Study 3 – Are You Under Law?

People say, 'Are Christians under the law or not?' How you answer this question will have a bearing on the way you live.

Paul responds by giving us an illustration. He tells us that mankind is the wife of a husband called law (Rom. 7:1-6). Mr Law is an austere figure who has complete authority over us.

Day after day we live under his condemnation: 'You're wrong! Stop this! Don't do that!' He points out our shortcomings but never lifts a finger to help.

To make matters worse, we can't argue with him because we instinctively know that he is always right.

Mrs Law may say, 'I want Christ to be my husband,' but she cannot marry him because she is already married and would be committing spiritual adultery (Rom. 7:2, 3). To point the picture totally black, the law will never pass away (Matt. 5:18). We are permanently married to an overbearing, fault-finding, unhelpful husband – and he will never die.

What's the solution? This: we have 'died to the law through the body of Christ' (Rom. 7:4). When Jesus died on the cross He took the curse of the law.

At our conversion, we were placed into Christ and were crucified with Him. The law didn't die. We did! Christ fulfilled all the demands in the law and we have been totally released from its power.

Our freedom from the law can be likened to a soldier's discharge from the army. For a time the young recruit is subjected to harsh military training. Then one day he is discharged.

When his sergeant sees him strolling carelessly across the parade ground, he is horrified and barks out the order to stand to attention.

At first, the recruit cringes, then he remembers that this man no longer has any authority over him. The sergeant can scream and yell as much as he likes but he has no control over someone who has been discharged.

The answer to the question, 'Are Christians under the law?' is 'No'. The law is designed for those who have not been born again. We are no longer under its power.

Although the law may continue to make endless demands of us, we are dead to it (Gal. 2:19). 'Christ is the end of the law … for everyone who believes' (Rom. 10:4).

To Meditate On

Jesus gave His life to fulfil God's commands for you.

'Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them' (Matt. 5:17).

'God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons'
(Gal. 4:4,5).

To Consider

WRITE DOWN five character traits which will contribute towards a good marriage or friendship (e.g. fidelity).

• Do the same exercise with reference to your relationship with Christ.

• If you are married, note the areas of greatest difficulty, pray about them and, with God's help, work at them.

To Apply

The quality of your marriage relationship with Christ is seen in your relationships with others.

WHAT are your:

• strongest traits?
• weakest traits?

WHAT practical steps do you need to take to overcome your weak areas?

Food For Thought

READ ISAIAH 62:2 AND ROMANS 7:1-6.

When a woman marries, she changes her name. What Scriptures can you find that refer to our change of name? Write them down.

When people marry, everything belonging to their fiancé(e) now belongs to them. Write down some of the things that now belong to us in Christ (e.g. security).

Be Inspired

If you do not see Law being honoured on the Cross of Calvary you have never seen the true meaning of the death of Christ: it is essentially an honouring of the Law … and because the Law has been honoured in that way we are now free to be married to the Lord Jesus Christ.

MARTYN LLOYD-JONES

'(Christ abolished) in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations' (Eph. 2:15).