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Romans 7:1–3
Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? (Rom. 7:1)
We are in the midst of a section of Romans (chaps. 5–8) in which Paul is showing the sure and certain nature of the justification God has provided for His people. In chapter 6, he dealt with the objection that the inevitable triumph of grace makes the law of God meaningless and obedience unnecessary. On the contrary, Paul answered, those who have been saved will obey God—indeed, they must—for that is what it means to be His son or daughter. But that still leaves a question: If the law is not intended to save, why did God give it? So Paul now moves on to show exactly what the law is intended to do.
The first thing we must understand is that our relationship to the law of God has changed. Paul is finally ready to explain what he meant when he told the Roman Christians that “you are not under law but under grace” (6:14). As Jews and well-taught gentiles, he writes, the Romans know about the law of God, including the elementary principle that it “has dominion” over a person as long as he lives. The word here translated “have dominion” can mean “have jurisdiction,” “have authority,” or even “exercise lordship over.” The apostle is simply saying that all people are required to live according to God’s law from the day of their birth till the day of their death. The standard is perfection, complete obedience—no one gets a free pass at any point. Of course, all human beings fail to meet this standard. The law, in fact, incites our rebellious hearts (5:20). Nevertheless, God cannot and will not lower the standard, for to do so would be to deny His own holiness. Thus, no one can escape the dominion of the law—except by death.
To illustrate this point, Paul turns to the marriage relationship. A wife, he writes, is legally bound to her husband as long as he lives. (Paul is speaking in ideal terms here and elsewhere allows for divorce in some circumstances.) However, if her husband dies, she is free to remarry without incurring the law’s judgment that she is an adulteress, as would happen if she were to begin a relationship with another man while her husband yet lived. As long as life lasts, the law of marriage has dominion over her, but death can “set her free” from it and allow her to enter a new relationship in a legal way.
But what does this have to do with our relationship to the law of God as a whole? Paul will explain in the verse we will study tomorrow.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
Do you understand the role the law of God plays in your life? Do you understand that you are under its authority at all times? Many today believe the law of God is irrelevant, but Paul is teaching nothing of the sort. As we study Romans 7, pray for understanding of the role of the law, as well as a greater love for it and for the God who gave it.
For Further Study
- Psalm 1:2
- Psalm 119:14, 16, 35, 47, 97, 129