised from the dead is Jesus Christ.
Here, then, is the full picture. God’s people were at one time married to the law. Then a death took place that released them from that marriage. Now they are free to be married to the One raised from the dead, namely Christ. Paul even carries the picture over to show the kind of children from each marriage. Verse 5 says they used to bear “fruit for death.” Now the new marriage to Christ brings “fruit for God” (Romans 7:4). Paul could hardly have made this point more forcefully: Death has ended old ties to the law. Now there is a new, happier and more fruitful relationship—with Christ. Notice how Scripture’s choice of words shows a definite end to the old relationship:
- You died to the law (Romans 7:4).
- We have been released from the law (Romans 7:6).
- We died to that which bound us (Romans 7:6).
- We serve in the newness—the new way—of the Spirit (Romans 7:6).
- We do not serve in the oldness—the old way—of the letter, the written
code (Romans 7:6).