The Holy Spirit and the Law (Rom.7.6)
Pastor Ostella
8-1-99
As you know I have the goal of preaching on the work of the Holy Spirit in spiritual renewal. This brought us from the book of Galatians to the book of Romans, especially to Romans 7-8. But we cannot simply jump into these chapters without some context. Last week I gave you a look at the book as a whole by discussing the theme and shape of the gospel to the Romans.
The shape of the book can be summarized in this way: introduction, the need of justification, the provision of justification, the duty of justification, and the conclusion.
Broken out by chapter and verse divisions we have this shape:
The theme is justification. But that is very limited. The theme is the gospel, the gospel of God; the gospel of a righteousness (justification) from God by faith in Jesus Christ the risen Lord. The theme is the gospel of righteousness by faith that is itself the fruit of God's effectual call. As I stressed last week: in this gospel there is a core, "a righteousness from God" that is received by the obedience of faith, and this faith is the fruit of a divine call. The apostolic word gives a general call that is the context in which God extends an effectual saving call (1:5-7).
The theme then is the provision of righteousness for undeserving sinners, a righteous provision that comes to them because of the fountain of God's love before times eternal that stretches across time, across our histories on this earth, and into the certain future that God has destined for those He foreloved. This is all gospel, good news. Salvation is the work of God from beginning to end.
To read the gospel to the Romans properly, we need all these truths that make up the theme of the book like a lushes cluster of grapes. The good news is found in the whole cluster. It is all edifying, cleansing, and sanctifying. God's sovereign purposes may have aspects that are difficult to understand, that are difficult to accept, but we must submit our hearts to our majestic Lord in reverence and awe. In this submission to Him we will find all these truths to be nourishing, uplifting, renewing, and revitalizing. Most important here is that we have open hearts before the Lord.
Another matter of context is vital as we dive into Romans 6-8. It is a difficult subject that will come up repeatedly in this section. I refer to the subject of the law of God. So, this morning my title is "the Holy Spirit and the Law."
We are prompted in this direction by the question asked in Romans 7:7, "What shall we say, then? Is the law sin?" Paul goes on to say, "certainly not!"
But what brought this question to the table in the first place? If we back up one verse (to 7:6), we can see a relationship between the law and the Spirit. Notice that it is a contrasting relationship: we now serve God in the newness of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.
This new/old contrast seems to suggest something very negative about the law. The law was something we had to be released from as a code, an old written code. So, to paraphrase it, Paul says, "since the law brought us under an old written code, then is the law sin?"
Other questions come immediately to mind in this connection. What does it mean to talk about the law as sin? If the relation of the Spirit to the law is negative, then we have to wonder if there is any positive relation of the Spirit to the law. And we have to ask, "What is man's relationship to the law?" and more specifically, "What is the Christian's relationship to the law?"
To answer all these questions, I want to deal with two things today: 1) the bondage under the law without the Spirit, and 2) the freedom in and for the law through the Spirit.
1A. The bondage under the law without the Spirit
Let's ease our way into this step by step beginning with our original question. What does it mean to speak of the law as sin?
It means "is it sinful?" Is it tainted in some evil way? This would be quite perverse because the law is a standard of righteousness, of right and wrong. It is supposed to reflect the moral character of God. How could it be sinful? And it would be a gigantic perversion, if the law of God were sinful.
So, why ask the question in such strong terms? Something must be causing this question to arise and to surface with such force and strength.
We can begin to answer these questions by looking at the notion of slavery suggested by the fact of being "released" from the law (v. 6). That we have been "released" indicates that we were in bondage (6a, we died to what once "bound" us). Let's consider the nature of this bondage. A number of things indicate its severity. These show us the physician's diagnosis of man's worst disease. They show us God's diagnosis of our spiritual heart disease.
1) First, bondage under the law means to be under its authority for life.
The release came by death to the law (v. 4). The law enslaved us to such a degree that the only way out was by death. In the movie, "Shawshank Redemption," hope for the future is the great enemy for people in prison. You can't have hope, it will eat you alive. Meaningful or happy expectation for the future is something you can't have because the only way out of a true life sentence is in a pine box. That is the kind of slavery or imprisonment that Paul speaks of. It is so intense and so binding that the only way out is to die.
The marriage illustration shows the binding authority of the law and how that authority is only broken by death. Marriage is a covenant for as long as both parties are alive. But a wife, for example, is released from the authority of the law of marriage if her husband dies (7:1-3).
This illustration has a particular point to make. It shows the binding authority of the law. In marriage, the obligation is "till death do us part." And he stresses this additional fact that death of one party releases the other from the marriage covenant. He simply wants to isolate the point that the law has binding authority to such a degree that it can only be altered by death.
But back to the startling question of v. 7, there is nothing here that would make one think that the law is sinful. Instead, it functions to reveal sin, to call the thing by its real name: if the married woman marries another while her husband lives, she is called an adulteress. So this binding authority of the law is not the full picture. Being bound in this sense simply means that we are under obligation to the law and to obedience to its dictates as long as we live (and to its identification of sin).
