Part 2 of 9 – Understanding Romans 7:1-6

This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called Free To Be Married to “Another”.

Let’s now define “who is who” among the persons and relationships described in Romans 7:1-6.

In Romans 7:1-3 there are four key allegorical elements, 1) two husbands, 1 present and 1 former, 2) death, 3) one woman, and 4) remarriage, and all are spoken of allegorically.

Romans 7:4, explains that it is “ye” who are dead to the “law of our husband.” The “ye” here is the believer as wayward independent believers – as the “old man”) How did we die? It was by our co-death with and in Christ’s body on the Cross. Romans 6:6-7 (AMP) We know that our old (unrenewed) self was nailed to the cross with Him…  (See also Rom 6:3-4).

When a believer lives independent from the very Christ died and rose to indwell them as their life and Lord, then they have taken the position of the husband. It is the believer, as if he were the husband, who was crucified with Christ. Romans 6:6-7 (AMP) We know that our old (unrenewed) self was nailed to the cross with Him…

With the believer dead as the husband, the believer is restored to being his proper position as a wife-believer who is then free to marry “another – Jesus Christ.

So, in this allegory, we as believers are both…

  • the first husband (as independent self, or as our “old man”)
  • and also we are “the woman” who becomes freed by the death of her “old man;”
  • she is freed to marry “Another,” who is Christ.

I trust this will become more evident as you read on.

Christ, “as if” He were Our Husband

We are free, free to submit to our union with Christ “as if” He were our Husband.

Being dead we are free. Romans 6:7 For when a man dies, he is freed (loosed, delivered) from [the power of] sin [among men]. Sin here is the expression of the Sin infection that I call the Serpentine nature that entered mankind when Adam sinned – Sin as noun speaks of Sin as a nature – this nature has passed to all men. Romans 5:12 (KJV) Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin (as a nature) entered into the world (of mankind), and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Yet, we must understand that every regenerated believer is free to exercise their free will since they have been freed from the power of the Sin nature by their death with Christ (Rom 6:6 above). Sin cannot rule over a dead person. Romans 6:7 For when a man dies, he is freed (loosed, delivered) from [the power of] sin [among men]. Christians must come to know and believe this truth; that they are dead. Then the Christian can count himself as being “dead to Sin.”

Identifying with Christ’s death as our death disarms Sin of its power. Thus, Sin did not die; the Devil is not dead – we the believer died with Christ – we died to Sin. Sin cannot rule over a dead person.

“A believing believer” is a believer who is saved and knows the truth intellectually, and also he believes (trust in) that truth. He is one who is then free to choose how he will live, as he continues to trust the Lord within as His new overcoming life.

Thus, we as believers are free to incorrectly choose to live no different than the unregenerate people; we do this when we are not living in accord with a submitted, committed, consensual union to Christ as if he were our husband.