Through the Body of Christ

Today we want to build on our understanding gained last week as we started a careful exposition of these very, very important verses. And I remind you that this is foundational to each and every true Christian, this is talking exclusively regarding what is true of all who are in Christ Jesus; if this does not describe you, you are not a Christian at all.

Starting from first-principles, Paul has established and reminded us of how law works in verse 1, that “the law is master over a person as long as he lives.”

Romans 7:1 LSB

Or do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is master over a person as long as he lives?

When a person dies, they are in a legal sense, “free”; the law is no longer able to control or direct their behavior, for it is completely unable to compel them in the manner they should act. They have passed beyond its reach, it can no longer punish them for any transgressions made prior to their death, nor are they able to cross its boundary-lines any longer, for they are dead and unable to act against it. The relationship which once bound that person under the law, which they could not break, has been severed, they no longer are under its dominion. But until that person dies, they are, and always will be, under its authority. They may protest against it, they may chafe under it, they may disagree with it all they want, they may run from it, but so long as the law says what it says, they are obligated to obey it or else to undergo its punishments.

This is indeed a universal and general character of law, it is not isolated to certain laws in certain places, but it is pervasive throughout each and every legal system which has ever been in place.

And not just the legal devices of man, even the law of God follows this principle; the Law given to Moses most certainly worked this way, but even the Gentiles have a law to themselves, naturally doing the things of the Law of Moses, demonstrating the work of the Law written in their hearts, yet not having the advantage of the Jew who had the specificity of the oracles of God. “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind,’” Jesus had said of this law of God in Matthew 22, “‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets!”

And so then in the next 2 verses, Paul has focused our minds down from that general principle to the particular case of a marriage, first laying down the principle in verse 2,

Romans 7:2 LSB

For the married woman has been bound by law to her husband while he is living, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband.

Now remember, he is still only laying down the basic principles here, he’s not yet come to a specific discussion about us. And what he is reminding us here, is that even in the case of marriage, it is the law which binds a wife under the authority and dominion of her husband. And, importantly, that when either party dies, the living party is then freed, they are no longer bound to the other, the rule and authority is then set aside, the marriage has been in a sense fulfilled, it has concluded and it no longer remains.

And so there is a certain conclusion, or a certain deduction to be made from this principle that the apostle needs us to be certain to comprehend. We might easily deduce it ourselves, but it is vital to his whole argument that we comprehend the resulting principle in v3:

Romans 7:3 LSB

So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man.

In other words, it would violate law itself if a woman, while under the authority of her husband, is joined to another. Leviticus 20:10 declared explicitly, “‘If there is a man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, one who commits adultery with his friend’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death”, Deuteronomy 22 expands this to include even those betrothed to another.

Other ancient laws had similarly dire consequences, the Code of Hammurabi, king of Babylon, required a woman guilty of adultery to be drowned; the Akkadian Code of Eshnunna required they be bound and cast into the water. Moving forward in time, under the Roman Republic, a husband held the ancient right to kill his wife if he ever caught her in adultery - no trial was considered necessary, the matter being resolved by the family themselves. Later in the Empire days, Roman law only intervened when the family themselves did not wish to exact the punishment.

But the fact remains, that adultery, especially to God, is a deadly serious business. Throughout Scripture, biblical law treats adultery as a violation of the covenant relationship between God and Israel – it is abhorrent, and was not to be tolerated. Had the Holy Spirit not come upon Mary, had she not been overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, Joseph would have been righteous to put her away, we read in Matthew 1:19.

Now I need to be absolutely clear here: up through verse 3, Paul is doing the same thing he did in chapter 6 verses 7 and 16; he has thus far only reminded us of the universal principles which everyone ought to agree on; there is no special or secret meaning in them for the believer, as opposed to anyone else – so far.

But then, he gets to the point of all of this groundwork he has laid for us here in verse 4, it has not simply been idle chatter, but he has a very specific point he has been coming to:

Romans 7:4 LSB

So, my brothers, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.

