How should Romans 7:1 influence our daily obedience to God's commandments? The Law’s Jurisdiction Over the Living “Do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives?” (Romans 7:1) – Paul uses a legal picture: as death dissolves a marriage contract, so physical life keeps a person under the Law’s binding claims. – The statement is literal; as long as breath remains, God’s commandments remain non-negotiable standards. – The verse assumes the Law’s ongoing validity; it does not question its holiness (Romans 7:12), only its jurisdiction over the person who dies with Christ. Why Death to the Old Self Changes Everything – Through faith, we are united with Christ in His death (Romans 6:3-4). – Death transfers us out of the Law’s condemning courtroom into Christ’s resurrected life, yet the moral substance of the Law now comes from within by the Spirit (Romans 8:3-4). – Daily obedience is therefore not about earning acceptance but proving we truly “died” and now live to God (Galatians 2:20). Obedience: Not Optional, but Relational – Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). – Romans 7:1 reminds us that God’s moral expectations remain as long as we draw breath; our new relationship with Christ intensifies, not relaxes, our responsibility. – Freedom from condemnation (Romans 8:1) fuels gratitude-driven obedience, preventing legalism on one side and lawlessness on the other. Guardrails from the Rest of Scripture • Romans 6:14 – Grace frees from sin’s mastery, not from righteous requirements. • James 1:25 – The “perfect law of freedom” brings blessing to doers, not hearers only. • 1 John 2:3-6 – Assurance of salvation grows where commandments are kept. • Galatians 5:13-14 – Liberty expresses itself through love, which “fulfills the whole law.” Putting Romans 7:1 into Practice Today 1. Begin each day by reckoning yourself dead to sin and alive to God (Romans 6:11). 2. Read a portion of God’s Law or Christ’s teaching, asking, “How does my risen life empower obedience here?” 3. When tempted, remind yourself that the Law’s claim is legitimate until your final breath; you either meet it in your strength (failure) or in Christ’s (victory). 4. Confess quickly; death to the old self means sin has no legal shelter. 5. Serve others in tangible love, demonstrating that the Law is written on your heart (Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 10:16). |
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