Hard Verses: Free from the Law?

"But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law." (Rom. 7:6 NIV)

Many Christians celebrate that they are "free from the law," based on Paul's teaching in Romans 7. Now, I do believe that I am free from the law, but, what does "law" refer to in this verse? If you believe it is the "Old Testament Law," or the "Law of Moses," or anything like that, I want to urge you to reconsider. I am not free from that law, and neither are you, and that's a really good thing!

Consider a few verses for context. The Bible teaches that it is the Word of God. Paul himself says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." (2 Tim. 3:16 NIV) He is not only including, but focusing on the Old Testament in this passage because the New Testament was only beginning to be recognized as Scripture at this point.

What does the Old Testament say about the laws that are found there?:

"Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." (Jos. 1:8 NIV)

"Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither-- whatever they do prospers. (Ps. 1:1-3 NIV)

"Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD." (Ps. 119:1 NIV)

Verses that speak highly of the law and the blessings it brings are abundant in the Old Testament. I simply chose three examples above. The same is true in the New Testament.

James wrote, "But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it-- not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it-- they will be blessed in what they do." (Jas. 1:25 NIV)

Paul himself added, "So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. (Rom. 7:12 NIV)

Now, John did say, "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (Jn. 1:17 NIV) Christians often quote this verse to say, "See, we used to have to follow the law, but now we are under grace." However, look at what John said in the previous verse: "Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given." (Jn. 1:17 NIV) John was saying that "grace and truth" came through Jesus Christ in addition to the "grace already given," meaning the law given through Moses.

Jesus unequivocally said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 5:17 NIV)

So what was Paul saying in Romans 7?

Let's trace the whole line of his argument, starting in the beginning of Romans:

1. Romans 1:18-3:20: Jews and Gentiles alike are guilty of sin and are condemned by "The Law," even if they don't know specifically about the Law of Moses:

"Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin." (Rom. 3:19-20 NIV)

2. Romans 3:21-4:25: Both Jews and Gentiles are made righteous through faith and not by keeping all of the commandments of the law. The idea of salvation through faith was always in place, both before and after the Law of Moses was given. In fact, the Law itself teaches this:

"But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify." (Rom. 3:21 NIV)

"For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law." (Rom. 3:28 NIV)

"It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith." (Rom. 4:13 NIV)

3. Then, in Romans 6 Paul teaches that we "have died to sin," (Rom. 6:2 NIV) "our old self was crucified," (Rom. 6:6 NIV) and "sin shall no longer be your master." (Rom. 6:14 NIV) He never implies that the law has died or that the law is no longer a guide for believers who want to enjoy the blessings of following the law, or that any part of the law has been replaced by a different law.

In Romans 7, Paul uses an illustration to explain more. He says that a married woman cannot marry another man while her husband is still living. If she did, she would break the law, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." But if her husband dies, she is now free to marry another man without breaking that law. Paul concludes,

"So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God." (Rom. 7:4 NIV) He goes on to say that we have been "released from the law." (Rom. 7:6 NIV)

Now, in this illustration, note that the law itself does not die, only the woman's relationship to it. It was still a sin to commit adultery both before and after her husband died. Paul is talking about being bound to the law in a way that leads us to condemnation (see Rom. 3:19-20 above). As long as we pursue righteousness through works of the law, we cannot pursue it through faith in Jesus Christ. When we die with Christ, we are released from our slavery to works-based righteousness that produced death in us, and we can now pursue it through faith in Christ, resulting in obedience to the commands under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. (See Romans 8)

What "died" is not the Old Testament Law, but "another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me." (Rom. 7:23) We are now set free from "the law of sin and death," (Rom. 8:2) not the "holy, righteous and good" commandments of God. 

The closest the Bible comes to saying that any commands have been done away with is in Hebrews 8:

"By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear." (Heb. 8:13 NIV)

"Obsolete" should probably be translated "old" here, which is how the word is used earlier in Hebrews and the author is using it to contrast with "new" in this verse. Here, the author is specifically talking about the Old Testament sacrificial system. He identifies that the problem was not with the system, but with the people themselves. The New Covenant is a better covenant, so the Old Covenant system is no longer as important as it was before. Eventually, it will no longer serve any purpose. But note that even here the author says it will "soon disappear." He recognizes that a role (albeit a diminished one) still exists for the Old Testament sacrificial system. He is saying nothing at all about the other commands in the Old Testament.

Does this mean that all Christians need to keep all the commands in the Old Testament, including strict restrictions on Sabbath day activities and dietary laws? For more on this, see my post, "Hard Verses: Be Perfect??"

In short, because we have died to the "law of sin and death" we are now free to "delight in God's law" (meaning all the commands in the whole Bible) (Rom. 8:2, 7:22). 

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