Or do you not know, brethren, that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? For the woman who has a husband

Interpretation for Rom 7:1-2 and Rom 7:3

Christ the End of the Law

In Romans 6 we saw how God delivered us from sin; in Romans 7 we see how He delivers us from the Law. In chapter 6 we were shown the way of deliverance from sin in the picture of a master and his slave; in chapter 7 we are shown the way of deliverance from the Law in the picture of two husbands and a wife. The relation between sin and the sinner is that of master to slave; the relation between the Law and the sinner is that of husband to wife.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Let us imagine God’s judgment, demons stand on the left, angels on the right and all mankind behind us. In front of us there is a big screen, and we who are judged stand under the screen. All our life is shown on the screen. At the end, a large inscription appears on the screen: “The wages of sin is death – eternal death – eternal hell.” This is righteous judgment of sin which is rebellion against God and obedience to the devil. The seed of the devil in us, which is original sin, forces us to obey evil, the devil, and to revolt against God. The root of sin in us bears poisoned fruits which are harmful both to us and others and set us against God. The verdict is final – death. We need to be aware of it. That’s the reality. There is only one way out – only in time; on the day of God’s judgment there will be no more chance of salvation, for the time of test and trial, which is our life, will have ended. Therefore we have to know and bear in mind that the solution – salvation from eternal death – is only in Jesus who is the Son of God and became man just for our sake, to deliver us from sin.

“But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.”

The condition for being set free from sin is to become slaves of God. Chapter six of the Epistle to the Romans very often uses the term “slave”. On the one hand, there is a reality of slavery to sin. Even if we want to get out of this slavery by our own efforts, we cannot. We can be set free from this kind of slavery neither by our own efforts nor by any other means but only by the power of God, and we receive this power under one condition – that we give ourselves wholly to God. It means that we accept His commandments and are guided by the Spirit of God, and no longer by the spirit of the world, the spirit of lies. This freedom, however, has one basic condition – we must lose our soul for Christ’s sake and the Gospel’s (Mk 8:35).

“I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.”

This verse expresses again what this chapter has already said before, namely that we should not present our members as slaves of uncleanness, or of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness. On the contrary, we should now put our members fully at the disposal, i.e. present them as slaves, of righteousness for holiness. The Apostle indicates here that sin particularly exploits uncleanness and lawlessness. Therefore we have to stand firmly on the side of righteousness. There are as it were two banners here – the banner of slavery to evil against the banner of true freedom. In this battle, we have to learn the art of fighting. Above all, we should avoid the near occasion of sin, which is a sign of true humility and wisdom. If it is not possible, and we have done the best in our power, God will show us a way out.

Thanks be to God that, being converted, we were given the grace to receive the salvific teaching based on the faith in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We have been delivered by Him from enslavement caused by sin, and we have taken the new path of righteousness.

Chapter six speaks about sin many times. It says: “…though you used to be slaves (Gr. duloi) to sin…”. Today we can see clearly what it is like to be a slave to sin. Sin in the heart of man hates above all truth and true self-criticism, so its essence is pride. It means lack of self-criticism, unwillingness to admit the truth, unwillingness to learn from our own mistake and, on the contrary, an attempt to throw the blame on others or on God, or on so-called circumstances.

Sin includes murder, seeking help from the devil in witchcraft or other occult practices; sin also includes fraud, theft, abuse, rape, unclean thoughts, words or deeds, all kinds of perversion, divorce, hatred, war. What is the fruit of sin? Suffering, tears, loneliness, prison, death. People become slaves to drugs or alcohol, they become homeless or criminals. The reality of sin cannot be denied.

“Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?”

This verse from the Scripture reveals a deep truth about obedience the fruit of which is eternal life in heaven or eternal death in hell.

Apart from the word obedience, this verse also emphasizes the word slave (Gr. dúlos). According to the Greek original, the verse should actually read as follows: Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey? You are either slaves of sin, which leads to death, or you obey God, which leads to justification from sin and to life.

If we do not serve God wholeheartedly, we are not free but we are slaves of original sin which is in us. We automatically obey original sin, i.e. the source of lies and evil in our heart. Original sin clouds our mind and weakens our will so that we hate the truth about ourselves, reject the true good and refuse to serve God and keep His commandments.

“And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”

What verse precedes it? “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.”

And what verse follows verse 13? “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”

Chapter six of the Epistle to the Romans expresses a deep truth of our deliverance from sin. Verses 3 and 4 speak about baptism through which we have been immersed in the mystery of Christ’s death, and at the same time have received a new life: “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Verse 6 points out the spiritual reality that the root of evil in us – original sin – the old self – was crucified with Christ. In verse 11, we are told to accept by faith the reality of spiritual death as well as the reality of new life: “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” It calls for a faith which is connected with spiritual struggle.

Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This verse from chapter six of the Epistle to the Romans again is a mystery. The condition for its revelation is a living faith and walking by faith, in other words putting the truth of faith into practice. A deep biblical faith, which is the foundation of true knowledge, is expressed in the word “reckon” – the Greek word is “logidzomai” which means: 1) take into account, keep in mind, count (up), 2) have an opinion, think, believe, 3) consider, look on as, regard as.

In mathematics, this word is used for an absolutely exact expression: 2×2=4, and this holds true in America, Africa and everywhere. It is something indubitable. And the Scripture tells us that our faith must be like this – without the least doubt – we are dead to sin, to the power of sin! At the same time, we are alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord!

“For he who has died has been justified from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.”

