Loosed from the Law Romans 7:2
Signs
of the Times—October 15, 1869.
Very Dear and Much Esteemed Brother Beebe:
Will you please give your views, through the “Signs of the Times,” on Romans
7:2, and much oblige your brother in tribulation, if a brother at all. William
Brickey, Red
Reply: The passage proposed for consideration reads thus:
“For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long
as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her
husband.” The law of marriage which Moses gave to the Hebrews, as well as that
law which was from the beginning, to which our Savior referred in his answer to
the Pharisees, (Matt. 19:3-9), was probably well understood by the saints to
whom the apostle was directing his discourse, and his allusion to it was for the
purpose of illustrating the redemption of the church from under the law, and her
marriage to Christ, which was not so clearly understood. It was frequently the
case that Christ and the apostles used subjects which were familiar to the
saints to show by analogy the meaning of things which were more obscure to them.
There are but few lessons in the gospel, which the saints have been more slow to
learn and fully comprehend, than that of our release from the law, and marriage
to Christ. The natural inclination of our carnal mind is to legality, to a
system of works, and just so far as we are ignorant of God’s righteousness, like
the carnal Jews, we go about to establish our own righteousness, in doing which
we look to the law for a rule, and to our own strength for ability to meet the
requisitions, and vainly suppose that we can in that manner commend ourselves to
God. But the declaration of the Scriptures is, By the deeds of the law, no flesh
living can be justified in the sight of God; And as many as are of the works of
the law are under the curse.
The force of the apostle’s argument will more clearly appear
when we consider the nature and dominion of law. Paul was speaking to them who
know the law, knew that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth.
The law of the land in which we dwell extends its authority over living
subjects, but cannot hold dominion over us when we are dead. So long, therefore,
as we are subjects of the law which Paul in this connection calls a ministration
of condemnation, and a law of sin and death, we are disqualified to be subjects
of the law of Christ. No man can serve two masters. But if the law which we were
under has convicted us of sin, and put us to death, it can extend its dominion
no farther. If our sins were all laid on Christ, and he died our death, then we
became dead to the law, and being quickened in the resurrection life of Christ,
we are no more under the law that has slain us, but are under law to him who has
raised us up from the dead. “I was alive once without the law, but when the
commandment came, sin revived and I died.” Still more clearly to illustrate this
subject, the law of matrimony is used in the text under consideration. The woman
which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth.
That is, she is bound by the law of God. No human law can dissolve the
relationship. Our legislatures may legalize adultery by granting divorcements,
as they are called; but the relationship of husband and wife can only be
dissolved by death. So stood the case with us in our relation to the law which
held dominion over us, and which poured its curses upon our heads. No power
could release us from its dominion, nor abate its severity, or shield us from
its cursings. As long as we were under the law we were under its curse; and its
dominion was so long as we lived under it. But when the law had exhausted all
its wrath and vengeance on us in our Head, and we were buried with him by
baptism into death, the relation ceased; the law was no longer our husband; the
legal covenant, by its own well defined limitation expired, and left the church
in her resurrection life free from Moses, free from the ministration of
condemnation, and free to be married to him that is risen from the dead, that
she might bring forth fruit unto God. “But now we are delivered from the law,
that being dead wherein we were held, that we should serve in newness of spirit,
and not in the oldness of the letter,” (Rom. 7:6). “Wherefore, my brethren, ye
also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that ye should be married
to another, even to him that is raised from the dead,” (Rom. 7:4). David loved
Bathsheba while she was the wife of Uriah the Hitite, but his marriage to her
could not be legally consummated so long as Uriah lived. And Christ so loved the
church that he gave himself for it. She could not be legally wedded to Christ in
the New Covenant relation, until every jot and tittle of the law was fulfilled.
The marriage nuptials of the Lamb could not be legalized until the covenant she
was under to Moses was lawfully annulled.
“So then, if while her husband liveth she be married to
another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband be dead, she
is free from the law; so that she is no adulteress though she be married to
another man,” (Rom. 7:3). As a woman who has a living husband cannot be married
to another man without involving the guilt of adultery, so neither can we be
married to Christ until we first become fully dead to the law, and the law dead
to us. Such a union would be unlawful and adulterous.
The church under the legal covenant was in bondage, and the
bond woman, in Paul’s allegory, was mount Sinai, in Arabia, answering to
Jerusalem, under the Sinai covenant, in bondage with her children, (Gal. 4:25).
But whom the Son maketh free, are free indeed. He has redeemed his people from
the dominion, as well as from the curse, of that covenant; and having removed
the legal impediment out of the way, has betrothed her unto himself in
righteousness. She is no adulteress in her marriage to Christ; for her
obligation to Moses are fully, justly and righteously canceled; and Moses is
dead, and cannot pursue her over
“My guilt and wretchedness he knows, Yet takes and owns me
for his spouse; My debts he pays and sets me free, And makes his riches o’er to
me. My filthy rags are laid aside; He clothes me as becomes his bride; Himself
bestows my wedding dress, The robe of perfect righteousness.”
Who that has been slain by the law, and raised from the dead
by the resurrection life of Christ, would wish to leave his sacred embrace, to
go in search of the dead body of Moses? Our dead husband never blessed, but
always cursed us. Our living husband always blesses and never curses. The former
required everything, but furnished nothing; but the latter furnishes everything
freely, and demands nothing in payment. Then let us with cheerful hearts love,
honor and obey him in all things, and never seek another lover.