Almost as a picture coming all at once into precise focus, Paul reveals the very specific purpose he’s taken such care to build his argument:

He established already that the law is absolute as long is a person is alive, a death is necessary to release a person from the law in verse 1; here he declares that we “were made to die to the law.”

He established that a married woman is bound by law to her husband in verse 2, and that in the event of a death the living party is free to remarry; here in verse 4 he shows that through the death which brought us out from under the Law, we “might be joined to another” – to our Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

In verse 3, he established that a woman who is joined to another man while her husband is still living is an adulteress, but in the event of one of the spouses dying, the other is free to remarry; in verse 4, we were made to die to the Law first, in order that we may then be joined to Him who was raised from the dead.

And once again, we realize that he is not writing to just anybody, rather he is writing to “my brothers”. Not his kinsmen according to the flesh, but to everyone who is a Christian, but even though he had just addressed his readers as brothers in verse 1, he is now once again reminding them of just who it is he’s talking to. If repetition is the oral equivalent of emphasizing by underlining or italicizing on the written page, as I have often said, then we ought to take great care to emphasize this is any exposition of the text.

And it is entirely right to do so here, for there was confusion then, as well as confusion today, about what makes a person a Christian; our present confusion may be more widespread among people in churches, but Paul glories in these small reminders of what it means to be “Christian”. People are so very enamored with calling themselves and others “christian” in this age, that they often do not take time to consider what a Christian actually is. Following your parents into church membership, being baptized with water, and even saying with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” without this change Paul describes for us will never save a person. After all, even the Lord Jesus Christ Himself said In Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.”

And here, the apostle is laying it out in a clear and concise manner, that we must be certain we don’t miss these things. Before we get to the specifics, let’s make three general observations:

The first thing you will notice in the verse, is that there is nothing here which we have done. Did I make myself die to the Law? No! I didn’t, I couldn’t. I was made to die to the Law, something outside of me caused this to happen. Did I join myself to another? No! I didn’t, I couldn’t! I was still under the Law, to be joined to another would be adulterous, it would have been abhorrent! Just as I was made to die to the Law, so also was I made to be joined to another.

Secondly, although it might not be quite as apparent in English, there are no present-tense statements here. There are no future-tense statements here. Everything in this verse is aorist-tense. It is all something that has already happened, it is completely over and done with, it is not continuing even now. If you are in Christ, all of this verse is already true of you; and conversely, if you are not in Christ, none of this is true of you. It is all or nothing, you can’t have it both ways, there are no incomplete Christians in this regard.

Lastly in this general sense, notice that all this was done for a particular and ultimate purpose, “that we might bear fruit for God”. We are not simply released from the penalty of sin and left to do as we wish; no, our salvation has a distinct and particular purpose which points not at ourselves, but at God.

Sadly, there are many so-called Christians who do not believe these things, they do not understand these things. Whether due to preaching and teaching which denies it, whether due to rejecting this, or whether due to never having heard it, it does not matter here. The apostle is absolutely clear on this matter, and in truth he’s said it time and again, nearly continually, since the first part of Chapter 5. But because he repeats it under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, how can I do otherwise?!

Now we’ve somewhat already said this, but it bears repeating, that when Paul writes, “you also were made to die to the Law”, we ought to be clear that this is not a natural death. The Authorized is quite wrong what it says “ye also are become dead to the law”; this is no accident, nor is it simply that I died of so-called “natural causes”. No, there is a violence and intent here, it is “to be put to death” such as by hanging or stoning.

But of even greater importance, is how this happens: and let us be clear that it is completely and entirely through our Lord Jesus Christ, and even more specifically, “through the body of Christ”.

There is a fallacy alive and well today which focuses only on the teachings of Christ, looking to the sayings of Jesus, exalting in the blessings he pronounces there. But salvation is not some modification of our behavior, to stop doing this and start doing that.

