Part 4 of 7 - How is this that we take on the law of the husband?

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

When we as a woman believer embrace the “laws” of religion we again assume the independent position of the “old man” (Rom 6:6), and so, we must fail and we will loose the peace of our union with Christ as our proper husband.

Thankfully, our “old man is crucified” (Rom 6:6) with Christ in order that we might be freed, not only from Sin’s power, but also freed from thelaw” that empowers sin. 1 Corinthians 15:56b …the strength (power) of sin is the law. Romans 7:9 (KJV) For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

Why were we made free from our Old Man (our old independent self) so we could be as married to “another?” Christ Himself now is as our husband, our head. We are now free to give up our self-headship or self-godhood and to take Christ as our head. We died in Christ, and so we are thereby free from the operation of “the law (operation) of sin and death” (Rom 8:2).  Most believing Christians believe in their eternal life to come (even though they already possess His eternal life), yet most do not believe they are free from the power of Sin. We have partaken of the death and resurrection life of the one who is in us as our death, and who is our new life (Gal 2:20). He is our head by His Spirit of life – Christ (Rom 8:2) in us.

Do not confuse Sin’s power with Sin’s continuing presence within our physical body members. Romans 7:17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. Romans 7:20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. Romans 7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:  

Even while Sin remains within our body members, we are now free from its power. This is effective for us so long as we believe and identify with Christ’s death as or death, and His life as our overcoming life. Romans 6:3-4 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ (Christ’s body) were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Our belief is proven by our trusting in these Pauline truths.

Free to be Married to Christ

Our freedom is enjoyed and it works for us so long as we abide in union with Him who is our new husband. Being free from the law (Rom 7:4), we now have no more consciousness of a legal requirement or its condemnation (Rom 8:1a). However, we do take care of our loving union relationship with Him as if He were our husband.

Now, when some may talk to me about the need for law-keeping, I say “Law, what law? – All I know is I love and abide with Him.” So our relationship has progressed from a legal relationship, to one of love. Such love can only blossom in the absence of legal demands. If the outer constraint of the requirements of “the law” is what is motivates us, then love is not operating and there can be no genuine fruit of His life.

Love cannot come by outer constraint. His love is the equivalent of grace – it’s unconditional and comes to us without merit. Paul makes clear that grace and law are mutually exclusive. They cannot coexist. Romans 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.  All I now know is He loved me first, and now I love Him.

Thus, we have already been delivered from the penalty of Sin and we are now coming to see that we have also been delivered from Sin’s power. One day, when we exchange these corruptible bodies that contain Sin, we will be delivered from the presence of Sin.

Abiding In a Submitted Union

“Thanks be to God who causes us always to triumph in Christ,” (2Cor 2:14). Our triumph over all is only found in our abiding union with and “in Christ.” We must admit that we do not always triumph. Could it be that it is because we are not always abide in union with Christ? Oh yes, we as birthed children of God are positionally in Christ, we stand before the Father in Him, and this keeps us from perdition, judgment, because He, as the lamb of God, bore the penalty due us. But we are not always “abiding in Him”, trusting Him, in our current state of being in our daily life.

Thus, Romans 5:10 speaks of two aspects, “much more, being reconciled (objectively), we shall be saved by His life (subjectively)”. Our positional standing and our present dispositional state may be two different things. Our “standing,” is the basis for our salvation from judgment and our reconciliation, while our experiential salvation in our daily living is a change of our “state” of being at any given time. Thus we work out or permit the full outworking of His life within to govern and save us in our daily living. Philip. 2:12-13 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. We need only to abide in our union with Him, so He then may thereby live overcomingly through us. He is our daily Savior by His living through us when we abide in our union, dependent upon Him.