Saturday, March 22’s devotional. “Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you also were put to death in relation to the law through the body of Christ so that you may belong to another. You belong to him who was raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God.” (Romans 7:4, CSB).
Believers are no longer bound to the law but have been freed to belong to Christ. Paul illustrates this truth through marriage: just as a widow is free to remarry after her husband’s death, we have been freed from the law to be united with Jesus. Mark Penrith explained, “We were bound by the law. It’s as if we were married to the law. A law that persecuted us. A law that punished us. A real pickle. How might we escape? Death. Either the law must die, or we must die.” Since the law is holy and unchanging, the only way out was for us to die. That’s exactly what happened when we were united with Christ in His death.
But we were not just freed from something—we were freed for something. Mark stated, “You belong to Him who was raised from the dead.” Our identity is now in Jesus. We are no longer trying to earn righteousness through law-keeping. Instead, we live in the reality of His love, grace, and power. Just as a bride takes on the name and life of her groom, we have been given a new identity in Christ.
Marriage is a covenant, and so is our relationship with Christ. Mark shared, “The day Liezl and I got married, we had a reception in a hall of a hotel. After the celebrations, we went to check in. The lady at the front desk asked, ‘Under whose name?’ My heart exploded. Mr. and Mrs. Penrith. Why the emotional moment? Because I introduced my queen as Mrs. Penrith. I introduced her new identity.” In the same way, we are now known as Christ’s own. We are His bride, and He is our bridegroom.
How does this truth shape your daily life? Being the bride of Christ means we walk in intimacy with Him. It means we forsake our old life and live faithfully to Him. Mark asked, “Why has God changed your identity? In order that we may bear fruit.” Our union with Christ produces love, holiness, and a life that brings glory to Him.
Worship Christ today as your bridegroom. Reflect on His love, commit yourself afresh to Him, and walk in the joy of belonging to the One who gave Himself for you.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I belong to You. Help me to love You, serve You, and live in faithfulness to You as Your bride. 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.