Want to understand the book of Romans in the Bible better? Yes, I am sure you do! In this post then I will explain Romans and how sin and the law work. Specifically, I will explain Romans Chapters 7 and 8.

Our Bible Quotation of Focus

In discussing how sin and the law work, our Bible verse of quotation is: “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 the oldness of the letter.” Romans 7:6.

First of all, if you are wondering what is meant by “Romans 7:6,” it is what is called Bible notation which is a way of referencing the Bible. Now the Bible is a collection of books, where each book in the Bible consists of one or more chapters, and each chapter has numbered sections called verses. The quotation referred to as “Romans 7:6” is taken from the book titled Romans in the Bible, the 7th chapter, and the 6^th verse.

The Context: Who is God and Who is Jesus?

Secondly, since the Bible consists of God’s words to the human race, it is important to know who God is. “God” (Genesis 1:1) is the most common name given in the Bible to a divine Family called “the Godhead” (Acts 17:29) in the Bible.

This Family, the Godhead, consist of three Persons who each are “without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life.” Hebrews 7:3.

Thus, the Godhead has three members and, No, there are not three Gods! Why? Because knowing that the members of the Godhead never contradict each other at any time, we can say that they speak with one voice. Therefore, we can say, “there is one God.” Mark 12:32.

What are the names of these three Persons in the Godhead? Their names are “the Father” (Matthew 11:27), “the Son” (Psalm 2:12) also called Christ (Matthew 1:1), and “the Holy Spirit” (Psalm 51:11).

Now that we have an understanding of who God is, the question arises, Who is Jesus? The name Jesus was given to Christ when He was born as a baby boy on earth over 2,000 years ago.

So, what is God like? An important point to grasp about God is that He is “God, that cannot lie” (Titus 1:2) and “God is love.” 1 John 4:8. That is to say, each member of the Godhead has a character of love that is identical to the character of the others, and this love is the only definition of true love in the universe.

God’s Law of Love

Yes, God has a law! What is it? Well, God has created all the intelligent beings in the universe with a character of love just like God’s character of love. And God’s design is that all the intelligent beings will live in accordance with God’s ways of love.

In essence, God’s law of love is: “Thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deuteronomy 6:5) and “thou shalt love thy neighbour [fellow intelligent being] as thyself.” Leviticus 19:18.

You may ask why should we love God? Because God has a character of “perfect love” (1 John 4:18) is, therefore, worthy of being loved. In other words, there is none in the universe more worthy of being loved than God.

What is Sin?

God’s definition of sin, which is evil and wrongdoing, is: “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth [breaks] also the law: for sin is the transgression [breaking] of the law.” 1 John 3:4.

Yes, it is as simple as that! That is, to vary in any way from God’s law of love is to break His law, which God describes as committing sin.

The question then is, Has anyone in the universe ever sinned? Of course! We just have to look at the wickedness on earth to find our answer—human beings have sinned.

You may be asking, if God created intelligent beings with a character of perfect love, How is it that there is sin on earth? Also, Is there sin elsewhere in the universe?

Sin in the Universe

As it happened, sin began in heaven when an angel named “Lucifer” (Isaiah 14:12) used his free will to choose to rebel against God by doing evil. Further, Lucifer caused some of the other angels to join him in his rebellion against God.

And because Lucifer, whom God now refers to as “that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan” (Revelation 12:9), and his “evil angels” (Psalm 78:49) became fixed in their evil ways, God cast them all out of heaven. But the “holy angels” (Matthew 25:31) still reside in heaven with God.

Well, What will God do about evil in the universe? God’s plan is to eventually annihilate all those in the universe who have become fixed in the ways of wickedness. This means that Satan and his evil angels will be annihilated.

But what about humanity and any other sinful beings in the universe? As it turns out there is no sin elsewhere in the universe but among Satan, his evil angels, and humanity.

