What does it mean to be dead to the law?

In Romans 7:4, we have an interesting statement given by Paul. He says, “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ…”

Because so many honest Christians believe Paul’s message to the early church was that the law was no longer binding, many who read this text believe that Paul was doubling down on the assertion that believers no longer need to keep the law.

However, a closer analysis of this chapter reveals that Paul’s message was less about the law and more about an inner struggle that every believer who truly recognizes their sinfulness will have.

However, in order to understand the full scope of Paul’s message, we must understand how Jewish law viewed the relationship between a husband and wife.

The Woman Who is Bound to Her Husband

Romans 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?

Here, Paul reminds his readers that the law only has dominion over those who are living. It is important to see that the context of Paul’s thesis pivots around death and the law.

Romans 7:2 - For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.

To support Paul’s opening statement, he now gives his readers an example that everyone could relate to—marriage. According to Jewish law, the husband was the only party in a marriage that could initiate divorce. Notice how this fact is brought out in a conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees:

They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. Matthew 19:7-8

Notice, that it was the men who were suffered to put away their wives, not the wives who were suffered to put away their husbands. This brings into context why Paul reminded his readers that a woman was bound by the law to her husband as long as he was living. She was bound because only the husband could initiate divorce while both parties were still living. The woman’s only hope to be released from her husband was if he died.

Another man?

Paul doubles down on his example, by reiterating that a woman who was married to another man while her husband was still living was called an adulteress.

Romans 7:3 - So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

However, I want you to notice that at the end of the text, it says “another man.” This phrase should reveal to you that there are two men in the picture. The first man was her first husband, and the second man was her new husband. While this may seem basic, many Evangelicals have been taught the lie that the first marriage was to the law. This is incorrect. The woman was not bound to the law through the law; the woman was bound to her FIRST HUSBAND through the law.

Dead To The Law

Romans 7:4 - Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

Paul then makes a powerful and conclusive statement by telling his readers that they have also become dead to the law. However, is Paul telling us we can sin freely? What does Paul mean?

The Law, Sin, and Death

Paul understood that there’s a relation between the law, sin, and death. According to Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death…” Well, what is sin? According to 1John 3:4 – “Sin is the transgression of the law.” When we look at these components wholistically, we should see a clear system of truth.

The law has no saving power. It can only point out that you are out of compliance with God. Being out of compliance with God means that we have sinned. When we have sinned there are wages to that sin, and it’s called eternal death. Because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, we all deserve the final death. However, when we accept Christ as our personal Savior, we become dead with Him. In essence, His death becomes our death.

Already dead

Several years ago, there was an active shooter situation where many people unfortunately lost their lives. However, there was one survivor in particular who miraculously made it out alive. When the news anchor asked him how he survived in the face of certain death, the man revealed that he simply laid down and pretended he was already dead.

You see, he understood that the shooter was looking to kill people that were alive. Thus, when the shooter skipped over him, it was because the gunman believed he had already killed the man.

This example perfectly explains the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Because we have broken the law and sinned, death’s only job is to destroy us. However, Galatians 2:20 says, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

So now, when death seeks to kill me, it cannot because according to its records, I’m already dead! When death sees me, it sees Christ, and thus I am dead with Christ, however, I’m still living! This is the power of the Gospel.

Two Husbands

Now we must determine who the two husbands are.

• The Second Husband – An analysis of Romans 7 reveals that Christ is the second husband. We know this because Verse 4 says, we “should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead.” This we know Jesus is our second husband.
• The First Husband – When we understand the context of Paul’s epistle, we should understand that our first husband is our flesh. Paul often called him the old man. "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." Romans 6:6

Once we understand that we are married to the old man, we should see that just like the woman who was bound by her husband to the law, we are also bound to our flesh. And just like the woman could not legally divorce her husband, we cannot physically divorce our flesh. The woman bound by her husband’s only hope was that her first husband would die. Only then would the law recognize her as being released from her husband. The same thing exists for us. We cannot get rid of our flesh. The desire to sin is part of us. Psalms 51:5 says, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Because we are sinners and married to our flesh, there’s only one thing can do to get rid of the Old Man—we have to kill him.

Self must die. This spiritual death is why Paul said, I die daily (1Corinthians 15:31). This death comes from spending more time in God’s Word and less time doing worldly things. More time in prayer and less time on social media. More time with Christ means less time with your flesh.

Conclusion: The Law Is Not Dead To Us; We Are Dead To The Law

It is not the law that is dead—it is us who are dead. Through the power of Christ, we must die to self daily and only then can we get from under the Old Man and live a fulfilling life in Christ Jesus.