DM#8: Dead to the law

Doctrine of the Mysteries #8

Dead to the law

We have determined that Romans chapter 6 is an incredibly important, mile-marker chapter. It sets a strong precedent for a believer who is committed to learning and living the mystery doctrine. After telling us that through faith in the gospel of grace, we have justification and access to the grace of God, Paul immediately gets into the details of what we should know, and how we should start to think. He places a responsibility upon us to learn a few things which are intended to renew our pattern of thought, things that will help us to understand our new position in Christ, and spiritual truths that will become cornerstones within the foundation he will lay throughout Romans.

Having informed us that we are dead to sin, Paul enlightens us of our relationship with the law. There are a few surprises in store for the uninformed reader.  

Rom 6:15-17  What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.  (16)  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?  (17)  But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

Shall we sin because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

SPIRITUAL LESSONS

Paul uses that statement again, “God forbid!” He is cautioning you not to think carnally. We cannot reason spiritual truth in a carnal mind. We must consider what we are being taught from our new positional stance with God, through Jesus Christ.

Now, note that Paul says, we are not under the law. This statement is perfectly true if we have died to the law. Considering that the law was made for transgressors, 1Tim 1:9, how can we transgress the law if we are dead to sin, according to our new spiritual position. OK. Stop right here! Quit trying to analyse this in your carnal mind. It makes no sense in the flesh. This is something you need to accept by faith. In the flesh you are not dead. In the flesh you still sin. In the flesh you violate the law every day. But to God, you are NOT in the flesh when you are in Christ. God, who is the author and creator of the law has already declared that if you believe in His Son, you have died to sin, and thus you cannot transgress the law. This is what God declares, and it is the position He has placed you in, because He honours His Son. You have no part to play in it, barring placing your faith in Jesus.

What Paul is teaching us in Romans chapter 6 and 7 is that we occupy a brand-new position in the spiritual realm, and we have a brand-new relationship with God because of Christ. This is why Paul is hammering home that we must learn some things and that we must come to understand it by faith, not by feeling or reasoning. Look again at what Paul is drilling into you,

Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Rom 6:6  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Rom 6:9  Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

Rom 6:11  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Rom 6:16  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Rom 7:1  Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?

These statements do not make sense to natural reasoning. It is a positional truth that we must accept by faith and be renewed to in the spirit of our mind. We need to learn this and grow in our understanding and acceptance of this now, because much of the rest of Paul’s curriculum is going in this direction. We are a spiritual body that has been given a spiritual doctrine. If you are not accepting what Paul is telling us here in Romans 6 and 7, then there is no way you are going to catch the deeper spiritual revelations in Ephesians onwards. Romans is the simple mathematical times-tables in a spiritual curriculum that is going to advance into geometry, algebra, calculus, and trigonometry. We are going to go much deeper. It is recommended that you get comfortable with the times-tables right now!

PRACTICAL LESSONS

I admit that I have digressed a little into the importance of having a spiritual view of these scripture passages. However, let’s also be mindful that we are in the flesh, and we have to resist against the carnal mind. Let’s get back to the text and see what advice Paul provides in the remainder of chapter 6.

Because we have died to sin, the law has no power over us. However, since this is a spiritual reality, it does not affect our physical nature and circumstances, thus we still need to take responsibility for our thoughts, our choices, and our actions. In this regard, Paul leads us into another learning point,

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

We have an obligation to the written Word. We need to allow the Word to empower us, and to renew our minds. We need to stand in obedience to the working of the Word within us and allow it to influence us towards righteousness. Paul is aware of the weakness of the flesh and thus defines our role in the simplest form,

Rom 6:19  I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. 

The living Word within us will lead and guide us. It will strengthen us with truth, but we still need to cast off the flesh. We still need to wage war against our thoughts and imaginations, which is the spawning ground of sin. Paul says the following,

2Co 10:3-6  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:  (4)  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)  (5)  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;  (6)  And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

We cannot sit back, resting in our spiritual position. Though that is secure, our current condition is still in the flesh, and still in the domain of the god of this world, 2Cor 4:4. We need to take charge, restrain the flesh, and yield our mortal members as servants to righteousness, which will lead unto holiness.

In the next post, we will continue into chapter 7, where our relationship with the law, will be further clarified.