So, Why are there sinful people on earth? How did that happen? The answer is that God created the first human pair, a man named Adam and a woman named Eve, with a character of perfect love but both Adam and Eve fell into sin.

How? When Adam and Eve were tempted by Satan, they of their own free will chose to yield to Satan’s temptations? Thus, their character immediately changed from one of love to one of selfishness.

And, by God’s great law of heredity, all of Adam’s and Eve’s descendants have inherited their disposition to sin and, hence, have been born as sinners. Thus, every human being is a sinner.

Does this mean that the entire human race will be annihilated by God? No, not at all! God has a plan to meet this situation.

Hope for Humanity

Yes, there is hope for humanity even in the face of their sinfulness! That is, God says, “The wages of sin is [eternal] death [which is to be annihilated by God]; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23.

In other words, all humanity can receive eternal life as a gift from God. But, sadly, there are and have been human beings who have become fixed in their sinful ways and these persons God will annihilate.

God’s Law of Love Applied to Humanity

Because of humanity’s sinful condition, God has applied the essence of His law of love by giving a Moral Law (also known as the Decalogue) consisting of “the ten commandments” (Exodus 34:28) as listed below.

“And God spake [spoke] all these words, saying” (Exodus 20:1):

1. “I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt [which is symbolic of sin], out of the house of bondage [to sin].  Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:2, 3.
2. “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;  And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.” Exodus 20:4-6.
3. “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” Exodus 20:7.
4. “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.  Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day [from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday] is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:8-11.
5. “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” Exodus 20:12.
6. “Thou shalt not kill.” Exodus 20:13.
7. “Thou shalt not commit adultery [have sexual intimacy with someone other than one’s marriage partner].” Exodus 20:14.
8. “Thou shalt not steal.” Exodus 20:15.
9. “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.” Exodus 20:16.
10. “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.” Exodus 20:17.

That is, God is saying that, if human beings have love for each other, they will not break any of the ten commandments, which is to commit sin.

Moreover, God has amplified and applied His law of love in the whole Bible which He has given to humanity as a love letter from Himself.

Having given a context and some relevant topics for what is to follow, I will now unpack Romans Chapters 7 and 8.

We begin with interpreting Romans Chapter 7 verses 1 to 6. Here God uses the biblical concept of marriage to illustrate a point about God’s law of love.

Romans 7:1-3—God’s Law Applied to Marriage

Now God says, “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?” Romans 7:1.

“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.” Romans 7:2.

“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.” Romans 7:3.

Here God declares that the marriage between a man and a woman is a lifelong commitment from which only death can release them.

Romans 7:4-6—Married to Christ

Let us now consider Romans 7:4-6 which says, “Wherefore [Therefore], 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 [Christ] who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.” Romans 7:4.

“For when we were in the flesh, the motions [passions] of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.” Romans 7:5.

“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 the oldness of the letter.” Romans 7:6.

What does all this mean? Well, let us unpack the meaning of these three verses piece by piece and all will be made clear.

Romans 7:4—“Dead to the Law by the Body of Christ”

We come now to unpack the meaning of “dead to the law by the body of Christ.” Romans 7:4. A number of questions arise from this Bible text such as, Dead to which Law? Dead in what way? How can this be by the body of Christ? And so on.

So, let us dive right in and answer these questions and more.

Romans 7:4—A Member of Christ’s Body

Now, everyone in a spiritual connection with Christ can say of themselves in truth, “We are members of his [Christ’s] body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man [Christ] leave his father and mother [leave the other two members of the Godhead], and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the [Christian] church.” Ephesians 5:30-32.

Thus, it is only the genuine Christian, that is, the true members of Christ’s church, who are members of Christ’s body. So, this is what is meant by Romans when it refers to “the body of Christ.” Romans 7:4.

Romans 7:4—The Results of Being a Member of Christ’s Body

Romans speaks of being “dead to the law by the body of Christ.” Romans 7:4. In other words, “dead to the law by [as a result of] the body of Christ.” Romans 7:4. But how can being a member of the body of Christ result in our being dead to the law?

