Romans 7:1-6: a reflection

1Or don’t you know, brothers (for I speak to men who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man for as long as he lives? 2For the woman that has a husband is bound by law to the husband while he lives, but if the husband dies, she is discharged from the law of the husband. 3So then if, while the husband lives, she is joined to another man, she would be called an adulteress. But if the husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress, though she is joined to another man. 4Therefore, my brothers, you also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you would be joined to another, to him who was raised from the dead, that we might produce fruit to God. 5For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were through the law worked in our members to bring out fruit to death. 6But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that in which we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter.

Paul explains that through Christ's death we have been released from the old bondage that held us, so that we now belong to the risen Christ and serve in the newness of the Spirit. You were made dead to the law through the body of Christ, Paul writes, that you would be joined to another, to him who was raised from the dead, that we might produce fruit to God. But now we have been discharged from that in which we were held, so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter. Paul pictures our former state as a bondage that held us, under which our sinful passions bore fruit to death. But through Christ's death, we have been released from that old bondage, discharged from what held us, so that we now belong to the risen Christ, joined to him, and serve in a new way, in the newness of the Spirit rather than the oldness of the letter, bearing fruit to God. This shows our release from the old bondage to belong to the risen Christ and serve in newness of the Spirit. You have been released from the old bondage to belong to the risen Christ. Live in the new freedom and union with Christ, not under the old bondage. We now serve in the newness of the Spirit, not the oldness of the letter. In Christ, you are joined to the living Lord to bear fruit for God.

Notice the transition Paul describes, from an old bondage to a new belonging. Formerly, Paul says, we were held under a bondage, and our sinful passions, at work in us, bore fruit to death. It was a state of bondage and death. But something has changed. Through the death of Christ, we have been made dead to what held us, discharged from that old bondage. And this release is not to lawlessness or to belonging to no one; it is so that we might be joined to another, to Christ who was raised from the dead, belonging now to the risen Lord. And the result is a new way of serving: not in the oldness of the letter, the old bondage, but in the newness of the Spirit, bearing fruit not to death but to God. This holds the heart of the good news for our lives. We are not left in the old bondage that held us, under which sin bore its fruit of death. Through Christ's death, we have been released, discharged from what held us, and joined to the risen Christ, belonging now to him. And this changes how we live: we serve in a new way, in the newness of the Spirit, bearing fruit for God, no longer under the old bondage. This is freedom and union: freed from what held us, joined to the living Lord. We do well to live in this new freedom and union with Christ, serving in the newness of the Spirit and bearing fruit for God, rather than living as though still under the old bondage. Live in the freedom of being released from the old bondage that held you. You belong now to the risen Christ, joined to the living Lord. Serve in the newness of the Spirit, not under the old bondage. Bear fruit for God, joined to the risen Christ.

That is worth taking to heart, for through Christ's death we are released from the old bondage to belong to the risen Christ and serve in newness of the Spirit, as Paul explains. We can live as though still under the old bondage; but through Christ's death we have been discharged from it and joined to the risen Lord, to serve in the newness of the Spirit. Live in the new. Do not live as though still under the old bondage; live in the freedom of belonging to the risen Christ, serving in the newness of the Spirit and bearing fruit for God. Live in the freedom of being released, through Christ's death, from the old bondage that held you, belonging now to the risen Christ and serving in the newness of the Spirit, as Paul explains that we were made dead to the law through the body of Christ that we would be joined to him who was raised from the dead and produce fruit to God, discharged from that in which we were held so that we serve in newness of the spirit and not the oldness of the letter; for Paul pictures our former state as a bondage that held us under which our sinful passions bore fruit to death, but through Christ's death we have been released from that old bondage and discharged from what held us so that we now belong to the risen Christ, joined to him, and serve in a new way in the newness of the Spirit rather than the oldness of the letter, bearing fruit to God, which holds the heart of the good news for our lives, that we are not left in the old bondage that held us under which sin bore its fruit of death but through Christ's death have been released and joined to the risen Christ, belonging now to him, which changes how we live, so that we serve in a new way in the newness of the Spirit and bear fruit for God no longer under the old bondage, freedom and union together, freed from what held us and joined to the living Lord, so that we do well to live in this new freedom and union with Christ.

Lord, Paul explains that through Christ's death we have been released from the old bondage that held us, so that we now belong to the risen Christ and serve in the newness of the Spirit. You were made dead to the law through the body of Christ, Paul writes, that you would be joined to another, to him who was raised from the dead, that we might produce fruit to God. But now we have been discharged from that in which we were held, so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter. Paul pictures my former state as a bondage that held me, under which my sinful passions bore fruit to death. But through Christ's death, I have been released from that old bondage, discharged from what held me, so that I now belong to the risen Christ, joined to him, and serve in a new way, bearing fruit to God. Show me the transition Paul describes, from an old bondage to a new belonging. Formerly, I was held under a bondage, and my sinful passions, at work in me, bore fruit to death. It was a state of bondage and death. But something has changed. Through the death of Christ, I have been made dead to what held me, discharged from that old bondage. And this release is not to lawlessness or to belonging to no one; it is so that I might be joined to another, to Christ who was raised from the dead, belonging now to the risen Lord. And the result is a new way of serving: not in the oldness of the letter, but in the newness of the Spirit, bearing fruit not to death but to you. This holds the heart of the good news for my life. I am not left in the old bondage that held me. Through Christ's death, I have been released, discharged from what held me, and joined to the risen Christ. And this changes how I live: I serve in a new way, in the newness of the Spirit, bearing fruit for you, no longer under the old bondage. This is freedom and union: freed from what held me, joined to the living Lord. Take that to my heart. Keep me from living as though still under the old bondage; help me live, Lord, in the freedom of belonging to the risen Christ, joined to the living Lord, serving in the newness of the Spirit and bearing fruit for you.