DEAD TO THE LAW

"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 an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from 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." (Romans 7:1-4).

Devotion 10 of 17

FOUND IN REMISSION OF SIN

Our death to the Law is found in the remission of our sins, or the CRUCIFIXION of the "old man," or carnal nature. In our identity with Jesus, we experienced the "circumcision of Christ," which was the removal of the "body of the sins of the flesh"--something to which we were formerly wedded, like a wife to a husband (Col 2:11 12). Remember, the word "death" means "separation," not demise or annihilation. In physical death, the spirit and soul are separated from the body. In the death induced by the Law, we were separated from God. In our death to the Law, we were separated from its tyranny and power because of the remission of our sins. Thus, we were placed beyond its strong and condemning arm! Praise the Lord.

THROUGH THE BODY OF CHRIST

We can never forget that our separation from the condemnation of the Law was not due to our personal achievement. We did not "work" ourselves into this condition. Whatever men may imagine their accomplishments to be, they were never adequate to cause the Law to cease to condemn them!

The achievement of our death to the Law occurred "in the body of Christ," not in the works of men! As it is written, " . . . you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ" (Rom 7:4a). It was there, "in His body on the tree," that Jesus bore our sins. It was there that Christ was "made a curse for us" (Gal 3:10-13), actually becoming "sin" that we might be "made the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor 5:21).

Because Sin Was Put Away

Mind you, our death to the Law occurred because our sins were "put away" by the Lord Jesus (Heb 9:26). Wherever the guilt of sin remains, there can be no death to Law! It is up to Law to point out sin, for it was made "for the lawless and disobedient" (1 Tim 1:9). But, when men are "justified from all things," the Law has nothing more it can say. As we have already shown, it defines sin, not righteousness! Thus, when we become "dead to sin" (Rom 6:2), we do, by that very fact, become "dead to the Law," which was given to make sin "exceeding sinful" (Rom 7:13). Even the Law of God, however, cannot make sin to become "exceeding sinful" when it has been "put away" by Jesus!

WE DIED WITH JESUS

Death to the Law, as a means to justification, did not occur simply because Jesus died. Rather, it occurred because we have been united with that effective death. As it is written, "Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him" (Rom 6:8). Take, for example, the highly controversial ordinance of baptism. We were "baptized into His death" (Rom 6:3). Our faith has so united us with that atoning death that it is written, "For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died" (2 Cor 5:14, NIV).

Christ not only "bore our sins in His body on the tree," He took them "away" from the presence of the Father! However, when Jesus arose from the dead, He no longer was bearing the sins of the world--not in that glorified body. They had been effectively removed--taken away, just like John the Baptist affirmed (John 1:29)! Jesus is no longer associated with sin! He no longer carries them in His body! He will never again be "made sin for us." He will not be "cursed" again because of us! Never again will He drink the bitter cup of sin for the human race- never again! His death dealt effectively with sin, satisfying God and opening the door of salvation to the offspring of Adam!

PRAYER POINT: Father, thank You through Jesus for removing my sins. Give me grace to see the truth of this operation more clearly and consistently.

-- Tomorrow: IDENTITY WITH CHRIST'S DEATH BRINGS IDENTITY WITH HIS RESURRECTION