Paul says a fair amount in the book of Romans about the law of God. He declared the law can’t save you. That is, none of us can keep the law perfectly. We always come short, according to Romans 3:23. Then he pointed out we are free from the law. Grace frees us from the condemnation of the law.
But the question continues to come up, why did God give the law? Romans 7 continues Paul’s discussion of sanctification by focusing on some practical dynamics. In doing so the law comes up again.
He begins with a question: “Do you not know, brothers…that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives?” Then he answers the question by presenting marriage as an example, to illustrate his point. A married woman is bound to her husband for life. But if her husband dies she is free from the law of marriage. If she marries another man while her husband is alive she commits adultery. But if her husband has died she is free to marry another man.
Based on this illustration he says, many identify with Jesus Christ according to the flesh. That is, they focus on his earthly life, which was lived under the law. Jesus came to fulfill or satisfy the law. When He died He did that. He was buried and three days later rose.
Paul encourages us to focus on His resurrection life. Why? Because believers die to the law through the body of Christ. This frees us then to belong to another - the resurrected, living Christ!
You can’t become a Christian by keeping the law of God. Likewise, it’s foolish to try living victoriously as a Christian by endeavoring to keep the law. That simply doesn’t work.