No, our being put to death to the Law, is through “the body of Christ.” What is this? Why this focus on His body?

Because God is Spirit (Jn 4:24), and none can behold His face and live (Ex 33:20). The fact that Christ Jesus had a body is immensely important to us, 1 John 4:2-3 declares, “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God...” Peter, also, made a great deal of Christ’s body in 1 Peter 4:1, “Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose...” The writer to the Hebrews also said there in Heb 2:14 “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same...”

In other words, the fact that Jesus Christ had a body like ours, is a point made time and again throughout the New Testament. Why? Let us consider together what has happened to that body:

Galatians 4:4–5 LSB

But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

The incarnation of Christ, His coming in the flesh as a newborn babe, is vital to our being put to death to the Law.

And so, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law. The Son, the second person of the Trinity, left the flory which He had with the Father before the world was (Jn 17:5), and willfully placed Himself under the authority of the Law. Heb 2:9 declared that He “...was made for a little while lower than the angels...”,

Jesus not only kept the law in every detail, but He also proved Himself righteous before God in every regard, even going so far as to go to John to be baptized for repentance, Matthew 3:15 saying “for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” He wasn’t just partially righteous, but wholly and completely righteous in all that He did!

But what else happened to “the body of Christ”? In order for us to be redeemed, in order for us to be purchased from sin, Jesus Christ also had to submit fully and finally to the Law, not solely in meeting its requirements, but also in meeting its conclusion; as long as He remained alive, He could still give in to temptation, so the Law had run its full course, including its punishment.

And even in the punishment of the Law, death on a Roman cross, His focus was not on Himself, but His Father, Luke 23:46 recording for us, “And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.” Having said this, He breathed His last.”

1 Peter 2:24 tells that He “...Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree...”, He concluded His time under the Law through the death of His body. “A covenant is valid,” Hebrews 9 explains to us, “only when men are dead.” Why? Because if you are alive you can break that covenant, you may refuse to honor it. Only after you are dead can it be fully proven that you have kept it; only after you have breathed your last can the covenant be fulfilled.

In the same vein of thinking, Jesus Christ had to die, to be put to death under the Law, to fully and with finality submit to it in its entirety. Only then could it be proven he had kept the whole of it, without fail.

So He died, and His body was buried in a new, unused tomb, sealed there by order of the rulers and authorities.

Now notice again Romans 7:4,

Romans 7:4 LSB

So, my brothers, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.

Notice the peculiar phrase, “so that you may be joined to another”, and we expect Paul to say, “to Jesus Christ”. And he does in a way say that, but he does so by bringing to the fore of our minds that Jesus is “Him who was raised from the dead”!

Yes, that body was on a Roman cross. Yes, that body endured unimaginable pain. Yes, that body was buried in a borrowed tomb. But. the body of Jesus Christ was also literally, physically resurrected. The Law was completely fulfilled, it had held forth its requirements, it set the standard, it enforced its reign, and it even was brought to is full and final conclusion. And when all of that was entirely accomplished, when He had conquered sin, when he had answered even the final demand of the Law, He also conquered death! He was raised from the dead, in His body. The grave, which once stood as a certificate of His death, is now empty and serves instead as a testimony to death having been conquered!

It is altogether fitting and proper, then, that we realize that our being made to die to the Law, must of necessity start not with us, but with Him, with Jesus Christ our Lord!

“And He is the head of the body, the church; Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,” (Colossians 1:18-19)

Salvation does not begin with us. Not a single one of us woke up one morning and decided out of the blue to choose Him. No, no, my friends! He chose me! He saved me! I could never have saved myself, I could never have avoided the need to be saved!

But thanks be to God, that in His love for us, God also put His holiness and His righteousness and His justice on display; that the eternal and unchangeable Law was not ignored but rather fulfilled in Christ Jesus, that we also “were made to die to the Law, through the body of Christ, so that we might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.”

Lord willing, we will finish our look at this tremendous thing next week.

Let us pray!