Tuesday, March 18’s devotional. “For example, a married woman is legally bound to her husband while he is living. But if her husband dies, she is released from the law regarding the husband. So then, if she is married to another man while her husband is living, she will be called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law. Then, if she is married to another man, she is not an adulteress.” (Romans 7:2-3, CSB).
Marriage is a lifelong bond, broken only by death. Paul uses this truth to illustrate our relationship with the law. Mark Penrith explained, “Just like marriage is for life, so too, bondage to the law is for life—it can only be broken by death.” Under the law, we were bound, trapped under its demands. But through Christ’s death, we have been released, freed to belong to another—Jesus Himself.
When Mark got married, he stood before God, held his bride’s hands, and vowed, “Till death us do part.” That’s the power of death—it dissolves the legal bond of marriage. Likewise, Paul declares that our death with Christ has dissolved our bondage to the law. “How can we be freed from the demands of the law? How can we enter a new relationship with Jesus? Death. Death paves the way for a new life,” Mark said. This means that, in Christ, we no longer live under the law’s condemnation, striving to earn God’s favor through our own efforts.
Yet, many of us still live as though we are bound. We try to please God by following religious rules, fearing that we haven’t done enough. But Mark reminds us, “The law demands perfect obedience. Yet we fall short.” If we have died with Christ, why do we live as though we are still enslaved to the law? Jesus’ death has set us free, and we are called to walk in that freedom.
Paul states, “But now we have been released from the law, since we have died to what held us, so that we may serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the old letter of the law” (Romans 7:6, CSB). The purpose of our freedom is not lawlessness but joyful service. Mark pointed out, “Serving in the newness of the Spirit means we no longer labor in our own strength but by His power.” Christ’s death not only freed us from the law but also empowered us to live by His Spirit.
Are you still living as though bound to the law? Meditate today on what it means to be free in Christ.
Prayer: Lord, help me walk in the freedom You purchased for me. Teach me to serve You in the newness of the Spirit, not in fear of failing the law. Amen.
This devotional content is not penned by the preacher. It is derived from the sermon notes. We aim to provide bite-sized reflections throughout the week for devotion and reflection.