2) Second, bondage under the law means that it intensifies our sin. This is indicated by the negative power of the law. Let's back up a little. It sounds like the law is no good. Furthermore, it sounds like we are released from its obligation once and for all. This passage and passages like it are taken to mean that Christians have nothing whatever to do with the law. After all, Paul says point blank that we are released from the law (7:6). But we need perspective.
It must be stressed that there are many negative sounding passages in the NT regarding the law. These are called the antithetic passages. "Antithetic" is used here in the sense of strong opposition or strong contrast. Thus in this text we can say that we have the antithesis between the law and the Spirit such that Christian's do not live under the law but in the new way of the Spirit (not law but Spirit). We have the antithetic language of "not…but" indicating opposition or emphatic contrast. Another example is Romans 6:14, "you are not under law, but under grace." There are many other antithetic passages (i.e. the law is not for the righteous, 1 Tim. 1:9; you are not under the law which is a yoke no man can bear, Acts 15:10; a man is not justified by the law, Rom. 3:19-20).
A key to understanding all these passages is the context of course. Particularly, we must determine the specific way in which we are not under the law. So in Romans 7:6 we have to ask, "in what sense are we released from the law?" There is a specific sense in this text that is intended in its context. It is v. 5 that helps us see what this sense is. And this is where we will have our answer as to why the law would be thought of as sinful (v. 7).
Bondage to the law includes being under its authority in a very precise sense. This text (v. 5) speaks of the natural man, the person who is outside of Christ and who thus lives in the flesh. When we lived in the flesh, sinful passions were aroused by the law. These passions worked in our bodies (in our whole selves as material and immaterial beings, people with body and soul). These passions worked, so to speak, in an orchard to bring forth fruit, the fruit of death (Rom. 6:23; under the wrath of God, 2:5, that we store up for ourselves for the day when God's righteous judgment will be revealed).
So, we have to take another look at the function of the law. The law stirs up sinful passions (7:5). Like Paul says in 7:8, sin has opportunity for active and forceful production of all kinds of covetous fruits. Is the law sinful in that it affords this opportunity? No, the law is holy, righteous and good (7:12). It has this function to reveal the exceeding sinfulness of sin (7:13).
This is a sobering fact. When the law comes and says, "no" we respond with "O, but I want; yes I want." Children do this all the time. Tell the little one not to touch the stove because it is hot and he will learn what you mean the hard way, "ouch!" We do this as adults too. When Pat and I were first married, we were given a 9 year old 1958 Cadillac-that had a broken down transmission (we were very, very young when we got married). Well, for the price of fixing the "trans," I had a good old car. One time on the open road, I did not like the speed limit. I did not like the implied "you cannot go over 70 miles an hour." So I took the car up to 100 miles an hour-this is the only time I ever did this (now don't tell anyone I did this; don't tell on me). The Cadillac handled it beautifully, until it starting steaming (as was my wife). Without that desire for speed, we would probably have had a nice uneventful trip. As it turned out, we had to fix some radiator hoses. The law says "no" and we say, "but I want, I desire, I this and I that."
This is the point of the striking statement in Romans 5:20, "the law was added so that the trespass might increase." One of the functions of the law is to cause sin to erupt and advance. Thus, it is sometimes called the law of sin and death. The law intensifies our sin and sin works death. Hence, the question: "is the law sinful?" Paul replies, "no, it is not sinful but it reveals just how sinful sin actually is." This intensification makes us conscious of sin-of what it is really like (7:13; 3:20).
This is what it means to be under the law in Romans 3:19. To be under the law is to be in bondage to sin in our "natural" state in the fall. We are not only under its authority but we are under the law in the sense that it functions to intensify our sin for we live as fallen people in the flesh and without the Spirit.
Bondage means to be under the law's authority and its power to intensify sin in us. That is what it means to be in bondage under the law without the Spirit. We are totally helpless. Deliverance can only come by death; the law intensifies sin in us. And we are without excuse.
It is a bad state that we are in as fallen sinners. We are sick, sin sick. We need to hear all of God's diagnosis. He tells us of our utter helplessness. Just think of what is being said here. You will be under the authority of the law until you take your last breath of air. And if you are not a Christian, this will be a severe bondage.
Now let's shift out thoughts to the remedy to this state under the law of sin and death.
2A. The freedom in and for the law through the Spirit
As we have seen, freedom from the law comes by death. Why does Paul isolate this fact? It is to emphasize the point that the Christian life begins by means of death, by death to the law. Without death there is no release but by death we are released from the law for a new way of life in the Spirit (7:6). Bondage is our condition under the law but without the Spirit. But there is freedom. How so?
