When Christ died on the cross, we were delivered from the Law. We were pronounced guilty, sentenced to death, but thankfully Christ paid our debt in full by going to the cross for our sakes.
Romans 7:6 But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.
This will be the third “but now” of Paul’s we have looked at in the book of Romans. Again, we see the contrast between law and grace. It is amazing how many of these hidden treasure are being revealed to the Apostle Paul.
Remember, these precious truths were kept secret and were only made know to the apostle Paul directly by Jesus Christ.
Galatians 1:12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Freedom from the Law
Let’s take a look at this “but now” in Romans 7:6. Paul’s “but now” in this verse let’s us know about our freedom from the law. We are delivered from the power of the law which condemns us to death. We are no longer under the sentence of the law because Christ paid our penalty! This is made possible because of our identification with Christ, when we trusted in Him.
What a humbling thought to think that Christ was suffering that painful death on the cross, so that we may have eternal life. That outpouring of His love should motivate us to serve Him in love and joy.
“But now” we have been delivered from the law, so instead of toiling under the law producing waste, we are now empowered with our new relationship with Christ to serve in newness of Spirit and bear fruit for God.
Instead of death, we are given life. What an honor it is to serve a merciful God! If you are still under the yoke of sin, please trust in God’s finished work on the cross in your behalf. Trade in your shackles of death for God’s free gift of eternal life.
Rom. 7:1-6 Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man.
Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.
We did a 10-part series examining the “but now” of the Apostle Paul. Here is a list of the other articles in the series:
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