December 15, 2001, Vol.1,
No.12.
Two new articles every two weeks.
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us.
THIS ISSUE: "The
Ten Commandments, Part 6" (see below)
and "The Ten Commandments,
Part 7"
The Ten Commandments,
Part 6:
"Married to Christ"
by Keith Sharp
In his letter to the saints in Rome, the apostle Paul presents
as his theme, the gospel, God's power to save all who believe
(Romans 1:16-17). This is equivalent to justification by faith
apart from the law (Romans 3:20-31). The law that is no part
of our justification is the law given through Moses to Israel
(Romans 2:12-27; 3:21).
Two questions need to be answered. Is the law by which we
are not to be justified limited to the so-called "ceremonial
law," or does it include the Ten Commandments? Has this
law actually been abrogated, or is Paul simply teaching justification
by faith alone apart from keeping any law? The apostle answers
both these questions in Romans 7:1-7.
A favorite theme of Paul's is freedom or liberty (Romans 6:18,22;
7:3; 8:2,20-21; Galatians 2:4; 4:26, 31; 5:1,13). In Romans six
Paul argues that the Christian is free from sin (6:17-18). In
chapter seven he argues that those in Christ are free from the
law (7:4).
In Romans 7:1-6 the apostle answers the question, How and
why did freedom from the law occur? He does this by using an
analogy with marriage.
Law has dominion ("jurisdiction" - NASB)
over a person while that person lives (verse 1). The Mosaic covenant
provided for the remarriage of a woman whose husband had died
(Deuteronomy 25:5). Thus, the law implied that a woman could
not be married to another man so long as her husband lived (verse
2). Of course, this was the general principle, for the law did
allow the husband to divorce his wife for uncleanness (Deuteronomy
24:1-4). But that is irrelevant to the apostle's illustration.
Thus, the woman who married another while her husband was living
was an adulteress (verse 3a; cf. Leviticus 20:10). But the death
of the husband freed her to marry another (verse 3b).
The principle of law is that death ends one's obligation to
law (whether marital law, spiritual law, civil law, or any other).
When her husband dies, a woman is released from his rule (verses
2-3).
They were dead to the law (verse 4). It is true that Jesus'
death on the cross abrogated the law (Colossians 2:13-14). But
in this passage, it was the Jewish Christians who had died, not
the law. When we are baptized into Christ, we are united with
His death, burial and resurrection (Romans 6:3-6). As He died,
we die with Him (Galatians 2:20). As He lives anew, so do we
(Ibid). Their death with Christ had released them from the law,
so they could be married to Christ. If they kept the law, they
were guilty of spiritual adultery against Christ. Now that they
were married to Christ, rather than sinning, they should bear
fruit to God.
The Old Covenant was fleshly (verse 5) in that under that
covenant membership was by means of fleshly descent from Jacob,
the token of the covenant was fleshly circumcision, the promises
primarily pertained to the flesh, and the laws themselves dealt
with such material things as proper and improper foods.
The end result of the law was "fruit" (sin) leading
to death (verse 5).
But, thankfully "we" (Jewish Christians, including
Paul) were delivered from that law that brought only death (verse
6). This occurred by their dying to the law when they died with
Christ. Now they "serve in the newness of the Spirit"
(the New Testament). (verse 6; 2 Corinthians 3:5-8).
This does not mean the law is sin (i.e., the cause of sin)
(verse 7). Rather, it affords the one under it the knowledge
of sin (verse 7; cf. 3:20). Jews knew it was wrong to covet what
belonged to others because the law said, "You shall not
covet." (Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:21). Of course, this
is a direct quote of the last of the Ten Commandments. The law
to which we are dead includes the Ten Commandments.
What are the answers to our questions? The law that was abrogated
includes the Ten Commandments. We are dead to them, no longer
under their jurisdiction. Thus, not only are we not justified
by keeping them, we are not to subject ourselves to them. To
do so is to commit adultery against Christ.
Does this mean we can worship idols, use the Lord's name in
vain, curse our parents, commit murder and adultery, steal, lie
and covet with God's approval? No, the law of Christ, which we
are under (1 Corinthians 9:19-22), forbids all these sins (Acts
14:14-15; 17:22-31; 2 Timothy 3:2; Ephesians 6:1-3; 1 John 3:15;
Hebrews 13:4; Ephesians 4:28, 25; Colossians 3:5).
I was born in Southwest Texas. Texas won its independence
from Mexico in 1836. The law of Mexico forbids murder. Does that
mean murder is legal in Texas? No, because the law of the State
of Texas also forbids murder. One who illegally takes human life
in Texas will be punished, not because he violated the law of
Mexico, but because he violated the law of Texas.
It is sinful to worship idols, use the Lord's name in vain,
curse our parents, commit murder and adultery, steal, lie and
covet, not because the Ten Commandments forbid these things,
but because Christ does.
But what about keeping the Sabbath? That's another
study.
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