"Belonging to Another" Romans 7:1–6

We oftentimes justify and excuse and embrace the events or situations or the people in our lives that have caused us distress and harm.

! Why do we do this? Why do we struggle with the truth?

The reality of naming the very thing that is causing us pain and therefore look for a remedy, look for a solution.

The Apostle Paul will describe our relationship with sin using a new metaphor in our section.

And in doing so, he will help us see that the freedom that is promised by sin is no freedom at all, but actually a captivity.

And we would do well with understanding it for what it is and not making peace with it, or even worse, justifying it and living not according to the truth, but according to the lie.

That sin promises freedom, but instead it makes our wills captive, takes our wills captive.

So, the question I'm going to ask you this morning, have you developed a Stockholm Syndrome with sin?

Have you become sympathetic to your captor?

As we open up Romans 7, and we're just looking at the first six verses, verses 1 to 6,

we're going to take a look at two different aspects of the text.

The first is the bondage that Paul describes, and then secondly, the belonging that Paul describes.

Bondage and belonging.

We'll jump right into it this morning, looking at verses 1, 2, 3.

This is what the Apostle Paul says,

Or do you not know, brothers and sisters, for I am speaking to those who know the law,

that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives.

For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives,

but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage.

Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive.

But if her husband dies, she is free from that law.

And if she marries another man, she is not an adulteress.

Paul continues his lesson on the relationship between the Christian and grace,

and the Christian and the law.

He has done so since chapter 5.

We're not going to do a recap, but chapters 5, 6, and 7 are really Paul's explanation

on how we are to live in light of sin as Christians,

how we are to live in light of the law as Christians.

And he is seeking to answer the question,

how then are we to live in light of what Christ has done?

Paul has come across as being very negative towards the law thus far.

He has said that the law defines what sin is,

that the law convicts us of sin,

and actually that the law reveals the wrath of God against sin in us.

The law is even said, we'll see later on in verse 5,

to arouse sin in us.

Paul sums it all up in chapter 6, verse 14,

when he says that because we are no longer under the law,

sin no longer has dominion over us.

So Paul, over these past few chapters, these past few verses,

he has connected the law to sin, to death,

to all sorts of oppression.

But how can Paul say what he says about the law?

We'll just back up a little bit.

Paul is a very devout, learned Jewish man.

He knows the scriptures.

He is very learned.

He studied under some of the best rabbis of his day.

He would have been immersed in the scriptures from a very young age.

So therefore, how can Paul say what he says about the law?

When we have Psalm 19, for instance,

where King David talks of the law,

not in just kind of neutral terms,

but he is gushing over the law.

I'll just read a portion of Psalm 19, starting in verse 7.

This is King David.

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.

The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

Verse 8.

The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.

The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.

The rules of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

Moreover, verse 11.

By them is your servant warned.

In keeping them, that is the law, there is great reward.

That is a completely different way to approach the law.

What is happening with the Apostle Paul?

Is he forgetting or disavowing everything that he has learned?

All the scriptures that affirm what the law is?

Who gave the law?

One of the very important rules when you read the scriptures,

an interpretive rule,

is that you ought not to read one part of scripture

in such a way that negates another part of scripture.

We understand the scriptures as a cohesive unit,

written by many writers over many centuries,

but all inspired by the Holy Spirit,

guided their pens, their quills,

guided by the Holy Spirit,

guided by God,

therefore there is a unity in message

and a coherence in the scriptures.

So then, how do we approach what Paul is saying here?

If that's the case.

So previously, Paul has,

he has used similar language,

like I've mentioned before,

to describe the law,

likening it to sin,

or to the old self,

to death and to unrighteousness,

all of which we have been freed

from the power of under Christ

with the free gift of grace

that God has given us in his son.

So, why does Paul then include the law in this?

And this is, I think, an important part

as we get into the rest of this text,

and it is this reason.

Because the law among other uses,

and the law has more than just one use,

but the law among its other uses,

is the means God uses to open our eyes

to the sinful and depraved reality

that is the human heart.

The human heart has a bent towards evil

and selfishness

and a self-serving aspect of life.

The human heart,

the unregenerated human heart,

the human heart that is riddled with sin,

it is one that can never truly choose good

for good's sake.

There's always a utilitarian aspect

to choosing good.

It has to be for our benefit.

The human heart is a sinful one.

And the law is God's way

that he helps us to open our eyes

to this reality.

So, to be under the law,

and by the way, I'll just say

that's a very good thing, okay?