Well, God says, “If any man [any person] be in Christ [is a member of Christ’s body and, hence, is in a spiritual connection with Christ], he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17.

That is, such persons can say of themselves in truth, as a result of being in a spiritual connection with Christ, we no longer have “corrupt minds.” (2 Timothy 3:8. Instead, we now have “pure minds” (2 Peter 3:1), in that, “we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 2:16.

This then is what Romans means when it speaks of “by [as a result of] the body of Christ.” Romans 7:4.

Romans 7:4—Dead to Which Law?

Romans speaks of being “dead to the law.” Romans 7:4. The question then arises, dead to which law?

We have already mentioned in this post, “the ten commandments” (Exodus 34:28), also known as the Moral Law and the Decalogue, which spells out how we are to love God and our fellow human beings as ourselves. This is necessary for sinful humanity who are “are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.” Jeremiah 4:22.

It is this Moral Law to which God referred when “the LORD [God] said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount [mountain], and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written.” Exodus 24:12.

“And he [God] gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing [speaking] with him [Moses] upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.” Exodus 31:18.

Can it be then that it is this Moral Law to which Romans refers when it says “dead to the law” (Romans 7:4)? For every other law or commandment in the Bible is an amplification or application of this Moral Law. Again, this is necessary to meet human beings in their sinful condition.

Romans 7:4—Can the Moral Law be Done Away With?

Romans speaks of being “dead to the law.” Romans 7:4. Here, the question that arises is, Can the Moral Law be done away with?

In answer to this question, God says, “The works of his [God’s] hands are verity [truth] and judgment; all his commandments are sure [unchanging]. They stand fast [are established] for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.” Psalm 111:7, 8.

Thus, when Romans speaks of being “dead to the law” (Romans 7:4), it cannot mean that the Moral Law has been done away with. That is, the Moral Law has always, is, and will always, be binding upon every human being.

Romans 7:4—Was Christ Dead to the Law?

When Romans speaks of being “dead to the law” (Romans 7:4), Does it mean that Christ was dead to the Moral law?

Now Christ is “the Son of God” (Daniel 3:25), and God says, “Whoso keepeth the [Moral] law is a wise son.” Proverbs 28:7.

Hence, we find Jesus Christ when He was on earth saying, “Think not that I am come to destroy the [Moral] law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil [keep].” Matthew 5:17. And “I have kept my Father’s commandments.” John 15:10.

We see then that when Romans speaks of being “dead to the law” (Romans 7:4), it cannot mean that Christ broke the Moral Law, which is to sin. Rather, Christ kept the Moral Law as Christ Himself said.

Romans 7:4—Which is it? Dead to the Moral Law or Keeping the Moral Law?

Thus far, when interpreting what Romans means when it speaks of being “dead to the law” (Romans 7:4), we seem to have come upon a problem in the Bible.

We have seen that if Romans 7:4 refers to the Moral Law which has never been done away with and which Jesus Christ has kept, How can we, as human beings, be dead to the Moral Law?

The answer is that we, as human beings, cannot be dead to the Moral Law. How can we be sure of this?

God says, “He [God]…did predestinate [every human being] to be conformed to the image of his Son [to the exact likeness of the character of Christ]” (Romans 8:29) who kept the Moral Law.

Therefore, “so speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the [Moral] law of liberty [freedom].” James 2:12.

“For not the hearers of the [Moral] law are just [righteous] before God, but the doers of the [Moral] law shall be justified [declared righteous by God].” Romans 2:13. And to be justified by God is to reach the first of two milestones towards receiving eternal life from God.

“Blessed are they that do his commandments [that keep the Moral Law], that they may have right to [eat from] the tree of life [and , hence, live forever], and may enter in through the gates into the [holy] city [built by God for all those people whom God has saved from eternal death (annihilation)].” Revelation 22:14.

