The Law Exposed

This past Sunday, we walked through one of the more complex but powerful passages in Paul’s letter to the Romans—chapter 7, verses 1 through 13. At first glance, Paul’s language about law, death, and marriage may seem like theological jargon, but what he’s describing hits close to home for many of us.

Let me ask you something: Have you ever lived like you were still on spiritual probation—measuring your worth by your performance, afraid you’re still not doing enough for God? That’s precisely the problem Paul is confronting in Romans 7. He wants us to understand that the law, while good and holy, was never meant to save us. Its purpose was to reveal our sin—not to redeem us from it.

Paul uses the analogy of marriage to say something incredibly freeing: just as death ends a marriage covenant, so our death with Christ ends the law’s claim over us. We are no longer bound to an old system of rule-keeping. We belong to Someone new. And that Someone is Christ.

But this isn’t just freedom from something—it’s freedom for something. We’re not left lawless; the Spirit now leads us. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead now empowers us to bear fruit for God—not out of fear, but out of love and grace.

So the next time you feel tempted to try harder, perform better, or prove yourself to God—remember this: you don’t need to earn what’s already yours in Christ. You’ve died to the law. Now live free. Live loved. Live fruitfully.

See you next Sunday!