What brought this death to the law and the consequent release for newness of life? It was the death of Christ (v. 4, "through the body of Christ…who was raised"). Paul explains that it is the death of Christ that brought about our death to the law. What Christ did on the cross effected the change in these Romans who thus became fellow Christians (brothers) with Paul. What Christ did on the cross nearly 2000 years ago effected the change in you and me that released us from the bondage of the law, if we are believers. His death and resurrection had a purpose: we died to the law when we died with Him in His death in order to be released, to belong to Christ and to bring forth fruit to God. This is remarkable, we died!
Notice when these things occurred. Our death to the law took place when Jesus died on the cross and we died there with Him. Freedom from the law took place when we were raised with Christ in His resurrection. Just think of it, He settled your salvation and mine back at the cross. And what a marvelous thought: this death and resurrection were applied to us when we were called out of bondage by God's effectual call through the word of the apostles. In Romans 7:4, death to the law is to the end that we belong to Christ and bear fruit. Back in chapter 1, Paul speaks of his "apostleship to call people …to obedience" (v. 5). He then tells us that the Romans were "called to belong to Jesus Christ" (v. 6) and that the Roman brothers and sisters were "called to be saints" or people set apart for holiness (v. 7). What He did on the cross is applied by His call. We should also comment on the fact that he makes the marvelous point that love is the tap root of calling (cf. v. 7 with 8:30 where all the loved are predestined, all the predestined are called, all the called are justified, and all the justified are glorified).
Passages like these (Rom. 7:4 and 1:4-7) show the nature of the death of Christ. They show that it was effectual. What He did on the cross and in His resurrection was not something potential. Rather, Christ was an actual substitute for particular sinners on the cross (cf. 8:3). On the cross, Jesus secured our release from bondage. He did this for us personally. He did this actually and effectually. Our release was settled and guaranteed when He died and was raised. Therefore, what He secured on the cross in His death and our death with Him there, is what He applies now to us in His resurrection life.
Effectual calling is a blessing granted to us by our great high priest and it is rooted and grounded in His death. Compare this with John 12:32, where calling is described as drawing or actually bringing to Jesus, as He says, "to myself." By the cross, He will effectually draw Gentiles-all men, men of all nations-to Himself. He does this through the word of the apostles (as via Paul, Rom. 1:4-5). Through the risen Christ, Paul was appointed to call people from among the Gentiles to obedience. Our very faith is the gift of the death of Christ on the cross for us. It is a gift as a bestowal not simply an offer (as stated in hymn 143, I know whom I have believed, especially verses 2-3; this should be sung always with thankgiving).
That it takes a powerful work of Christ in death and resurrection to free us shows how bad this bondage really is. That it takes the power of an effectual call from God to set us free shows the severity of this bondage. Furthermore, all this magnifies the glory of the blessings of grace to undeserving sinners like ourselves.
So we have freedom. We have been released, set free. This is for a new life in the Spirit; and it is for the law through the Spirit (another theme that I only touch on here).
We are freed from under the law for the law, for law-keeping by the power of the Spirit. The Spirit is the gift of Christ to His people. As a matter of fact we are freed through Christ by the Holy Spirit (8:1-2). The Holy Spirit is given to us by Christ our mediator and is the reward of His saving work (7:6b). Our freedom traces back to the sin offering of Christ (8:3). And it is for law keeping (8:4).
Concluding applications:
1) Submit yourself to Jesus Christ.
How do you relate to God's authority expressed in His law? Do you neglect, ignore, suppress, rationalize? Or do you face it squarely? Present yourself to the exposure of your sin and unrighteousness. And therefore cling to Jesus Christ.
You are not a Christian if you do not submit yourself to God, to His will and commandments for obedience-this is the obedience of faith.
If you do not submit yourself to the Lord Jesus in faith and obedience, in the obedience of faith, then you store up wrath for yourself against the day of wrath (Rom. 2:5).
So, submit yourself to Jesus as your Lord; give yourself away to Him to do whatever He commands.
2) Submit yourself to Jesus Christ as your risen King.
Take up the principles of His word and precepts of OT and NT to live for Him. Look earnestly to the summary of His law in the Ten Commandments. Say to the Lord, "what will you have me to do?" He replies, "seek out my law in its true spirit and intent." You say, "then that is what I will do by your grace, O Lord." He says, "then live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." You reply, "O Lord help me to learn in order to live by your law. Help me to walk according to the Spirit who has set me free from the law of sin and death."
3) Submit to Jesus Christ with undying gratitude.
Look at your state in sin without the Spirit. Note how the law intensified your sin and bondage. Look at yourself, all is hopeless bondage but in Christ you have been set free. So, thank God for His effectual call that brought you to faith and to newness of life in and for the law by the Spirit.
Benediction
May we fall down before the majesty of our God in humble acknowledgement of our sinfulness. And may we confess our true helplessness without His effectual call. May we rise up and live before the majesty of our God in thankfulness and in God's law by the Spirit.