So then, when Romans speaks of being “dead to the law” (Romans 7:4), it cannot be referring to the Moral Law, but instead must be referring to some other interpretation of the word “law.”

Romans 7:4—The Deeds (Works) of the Law

Now God says, if “by our own strength” (Amos 6:13), that is, “by our own power or holiness” (Acts 3:12), you “can bring a clean [sinless person]…out of an unclean [sinful person]” (Job 14:4), “then will I [God] also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee” (Job 40:14) from eternal death (annihilation).

For that would mean that human beings can be saved by “the deeds of the [Moral] law” (Romans 3:20), also called “the works of the [Moral] Law” Galatians 3:10.

But I, God, say to all humanity, “Who can bring a clean [sinless person]…out of an unclean [sinful person]? not one [human being].” Job 14:4.

In other words, “by the deeds of the [Moral] law there shall no flesh be justified [declared righteous by God] in his [God’s] sight: for by the [Moral] law is the knowledge of [what is] sin.” Romans 3:20.

“For as many [persons] as are of the works of the [Moral] law are under the curse [of the Moral Law]: for…Cursed [by God] is every one that continueth not in [does not keep] all things which are written in the…[Moral] law to do them.” Galatians 3:10.

“Therefore we conclude that a man [a person] is justified [declared righteous by God] by faith without the deeds of the [Moral] law.” Romans 3:28.

“Knowing that a man [a person] is not justified [declared righteous by God] by the works of the [Moral] law, but by the faith of [received from] Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of [received from] Christ, and not by the works of the [Moral] law: for by the works of the [Moral] law shall no flesh be justified.” Galatians 2:16.

So then, when Romans speaks of being “dead to the law” (Romans 7:4), it means dead to the works of the Moral Law which cannot save any person from eternal death (annihilation) by God.

Romans 7:4—How to be Dead to the Deeds (Works) of the Moral Law

A quick summary of how we can be dead to the deeds or works of the Moral Law will be sufficient for our purposes in this post.

When we yield to the Holy Spirit, God causes us to have “repentance [deep remorse and sorrow] toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” Acts 20:21.

Then God forgives us all our past sins, and “the love of God is shed abroad [poured] in our hearts by the Holy Ghost [Holy Spirit] which is given unto us” (Romans 5:5) so that we can stop sinning. Then it is that we are justified (declared righteous) by God.

Note that repentance alone is not sufficient for our justification. We must also exercise faith in Jesus Christ in order to be justified, and thus, the Bible says we are “justified by faith.” Romans 5:1. Now everyone receives the gift of faith from God but without repentance people have a superficial faith and not saving (correct) faith that takes proper hold of God’s truth by the working of the Holy Spirit.

After this, comes “sanctification” (1 Corinthians 1:30), the second and final phase called of our restoration to the character of love like God’s own character, which Adam and Eve had before sinned.

And when the lifelong process of sanctification is complete and we are “sanctified by the Holy Ghost [Holy Spirit]” (Romans 15:16) we are then sinless.

Then it is that “he [or she] also hath ceased from his own works [of the Moral Law].” Hebrews 4:10. In other words, the person has become dead to the works of the Moral Law.

Romans 7:4—“Married to Another”

Now Romans says “Wherefore [Therefore], 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 [Christ, for we have been divorced from Satan and Satan’s service which is the works of the Moral Law to be married instead to Christ] who is raised from the dead [to live forever].” Romans 7:4.

What does it mean to be married to Christ? A man named John, whom God gave a vision (supernatural mental imagery from God) wrote, “And I John saw the holy city [built by God for all the people whom God will save from eternal death (annihilation)], new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Revelation 21:2.

“For the marriage of the Lamb [Christ] is come, and his wife [the holy city of God containing all the saved, that is, all the sanctified] hath made herself ready.” Revelation 19:7.

“And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints [of those who are sanctified].” Revelation 19:8.

