1Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? 2For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband. 3So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man.

 

4Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. 5For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. 6But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

Paul here uses the metaphor of marriage to illustrate the profound change that takes place in the life of one who has repented and believed on Jesus. Before, Paul says, we were married to the law of God, and like a married person we were obligated to be faithful to our spouse, the law. In this union, the law not only showed us what was right and wrong but in mixing with (or being joined to, combined with) our old nature, it produced (or gave birth to, bore the fruit of) sin.

Paul then makes the point that one is bound in marriage so long as both parties are alive. Consequently, if one marries another while his spouse is still alive, one commits adultery. Luke 16:18. However, if one of the parties dies, the other is free to be remarried. Romans 7:3.

What Paul says next is very interesting. He does not say that the law died to us so that we could be remarried but that we died. The law still lives on. Jesus said He did not come to abolish the law and that not the smallest letter would pass from the law until all is accomplished. Matthew 5:17-18; Luke 16:17. The law lives on.

But, because we died and were buried with Jesus, our union with the law is dissolved and we are now free to remarry. We are now free to be married to (or joined with) Jesus so that we can bear fruit for God. Romans 7:4. While the law stirred up the fruit of sin when combined with our old sinful nature, Jesus stirs up in us through the abiding presence and power of the Holy Spirit the good fruit of God which is consistent with (or complies with or “fulfills” the requirements of the law). See Romans 8:3-4.

In short, Paul is making the point not only that sin is no longer our master but that the union that stirred up sinfulness in us no longer exists. We have died to that union and have been joined with Jesus whose Holy Spirit can now inspire and empower us to produce the holiness and good fruit that satisfies and exceeds the requirements of the law.