January 26, 2009 - Romans 7 : 1-6

An Illustration From Marriage...

As you know, within the church, Jesus is known as the bridegroom and we, his followers, are known as his bride. The example this passage gives is that once we have accepted Christ, we are basically bound by that love that is comparable to a love between a man and a woman by marriage by nature. This illustration depicts a woman (well and man also because this can go either way) who is bound to her husband (or wife). If his/her spouse is dead, only then would she be released by the law that is of marriage. But if the spouse is alive and you are cheating on him/her, you are an adulterer.

The point of this passage is obvious. We have been bound to Christ by this marriage like love. Yet we cheat on him all the time. He is not dead so why do we continue to break this law? Why do we continue to sin? Imagine if your boyfriend or girlfriend cheats on you; imagine how you would feel. In the same way, God feels betrayed, but in no way does he leave us. That is the greatness of our merciful God. He offers us the grace that we do not deserve.

"So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead in order that we might bear fruit to God"

Amen.