Thus, when Romans speaks of being “married to another, even to him [Christ] who is raised from the dead [to live forever]” (Romans 7:4), it means that you are included among the sanctified, who are those will inhabit God’s holy city and live forever with God.

Romans 7:4—Divorced by Christ

Now Romans says “that ye should be married to another, even to him [Christ]” (Romans 7:4) and “the LORD…God…saith that he hateth putting away” (Malachi 2:16), in other words, God hates “divorce.” Jeremiah 3:8.

And if “thou hast played the harlot [the prostitute] with many lovers [with many demons who are Satan and his evil angels]; [then] yet return again to me, saith the LORD [God].” Jeremiah 3:1.

Nevertheless, God says, “Thou…know thou…God…and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD [God] searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him [God, completely by becoming permanently fixed in Satan’s ways of wickedness], he [God] will cast thee off for ever.” 1 Chronicles 28:9.

And “His [God’s] power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.” Ezra 8:22.

So, Yes, Romans says “that ye should be married to another, even to him [Christ]” (Romans 7:4), but it is possible that Christ will divorce us if we become permanently fixed in Satan’s way of evil.

Romans 7:4—“Bring Forth Fruit Unto God”

Also, Romans says, “That ye should be married to another, even to him [Christ] who is raised from the dead [to live forever], that we should bring forth fruit unto God.” Romans 7:4. What does “bring forth fruit unto God” (Romans 7:4) mean?

Well, God says, “The fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [in the life of the justified] is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no [Moral] law.” Galatians 5:22, 23.

Thus, “now being made free from sin [being sanctified], and [have] become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life [from God].” Romans 6:22.

That is to say, when you have these character traits through the work of the Holy Spirit, you are keeping God’s Moral Law and, hence, will receive eternal life from God.

This then is what Romans means when it speaks of those that “bring forth fruit unto God.” Romans 7:4.

Note too that God says, “He [or she] that winneth souls [converts persons to Christ] is wise.” Proverbs 11:30. And this will be the natural result of the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, “they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament [the sky]; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever [will receive eternal life from God].” Daniel 2:3.

Romans 7:5—“The Motions (Passions, Impulses) of Sins”

We come now to unpacking the meaning of Romans Chapter 7 verse 5 which I have amplified as follows: “For when we were in the flesh [when we were united to the old the sinful nature before we became justified and married to Christ], the motions [passions, impulses] of sins, which were by the [Moral] law, did work in our members [in our body] to bring forth fruit unto [to manifest character traits that result in eternal] death [which is to be annihilated by God, if not repented of].” Romans 7:5.

“For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.” Romans 6:20. That is, the response of the natural sinful and rebellious nature of every human being to the Moral Law is that the law stirs up evil passions and impulses in the person.

This is evident by the antagonism and hostility of many people when they are confronted with the Moral Law, which is God’s law of love. Thus, such persons “bring forth fruit [character traits] unto [eternal] death [which is to be annihilated by God].” Romans 7:5.

Romans 7:6—“Delivered from the Law”

At this point, let us consider Romans Chapter 7 verse 6 which I have amplified as follows: “But now we are delivered from the [works of the Moral] law, that being [eternally] dead wherein we were held [by the works of the law]; that we should serve [God] in newness of spirit [of mind], and not in the oldness of the letter [of the Moral Law].” Romans 7:6.

Now we have already seen in this post that the works of the law cannot save any person from eternal death (annihilation) by God. But when we are in a spiritual connection with Christ, which is to say, when we are married to Christ, we have “newness of spirit [of mind]” (Romans 7:6) for we have the mind of Christ.

So, instead of striving in our own strength, in our own power, to keep the letter of the Moral Law, we keep the Moral Law because “the love of God is shed abroad [poured] in our hearts by the Holy Ghost [Holy Spirit] which is given unto us.” Romans 5:5.

TO BE CONTINUED…

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