Status Change

Study of Romans: Message Thirteen

Wednesday Nights MFBC

Romans 7:1-6.

ETS: Paul taught that believers were driven by their relationship with Christ rather than their relationship with the law.

ESS: We should live to glorify and serve Christ.

OSS: [Doctrinal] {I want the hearers to understand the relationship believers have to the law.}

PQ:

What are the premises established by Paul?

UW: Premises

Intro.: [AGS]: Have you ever noticed on facebook the relationship status portion of people’s personal pages? For instance, when my wife and I were dating, I had it listed on my page that we were “in a relationship.” When we were engaged, it was listed “engaged to...” When we got married, I changed it to “married to...” There were obvious changes of relationship status throughout those days. [TS]: The text today records that through the death of Christ, there was a status change in the relationship between the law and humans. Believers are no longer driven by their relationship to the law. Rather, believers should be driven by their relationship with Christ. [RS]: Obviously, there probably has never been the binding to the law in your life like it was in the life of the Jews. However, is there a binding to do good- for the sake of being a good person? Is there the binding to check all of the religious boxes? Our issue is not the law or Judaism. Our issue is cultural Christianity that says- check the boxes, be a good person, have perfect church attendance, etc. When we die to our sin, though, our binding to that lifestyle should end. We should have a status change to those ideas- yes, those, perhaps are important to the Christian faith. Yet, they are not the essence of the Christian faith. Believers should be driven by their relationship with Christ.

TS: Let us examine a few premises established by Paul in this text:

NOTE: Wiersbe highlighted that chapter six seemed to be dedicated to one group (perhaps Gentiles) whereby they assumed the teaching gave “license” to sin and live carelessly; he further suggested chapter seven seemed to be dedicated to another group (perhaps Jews) whereby they dealt with the issue of “legalism” and a rigorous attraction and binding to the law- thus, struggling with the teaching of Paul. [1]

Binding obligations are canceled at death. [vv. 1-3]

Paul utilized an illustration of marriage. The purpose of the illustration is not meant to be stretched or over-spiritualized. It is simply to prove that death cancels binding obligations in relationships. [2]

The binding to the law was ended when Christ died. [v. 4a]

Interestingly, Paul stated that in a similar fashion as to that of the illustration, believers have undergone a death to sinfulness whereby their binding to the law is canceled or undone. This does not suggest that the law is no longer relevant nor is it applicable. Barnes commented to suggest this, “He does not say we are dead to it, or released from it as a rule of duty, or as a matter of obligation to obey it; for there neither is, nor can be, any such release, but we are dead to it as a way of justification and sanctification.” [3] Thus, there is status change within the relationship of the individual and the law.

In a sense, Paul communicated that in the coming of Jesus, the fulfillment of the law’s requirements deemed it ineffective in the life of an individual- thus, providing the opportunity for the individual to then be bound to the Gospel of Jesus rather than that of the law. [4]

APPLICATION: We should now be motived by our relationship with Jesus more than anything else.

Believers are now bound to Christ. [vv. 4b-6]

The latter part of verse 4 is key to this passage. It shows the status change in the relationship of the individual- the allegiance has been changed from the law to Christ.

The purpose of this is detailed in this phrase: in order that we may bear fruit for God.

Interesting observation: if indeed chapter 6 is dedicated to the Gentiles and chapter 7 to the Jews, notice this: the latter part of chapter 6 suggests the following:

There was fruit in the former life that led to death for Gentiles (6:21)

There is fruit in the new life resulting in sanctification leading to eternal life for the Gentiles (6:22)

Likewise, chapter 7 suggests the following:

There was fruit in the former life that led to death. (7:5)

There is fruit in the new life leading to a working for God. (7:4)

The same truth is present for both the Gentiles and the Jews: their old life led to death; the new life leads to eternal life. fruit is the connection of the two. The purpose is the same for both: bear fruit for God. Serve God. Live for God. Be sanctified by God.

Regarding the last verse, notice these things:

The harsh conjunction setting an obvious contrast. νυνἰ δἐ

Our allegiance is now to Jesus Christ- living and serving in the newness of the Spirit and not in the old letter of the law. Barnes wrote, “The main idea is, that the services under the gospel are purely and entirely spiritual, the offering of the heart, and not the service rendered by external forms and rites.” [5]

APPLICATION: The fruit of our lives should now be a result of the newness of the Spirit within us; not that of external sacrifices or rituals seeking to earn our way. We are bound to Christ- living for Him.

Takeaways:

[1] Do you love Jesus for who He is/what He has done, or do you still try to appease Him through your good deeds?

Bibliography:

[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, Romans, Be Right: How to be Right with God, Yourself, and Others (Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 1977), 83.

[2] Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament: Romans, ed. Robert Frew (London: Blackie & Son, 1884–1885), 153.

[3] Barnes, 154.

[4] Adam Clarke, The Holy Bible with a Commentary and Critical Notes, New Edition., vol. 6 (Bellingham, WA: Faithlife Corporation, 2014), 82.

[5] Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament: Romans, ed. Robert Frew (London: Blackie & Son, 1884–1885), 156–157.