What is the meaning of the words “he who has died has been justified (freed) from sin”? In this context, it does not mean dying physically but dying spiritually to the power of sin which dominates man. Therefore it is said that such man has been freed from sin. The Greek word “dikaiosiné” (justification), which is used here, means – in biblical terms 1) the fulfilment of the will of God, of everything that God requires, 2) justification from sin, 3) justification of man by God, reconciliation between man and God.

Ad 1) God requires that through faith and obedience to God’s commandments we should fulfil the will of God.

Ad 2) If we are united to Jesus by faith and keep God’s commandments, we are free from sin.

Ad 3) Justification – dikaiosiné – leads to freedom and to the fulfilment of God’s will, but it also means justification of man from his sins and reconciliation with God.

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is,

Concerning those who were baptized, it is written here as a matter of course that “you were raised with Christ”. Who understands it and who lives it? What does it mean? Again, it is a mystery of faith, a deep truth into which the Holy Spirit guides the little ones, i.e. the humble ones.

Christ was raised only once on Sunday after Good Friday when he had been crucified. What plays an important role here is a mystery of faith given us by God, as well as a promise related to it. Faith grows into union with Jesus, into spiritual communion, and then into agape, the love of God which has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Rom 5:5).

“For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.”

The first five chapters of the Epistle to the Romans speak of sins. Chapter six speaks about sin in singular, which means the root from which other sins develop. The root of sin is the source of evil in us, i.e. original sin or corrupt human nature which was infected by the serpent, the devil, in the first people in Paradise. Instead of abiding faithfully in God’s Word in time of trial, they rejected it and believed in the words of the devil, in a lie. The seed of the devil was thus sown into human nature. This seed is original sin which programmes man for gradual entropy, moral and spiritual self-destruction, and leads him to eternal damnation. We can see striking examples at the present time, when mankind seems to be deprived of common sense and is committing mass suicide: gender demoralization connected with the stealing of children from their parents; technologies of fratricidal wars; harmful vaccines for children causing damage to the immune system and fertility; genetically modified food; remedies causing other diseases; the spread of cancer; AIDS; destructive culture resulting in systematic amoralization; lack of responsibility; the increase in crime; drug addiction.

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death,

In this verse, the word of life emphasizes the word “buried”. When someone is buried, it means that it was preceded by an absolute death. So if we are united to Christ’s death by faith at the present moment, sin in us, our old self, i.e. the source of evil, is dead, inactive. And right here the second mystery reveals itself to us concerning baptism – a new life begins to work in us. It is not the life of angels or something like our past life but it is the life of God, the life of Jesus Christ in us! Through faith and unity with Christ’s death, we allow God, Jesus Christ, to live in us. And this is our greatest dignity! Moreover, we thus make the most of our time in this earthly life because we can do works worthy of eternity. Neither moth nor rust will destroy them, and thieves will not steal them from us. If we live in unity with Jesus, we allow Him to promote the will of God in us as we pray in the Our Father: Your will be done on earth – in my soul – as it is in heaven. We thus carry out mission for the salvation of souls. Our life will become fruitful, and one day we will receive the crown of glory because we have received Christ, remained faithful to Him and lived the mystery of baptism. That means – we entered into Christ’s death again and again, dying to our own will and evil thoughts, feelings or lies, and walked in the truth, in newness of life, allowing Jesus to live in us. The whole mystery of Christianity is contained in one word: TOGETHER. In other words, You and I, Jesus and I together, together in suffering, in death, in resurrection and finally in the glory of heaven. Together – You and I. Now and here.

“Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?”

In chapter 5 of the Epistle to the Romans, it is repeated several times that sin entered the world through one man and grace – redemption through the other Man. Verse 12 says, Through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned. And in verse 15 we read, If by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.

This verse emphasizes that Jesus is man, which means that God assumed our human nature. Other places in the Scripture, in turn, emphasize His Divinity. Jesus is true God and true man. Heretics either try to attack Christ’s Divinity by creating the impression that He was just a man, or on the other hand, some heretics deliberately emphasize that Jesus is God and say that His manhood was just apparent. Then they draw a heretical conclusion from it that He could not die for us, that it was only an illusion.

It is emphasized here again: Adam’s one trespass led to condemnation for all his descendants. On the other hand, one act of righteousness of the second Adam, Jesus Christ, leads to justification and life for all men. But there is one problem. Christ died for all people, but not all people will be saved. To be saved they must admit their sin both to themselves and to God, and accept by faith justification and life given us through Christ’s act of righteousness. The Son of God paid the just penalty for all our sins on the wood of the cross. Therefore, the condition for receiving justification obtained for us by Jesus on the cross is true repentance connected with faith in Jesus the Son of God and true Saviour who really died for my every sin too. And I give these sins to Him and receive His forgiveness by faith in spirit by the cross.

“But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.”

This Word of life points out again the relation to Adam, through whom sin entered human nature, and it points out our relation to Christ, through whom we have been justified by grace. The preceding verse 12 reads, “Through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.” This verse says that through one man, Adam, we inherited sin and through sin death. Death spread to all of us, because we all sinned. Little children cannot sin consciously; however, they are bearers of an inherited programme, and on the nearest occasion they begin to sin.

Verse 17 explains, “For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”

“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.”

Again, it is good to read the whole chapter five of the Epistle to the Galatians. Apart from dealing with the question of circumcision, it shows true freedom in the Spirit of God. Verses 13 to 15 read: “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: Love your neighbour as yourself. If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”

This is a kind of introduction to our Word of life. It clearly tells us to live by the power of the Spirit of God. And then we will not gratify the desires of the flesh; in other words, we will not become slaves of lusts.