That's a good use of the law.

That's God-given.

So therefore, to be under the law

is to understand that

we aren't sinners because we sin,

but we sin because we are sinners.

And that's a very, very, very

important distinction.

We're not sinners because we sin.

We sin because we are sinners.

And this is what the law does.

It helps us to understand this reality.

And more so that we cannot break away

from this reality.

We are bound to it.

We are held captive to it.

This is what Paul is referring to here.

He is not contradicting David in Psalm 19.

The law is also part of God's revelation

of himself to us.

It is a picture of what just living ought to be.

Remember the Ten Commandments,

which I would assume that everybody,

I mean, would affirm,

the vast majority of the Ten Commandments anyways,

whether they're Christians or not Christians.

It is a universal

that murder is a bad thing.

Okay?

That stealing is unjust.

That bearing false witness

is not something to be celebrated.

The law is a very good thing.

However,

the law here in chapter 7

seems to be a shorthand

for our utter inability

to overcome our propensity to sin,

reminding us that we sin

because we are sinners.

We cannot live righteously.

And our ultimate destiny

is not heaven,

but hell.

We are bound by sin.

We cannot master it.

In fact, it masters us.

We are bound to the understanding

of how sinful we are

without an ability

to truly remedy our situation.

It is,

what Paul is saying here,

shorthand to say,

we are

we are

completely hopeless

in and of ourselves

to remedy

the problem of sin.

So,

returning to the metaphor

in verses 2 and 3,

Paul draws our attention

to the fact

that we are bound

to the law

for all our living days.

Just as a wife

is bound to her husband

as long as she lives,

if she wants to pursue

another lover,

she cannot do so

without committing adultery.

The marital union

is binding,

Paul is saying,

which is language

used to describe

a ruling over

or a lording over,

almost an imperial authority.

And I'm not going

to make a comment

on that's the nature

of marriage,

but the language used

is not an optional union,

but it is one

that is binding

upon the person.

And this binding

cannot be unbound

save for death.

So,

I'm going to pause

just briefly here.

The text

isn't in any way

a definitive section

in scripture

on marriage

and divorce.

There are other

passages in scripture

that will shed

more light on it.

That's kind of

the thrust

of other scriptures,

not this one.

Here,

Paul assumes

that the readers,

both Jewish

and non-Jewish,

understand

the legalities

of marriage.

marriage.

But for us,

this could be

a very hard teaching.

I think it's

a hard teaching

because we have had

successive generations

where,

here in Canada,

where no-fault divorce

has been the,

essentially the law

of the land.

At least since 1968,

that was when

Parliament

introduced

and passed

the Divorce Act

and it was

amended

to expand

or maybe

not expand

but to limit

the scope

of what was

legitimate divorce.

It basically

opened up

no-fault divorce

to be

the prevailing

sentiment

of what it

meant to be married

or how to end

one's marriage.

So,

divorce has been

a part of

our Canadian

existence

for successive

generations.

and I would

wager

that everybody

here,

either explicitly

or implicitly,

has felt

divorce.

Whether it's

directly,

you're a child

of divorce

or you've been

through divorce

yourself,

or you have

family members,

you have friends,

you have co-workers,

divorce is very

prevalent

and therefore

it's unbelievably

sensitive.

So,

again,

this is an

aside from

the text,

I just think

it's an

important thing

to address.

Divorce is

tragic.

It's tragic.

There's no

instance where

it ought to

be celebrated,

although

sometimes

it is

necessary.

The scripture

holds marriage

up as a

lifelong

sacred

and honorable

institution,

but in doing

so,

what the

scripture

doesn't do

is give

license for

abuse or

adultery.

so lawful

divorce has

always been

by death,

but the

church has

understood

that there

are kinds

of death

that warrant

a divorce.

Again,

tragic,

but nevertheless,

and we can

talk about this

at coffee,

outside if you

want,

or send me

an email if

I've touched

a raw nerve.

I'm happy to

either weather

a bit of a

tirade against

me for what

I've said or

to help you

walk through

some difficult

times.

I'm here for

you.

But it's

always been

abandonment,

adultery,

and abuse

as forms of

death that

have warranted

a lawful but

tragic reason

for a couple

to end

their marriage.

Okay,

that's the

aside.

Let's get

back into

the text.

Back to the

metaphor.

Paul is

helping us

see that

the law

is so

binding,

and this is

what he's

really trying

to get at

here,

that the

law is so

binding upon

us that

our only

way out

is to

die,

which is

a very

terribly

high price

to pay,

one we

cannot pay,

and also

still enjoy

the benefits

of freedom.

