Part 6 – Romans 7 - The Frustration of Living As An Independent Self-effort

This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called Romans Road of Core Dispensational Truth.

In Part 4 of our study we looked at Romans Chapter 6. We saw that believers were in and with Christ when He died, was buried and rose from the dead (v3-4). And that we need to identify ourselves with these truths as to our death with Him and also our new life “in Him.” Now in Chapter 7 Paul goes onto describe what really occurred when we were “baptized (immersed or placed) into Christ’s death” (cf. 1Cor 12:13) at the cross and how this fact serves to free us from the Law that hung over our “Old Man” (old nature). The law upon the Old Man gave power to the Sin-nature that ruled us before we believed to receive Christ as our Savior, death and new life.

6 Knowing this, that our ‘old man’ is crucified with him, (so) that the body of Sin might be destroyed (Gk. kartargeo, Made of No Effect), (so) that henceforth we should not serve (be slaves to) sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin (freed from Sin’s dominion). (Rom 6:6-7)

Romans 7:4 refers to the same matter: “Wherefore, my brethren, ye (as the Old Man) also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; (so) that ye should be married to another, even to him (Jesus) who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.” (Romans 7:4 (KJV)

Based on the fact of our death as our “Old Man” with and in Christ, Paul in Ephesians tells us we can and should “Put Off” the things of the Old Man’s nature and “Put ON the New Man… created in righteousness.”

(Eph 4:22-24 That ye put off (lay aside) concerning the former conversation (way of life) the Old Man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts (desires); 23be renewed in the spirit (disposition) of your mind; 24And that ye put on (Gk. enduo sink into), the New Man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.)

As we approach Romans 7:1-6, the ‘Paramagnetism Principle’ of magnets helps to better understand this passage.

Positive Pole of the Magnet (+)  >>><<<  (-) Negative pole of the Magnet - drawn to the Positive

God as Male is (+)  >>><<<   (-) Adam Was Created as Female, Dependent, In UNION with God

God as Male is (+)  <<< >>>  (+) Adam Fallen is the Independent Old Man, he is REPELLED

God as Male is (+)  >>><<<   (-) Man In Christ as a Dependent Female UNITED with the Lord

Expository Review of Romans 7:1-6:

Romans 7:1-6 (AMP) DO YOU not know, brethren—for I am speaking to men who are acquainted with the Law—that legal claims have power over a man only for as long as he is alive? (As the ‘Man.’ you are under ‘the Law.’)

2 For [instance] a married woman is bound by law to her ‘husband’ (the Old Man) as long as he lives; but if her husband (Old Man) dies, she is loosed and discharged from ‘the law’ concerning her husband. 3Accordingly, she will be held an adulteress if she unites herself to another man while her husband (the Old Man) lives.

But if her husband (Old Man) dies, the marriage law no longer is binding on her [she is (single) free from that law]; and if she unites herself to another man, she is not an adulteress.

4 (Therefore) Likewise, my brethren, YOU (as the independent ‘Old Man’ of Rom 6:6, below) have undergone Death as to the Law through the [crucified]body of Christ,’ so that now you may belong to Another, to Him (Christ) Who was raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God.

Note that the “YOU” of Rom 7:4 (above) is the same as the “Old Man” of Romans 6:6.

Romans 6:6-7 Knowing this, that our “old man” is (now) crucified with him (Christ), (so) that the body of sin might be destroyed (Gk. kartargeo, Made of No Effect), (so) that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin (freed from Sin’s dominion).

5 When we were living in the flesh (mere physical lives), (as the Old Man) the sinful passions that were awakened and Aroused up By The Law (cf. 1Cor 15:56b) were constantly operating in our natural powers (in our bodily organs, in the sensitive appetites and wills of the flesh), so that we bore fruit for death.

6 BUT NOW we (as a proper dependent ‘female”) are discharged from ‘the Lawand have terminated all intercourse with it, having died (as the ‘Old Man’) to what once restrained and held us Captive (to Sin that had held us under its dominion). So NOW we serve NOT under [obedience to] the old code of written regulations (the Law), but [under obedience to the promptings] of the Spirit (of life in Christ Jesus) in newness [of His life].

So let’s summarize by defining ‘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) The woman first is the believer - holding to the Law, thus bound as to her “Old Man” under the Law.

2) The ‘husband’ is also the believer as the independent “Old Man,” … but then seen to have been ‘crucified and died with Christ.’

3) Having died as the ‘independent Old Man,’ the ‘woman’ (the believer) is now properly restored to dependency upon the Lord as being female to the Lord. She now free from the binding Law of her husband (the Old Man)”… free to marry Another,” which is Christ and bear fruit of the union.

Then in Romans 7:4, Paul explains; “… YOU (as the independent ‘Old Man’ of Rom 6:6, below) have undergone Death as to the Law through the [crucified]body of Christ,’ so that now you may belong to Another, to Him (Christ) Who was raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God.

 “Ye” as a trusting, dependent, believer are no longer bound to “the law” of your Old Man.” “Ye” being dead with Christ are free from “the law” that was upon us as the independent “Old Man.”

So when a believer lives independent from the Christ as the Lord within, he has fallen back to take the fallen position of the male, the ‘husband’ or the “Old Man.” You then have have ‘fallen away from grace” (Gal 5:4) and the liberty of your real new-birth Union With Christ.

Only trusting believers are as “the woman” who is freed by recognizing and identifying with her death with and in Christ.  The woman then is freed to marry “Another.” This is Christ as our potent fruitful husband, whose seed is in us to bear spiritual fruit in our lives (Rom. 7:4).

NOTE: Christ is seen here as if’ He were the believer’s ‘husband,’ to whom the believer is subservient. Since our “Old Man” (us as an independent Male) died with Christ, we as a restored as a ‘woman’ are free to submit to our union with Christ ‘as if’ He were our husband. This metaphor is not saying we are not the bride of Christ – that is Israel.

 ‘Sin’ (singular) as noun speaks of Sin as a nature – this is the nature of the independent “Old Man” that has passed to all men. Romans 5:12 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:

The Sin nature, still in the believers members, is still stirred and empowered by “the Law” (see Rom 7:6 above). 1 Cor 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

Having died in union with Christwe are free to walk dependently in union with Him by His life! Romans 6:7 For when a man dies, he is freed (loosed, delivered) from [the power of] Sin. We must understand that we as regenerated believers are FREE to exercise our free-will to walk in union with the promptings of the flesh or the promptings of “the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:2a). We’ve been freed from ‘the power of the Sin nature’ by our death with Christ (Rom 6:6). ‘Sin’ is still present but cannot rule over us as dead persons. Christians must come to know, believe and identify with this truth… that they are dead as independent self-acting and self-ruling persons. We as Christians must count ourselves to be “dead to Sin” and its dominion over us.

Identifying ourselves with Christ’s death disarms Sin of its power. Sin did not die; the Devil is not dead – it is we as the “Old Man” believer who died with Christ – we have died to ‘Sin.’ Sin cannot rule over a dead person!

Thus, we as believers are free to “walk in the Spirit,” and 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.

A genuinely believing believer is a believer who is saved and not only Knows The Truth Intellectually, but he also believes (trust in) and identifies with that truth concerning his new identity “in Christ.”  Such a believer is one who is then freed from the penalty and power of Sin by Christ’s body death on cross. We are free to choose how he will live – free to stand upon the truth and trust the Lord’s life within us as Our Lord (master).