GRACE UNVEILED: “School of Law” #26 | Jim Hammond
Recap
Pastor Jim gave the next installment to his teaching series on the book of Romans: “Grace Unveiled.” In this 26th message, he taught on Romans chapter 7, which he subtitled, “School of Law.” In this chapter, the Apostle Paul used an allegory of the marriage relationship to compare the Old Covenant with the New Covenant. Even though Christians are under the New Covenant, they very often slip into the mindset of someone that lived under the Old Covenant.
Dive Deeper
This is the 26th message in the “Grace Unveiled” series; this message subtitled “School of Law” covers Romans chapter 7.
Multiple scholars call Romans chapter 7, “School of Law.” Chapter 7 talks about Old Testament law—the 613 Old Testament laws and the Ten Commandments. That was the covenant the Jewish people were under. However, our covenant is a covenant of grace.
Sadly very often Christians will operate under the Old Testament law even though they live under a covenant of grace. It is a mindset. This mindset will energize your sin nature and cause you to sin even more. It adversely affects your relationship with the Lord.
Pastor Jim gave an example of the mindset he was talking about. One Saturday, his dog collapsed in his backyard and went into shock. He rushed him to the vet where it was discovered it had been stunk by wasps. It became an all-day event to taken care of the dog. Pastor Jim said, “It basically blew the day.” He was not able to do all the things he usually does in preparation for ministry on Saturday evening.
On his way to church, he didn’t feel like he was ready to minister. As far as preparation goes, he said, “I didn’t do anything and now I’m not ready to minister.” He said, “The Holy Spirit checked me and said, ‘Well, if it’s about how much you’ve done, what do you need mercy and grace for then?’
Pastor Jim said, “It’s easy for this sort of mindset to sneak up on you.” That is what Romans 7 is talking about. Many Christians never get out of Romans 7.
The Lord said to Pastor Jim, “My grace, My favor, My mercy is enough for you. Don’t you remember this scripture, sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear this trouble manfully, for my strength and my power made perfect fulfilled, and completed show themselves most effective when you think you’re going to be weak. Therefore, Paul says, when I’m weak—when I haven’t gotten it done, when I’ve blown it, all these things— I glory in my weaknesses. I say, I get more power. And my infirmities that the power and strength of Christ may rest and pitch a tent and dwell upon me.”
Matthew 11:28 says, “Come to me all you that labor and are heavy laden. I’ll give you rest. Take my yoke.” Not another yoke. The Bible in Deuteronomy calls the law a “yoke of iron.” “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
His yoke is easy. In other words, you’re not supposed to be feeling this.
Another translation says, “Are you tired? Are you worn out? Are you burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me. You’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me. Work with me. Watch how I do it.” Here it is. “Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.”
It’s a rhythm. Grace is a rhythm! The law will always be a demand. You will always feel like there’s demands that you didn’t make. Grace is a rhythm and it’s unforced. And if you don’t make it, you don’t make it. You know God’s got it.
Romans 7:1 says, “Know you not brethren for I speak to them that know the law.”
When you see “brethren,” that means Christians. He’s talking to Christians that know the law.
Romans 7:1, “Know you not brethren I speak to them that know the law, how that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives.”
If you’re not alive, the law doesn’t have dominion over you. This is not just talking about physically. It’s also talking about spiritually. Paul was speaking to people that knew the law—Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
Paul uses marriage as an allegory to compare the old and new covenants.
Romans 7:2–3, “For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. 3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.”
Under Old Testament law, if the husband wasn’t dead and she’s married to another man, she’s an adulteress.
Romans 7:4 says, “Wherefor brethren ye are also become dead to the law.” You are dead to the law. “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.”
We’re supposed to be married to Him that is raised from the dead. So Paul is saying, if you believe that Jesus died for you on the cross, was raised from the dead three days later, it’s like you have married Jesus Christ.
Paul started the chapter saying, “Hey, brethren, I’m speaking to the Christians that know the law, how the law has dominion over a man. And then he uses the allegory of marriage to explain what “under the law” means. A believer that identifies with Jesus Christ and His death is no longer under the Old Covenant, under the law.
Mankind wants to think that everything they get from God, they did it! “I worked for that, and I got it!”
This statement is connected to Romans 6:14: “Sin shall not have dominion over you.” You’re not under the law. You’re under grace.
Paul’s telling us through the allegorical example on marriage under the law that this is not just restricted to Jewish believers. This is a blanket statement for Gentile believers. The book of Romans is written to a bunch of little house churches that had both Gentiles and Jews in them.
Look at the wording here in Romans 7:1: “Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?”
That means they knew the law, that legal claims have power over a person only for as long as he lived. Legally the law has power over a person for as long as he lives.
Romans 7:4, “Likewise brethren, you have undergone…” Brethren! Christians have undergone death as to the law. You were crucified with Christ. You died with Christ. You were buried with Christ. And you were raised with Christ. God looks at it like you died, just like Jesus.
Look at this phrase, “…so that you may belong to another.” Who? “…to Him who was raised from the dead in order that we might bear fruit.”
This is about bearing fruit! People get frustrated because they’re not bearing fruit and say, “Christianity doesn’t work.”
This is what it means. But you’re not subject to the law because you’ve undergone a death. Look at the wording. “Now you belong to another.” Who? You belong “To Him who is raised from the dead.” You belong to Jesus Christ. You’re married to Jesus Christ. The allegory means the Old Covenant law you died to. It’s dead.
Look at what he says at these words in the allegory: “The law had dominion over a man as long as he lives.” Romans 7:4 “Brethren, you’ve become dead to the law.” Christians have become dead to the law. You’ve died that death through His sacrifice.
Verse two, “For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.”
And to sum it up, you as a believer are married to one thing or the other—Christ or the law. Are there believers married to the law? Yes, or Paul wouldn’t be writing chapter seven. Nor would he have written the book of Galatians. So which are you married to?
Note: If you think Paul wrote this to set a model for New Testament marriage and divorce, you are wrong.
Romans 7:2. “For the woman which hath a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives, but if the husband be dead, she’s loosed from the law.”
Read About It
Romans 7:1, “Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?”
Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Romans 7:4 says, “Wherefor brethren ye are also become dead to the law.” You are dead to the law. “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.”
Discussion Questions
Paul used an allegory of the marriage relationship to compare… what?
Pastor Jim said a lot of Christians live under an Old Testament mindset. What did he mean?