We will

either live

bound to

the law

or be

dead

and free

from it.

Once again,

we find

ourselves in

a hopeless

conundrum.

Paul will

now turn

to,

from the

metaphor to

the lesson,

and this

will bring

us to

our

second

point

where Paul

speaks of

belonging.

So,

not bondage,

but belonging.

Look with me

at verse 4,

and just the

first part of

verse 4.

Likewise,

so again,

he is moving

from the

metaphor to

the lesson.

Likewise,

my brothers,

you also

have died

to the

law.

So,

did you catch

the shift

in the

metaphor here?

In verses

2 and

3,

when Paul

is explaining

or at

least setting

the table

for

explaining

the

lifelong

binding

of the

law,

he talks

about

freedom

only coming

when the

husband dies.

And yet,

here,

in verse 4,

the death

Paul describes

is the

wife's

death,

which he

extends to

the

Christians.

Paul is

saying,

in the

previous

section,

the wife

is free

when her

husband dies,

but here,

in verse 4,

he says,

we were

previously

married to

the law

and under

its rule,

and then

we died

to that.

It's a

slight shift,

and we'll

touch on it,

elaborate on it

in a bit,

in a bit

closer to the

end,

but just stick

a pin in

that for me,

okay?

Stick a pin

in that.

But the

law,

it hasn't

died,

has it?

Paul says,

we have

died,

and this is

still problematic

if we want

to be free

from the

power of the

law.

And again,

shorthand for

the power of

sin and our

inability to

transcend sin.

It's problematic

because we have

established that

although such a

death will

unbind us from

the law,

we are still

hopeless for we

have died and

we can't enjoy

life apart from

it.

How is this

good news?

Because ultimately

Paul is moving

towards good news

here.

Let's continue on

and read a bit

more of chapter

four,

of verse four.

likewise,

my brothers,

you also have

died to the

law through

the body of

Christ so

that you may

belong to

another.

I'll just

pause really

quickly.

Through,

okay,

this is a

small word

in the

Greek,

but its

impact is

immeasurable.

Paul is

saying,

likewise,

my brothers,

and that's

short for my

brothers and

sisters,

you also

have died

to the

law,

but you

yourself

haven't died

just by

yourself to

die and to

never rise

again,

but you

have died

through the

body of

Christ.

We looked

at this

back in

chapter six,

the first

part of

chapter six.

Paul,

he's already

taught on

this,

we're not

going to

return to

it,

but really

he's

returning to

this idea

to underscore

the force

of this

reality,

that we

have truly

died,

but we

have died

through

Christ.

It's a

real death

so that we

are fully

released and

unbound from

sin,

death,

and carnal

living,

and that if

we have been

united to

him in

his death,

that means

we will be

united to

him in

his resurrection,

which is to

say that we

can be

unbound from

the law and

yet live,

and yet continue

to live.

Again,

the best we

can do is

die,

be unbound

from the

law,

and then

that's

it.

But Paul

is saying,

hold on,

if you have

died through

Christ,

it means you

can live

again,

unbound from

the law,

live in

freedom from

the law,

and all of

a sudden we

start to see

that the

death and

resurrection of

Christ,

it definitely

is for the

forgiveness of

our sins,

but it is

unbelievably

complex,

but in a

good way,

God's

redemption

for us

is true

freedom,

and it is

a freedom

that is

completely

outside of

us,

something that

we could

never get

on our

own.

We get

to enjoy

being unbound

to the law,

we get to

enjoy true

freedom in

Christ,

but it's

not a

freedom where

we can just

go on with

full autonomy,

commanding our

own destiny,

building our

own empire,

no, Paul

says it is

for a

purpose,

and what is

that purpose?

We're going to

look back at

verse 4 and

finish off the

verse, but he

will talk about

two purposes,

and see if you

can pick them

out as we

read.

Verse 4,

What is the

purpose?

So that we

will have a

new spouse,

so that we

will belong

to another,

the one who

has raised

us from the

dead, the

one who had

all authority,

but he did

not use it to

lord it over

us, but

instead used

it to lay

down his

life so

that we

could be

free from

the law.

And Paul

says for

the purpose

of us

belonging to

him.

And here's

the unbelievable,

I'll say it,

it's later on

in my notes,

but I'll say

it now,

this is the

unbelievable

reality of

this, is

that we

get it

confused,

okay?

We think

that the

life where

we get to

enjoy everything

whenever we

want it,

this is the

life of

freedom,

but to

live under

the lordship

and belonging

to Christ

as if I'm

not my own

person, this

sounds like

bondage, but

the scriptures

are saying,

no, no, no,

no, you're

getting it

wrong,

okay?

You are

seeing your

captor, sin,

as your

savior, and

you're seeing

Christ as the

one who is

constraining you

and binding you

up so that you

can't truly

live.

Paul is

saying you're

getting it

wrong.

You might

have

Stockholm

syndrome.

The second

purpose is

that we

would bear

fruit for

God.

So we're

still obligated

to keep

the law,

but not

as people

under the

bondage of

sin, but

as free

people.

So in

Christ, we

can love the

Lord our

God with

all our

heart, soul,

mind, and

strength.

We can

love our

neighbor as

ourself, and

we can do

so and

therefore

fulfill the

law and

the prophets.

So now

what we see

is not

the bondage

of keeping

the law,

which we

can never

keep, that

just, if

anything, it

just shows us

how sinful

we are.

Instead, it

becomes a

privilege.

privilege.

It's a

privilege so

that we

are accepted

by God, and

then we have

the privilege of

serving Him, and

we won't twist

that so that we

think we're

serving God, and

then one day,

maybe, if we

try hard enough,

we will be

accepted by Him.

We get to

operate from a

place of

acceptance.

This is why

there is truly

no hope in

trying to fix

ourselves.

by ourselves.

We cannot

avoid death

by trying to

maximize our

life.

It is a

fool's errand.

We need

outside help.

We see this

especially in

verse 5, because

Paul's going to

return to

this image

of sin

being our

captor.

And this is

what he says

in verse 5.

For while we

were living in

the flesh, our

sinful passions

aroused by the

law, we're at

work in our

members to

bear fruit for

death.

Paul is saying

you can't manage

your flesh.

You can't fix

your flesh.

Your flesh is

rotting off your

bones.

You are

prone every

waking hour,

every minute,

breathing in and

out sin.

Remember, you

sin because you

are a sinner,

Paul is saying.

And it's not

just that we

sin every now

and then as

if our life is

like a river.

And then every

now and then,

maybe every

couple years,

there's a

flood.

Okay, we can

manage that

flood.

All right?

Sandbags.

Eventually, the

water recedes.

We're okay.

It doesn't happen

too often.

When it happens,

it's a bit

messy.

We can fix

it.

Instead, he is

almost saying

that we are

like a dam,

and there's

a raging

river or

raging body

of water

behind it.

And this

dam is just

full of

fissures and

cracks.

The concrete

is starting

to flake

away.

And it's not

just a few

patches that's

going to fix

it.

It's about to

burst.

And you patch

this hole only

for this one

to shoot out

a jet of

water.

There's no

hope to patch

up this dam.

And Paul is

saying,

listen, if you

try to patch

it up, it's

futile.

This is why

we can't fix

ourselves.

We are

captive by

our flesh.

We serve

our own

interests, our

own desires,

and appetites,

and they are

not towards

the good.

We will

always find a

way to

contravene a

law if our

hearts are

married to

sin and to

death.

This is why

we need to

be freed

from the

law, freed

from the

power of

sin and

death upon

our lives,

freed from

our spouse

of death.

We need

a new

husband.

And it's

remarkable then

that the

Christian faith

is described

in such a

way where

it is not

merely a

contract, but

it is this

deep, intimate,

loving relationship

that is extended

to us.

where our

allegiances

change.

This

relationship is

marked by

deep and

lasting love

and expressed

in a loving,

uncompelled

sacrifice of

Christ on the

cross.

Again, how

unbelievably loving

is it that

Christ would lay

down his life

not because he

was paying his

own debt, but

somebody else's.

was he

compelled to?

Was he

lacking in

anything and

then he needed

to do the

hero thing to

make himself

elevate to the

very nth degree?

No, no, no, no.

It was all

uncompelled

sacrificial love.

And the

reality is

that all who

have put their

faith and

trust in

Christ means

that we are

free, but at

the same time

we are now

his.

And no

area of our

life is

untouched.

And friends,

if that is a

scary thing,

just remember

what I said

previously.

Let us not

get twisted up

the reality of

thinking sin is

freedom and

Christ is

bondage.

It is the

opposite.

He offers us

freedom.

I said this

last week and

I've said it a

number of times

over the years.

One of the

colleagues we

pray in

morning prayer

says service

to you is

perfect freedom.

Instead, we

think freedom

is found in

the tyranny

of our

self-obsession,

of our

appetites,

that do not

bear fruit to

God.

But what does

it say?

In verse 5,

that bear fruit

that leads to

death.

You see the

loss of freedom

and independence

in a marriage

and therefore,

if we're going

to continue to

extend this

metaphor to

Christ and our

relationship with

him, it is

not a burden

to bear but a

joy to embrace.

Look with me at

verse 6.

And this is,

we'll wrap it

up.

Verse 6.

But now we are

released from the

law.

having died to

that which held

us captive so

that we serve in

the new way of

the spirit and

not in the old

way of the

written code,

which is to say

the law.

Independence

!

God, I'm

going to

be here to

I'm going to

There is no

freedom from our

appetites.

There's no freedom

from envy or

hatred or

resentment.

There's no freedom

from self-congratulation

and then self-doubt.

There's only

captivity.

There's only

bondage.

But in Christ,

Paul says,

we have

belonging.

We have

belonging.

We have a

new husband.

We are a

part of

Christ's

church.

The bride.

And he is our

bridegroom.

And we are

free to

serve.

We do not

serve to be

freed.

Again,

an unbelievable

difference.

But,

there's always a

but.

But,

why do we

then continue

in sin if

this is such

an incredible

gift given to

us?

Why do we

struggle to

see Christ as

our liberator

and to view

our flesh as

problematic?

Why do we

still suffer

from the

spiritual

Stockholm

syndrome?

Why?

Why do we

suffer from

this?

As I

mentioned

earlier,

Paul shifts

a detail in

the metaphor

so that the

woman is

free once

her husband

dies,

which means

we,

and in this

case,

in the

metaphor,

we are the

wife,

that we

die,

freeing us

from the

husband who

is still

alive,

which is

death.

So,

even though

we are

dead to

the law,

which is

to say

the bondage

and condemnation

and mastery

of sin

and death

over our

lives,

sin and

death still

are alive.

Sin and

death have

not yet

died.

we

understand

that what

Christ did

on the

cross truly

was defeated

sin and

death.

Sin and

death,

they're a

defeated

foe,

but they

are not

yet

dispatched.

And

therefore,

the Christian

life,

as Paul has

described it,

is not

coming to

Christ and

then we

have a

victory lap

until we

die or

Christ comes

back again,

but rather

it's a civil

war within

our hearts

because our

old master,

who does

not own

us anymore,

still calls

us and

beckons us

and we

listen,

we are

conditioned

to listen.

That we

have been

freed from

that terrible

relationship

that we

were once

in and

yet,

they call

us back

and we

are somehow

in our

hearts

drawn back

like a

hunk of

metal to

a strong

magnet.

But the

promise in

scripture is

this,

that although

sin and

death are

still alive

and roaring,

they are

ultimately a

defeated foe,

even more,

there will be

a time,

the scripture

says,

and you

can read

it in

Revelation

Revelation 20 · chapter mention

chapter 20,

where even

sin and

death itself

will be

thrown into

the lake

of fire,

will be

done away

with,

dispatched

forever.

death

will die.

It's a

very

incredible

thing to

ponder and

to meditate

upon.

The abuser

will abuse

no more.

Eternity

will indeed

be utopic,

but not in

the weird

utopias where

we watch

movies where

we're just

waiting for

the facade

to fall

down and

for heaven

to eventually

look like

hell,

but really,

truly a

utopia of

utopias,

where sin

and death

do not

exist any

longer.

You see,

Jesus has

uprooted

death and

has judged

it to be

destroyed,

and he

will indeed

do so,

for he has

already destroyed

its power

by dying

on the

cross and

rising again,

and because

we are in

him,

because we

have died

with Christ,

because we

will rise

with Christ,

because he

truly rose,

because we

belong to

him, we

are part of

his bride,

he is our

bridegroom,

his victory

will be

our victory,

in fact,

it is our

victory now.

So friends,

do not go

back to

what was,

but rather

flee and

flock to

the lover

of your soul,

the one who

doesn't just

speak sweet

words of

promise,

but displays

unbelievably

sacrificial

actions by

dying in

your place.

Friends,

he is the

lover of

our souls,

he is the

one who

purifies us

and glorifies

us so that

we will enjoy

his presence

forever.

And friends,

that is the

gospel of

Christ.

Praise to

you, Lord

Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.