Set Free From the Law

“But now we have been delivered [set free] from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.” Rom. 7:6. “Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.” 1 Pet. 2:24.

There are two ways of being set free from the law. One is by abolishing it. Many people believe that this is what Jesus did, and that this is how we are “set free” from the law. But we have already seen that this is wrong. The other way to be set free from the law is by fulfilling the law. “That the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Rom. 8:4.

Let us go back to the illustration of the thief. His desire is to be set free from the law concerning stealing. He is convicted by it and feels condemned. If the laws against stealing were to be abolished, he would feel happy and free. There are many who rejoice in being “set free” from the law like this. But the thief does not stop stealing, and most people do not finish with their bad temper, gossiping, covetousness, anxiety, vanity, etc. If in this condition they can still rejoice and be glad, then we understand that there is something fundamentally wrong with their attitude of mind.

We just read, “But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by.” The thief is in bondage to stealing, but when he dies to that which held him (in other words, when he stops stealing), he is set free from the law; he has no more trouble with it. On the contrary, the law is his friend and will be to his praise. He can justly rejoice and be glad. A noble-minded man cannot rejoice unless he is rid of his sin, and only a person with that kind of attitude meets the conditions for understanding the Scriptures correctly. All others twist them to their own destruction.

That is why Jesus died—not only that we might receive forgiveness, but also (as we read in the text) “that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness.” “For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom. 6:10-11.

Death to sin is called the death of Christ. It was Christ who first came with it. Paul said that he was “always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, hat the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” Read 2 Corinthians 4:10-11.

Instead of exerting himself to keep the law, Paul committed himself—his self-confidence, honor, desire for power, covetousness, anger, anxiety, etc., into the death of Christ so that the opposite—the life of Jesus—might be revealed in his mortal body. This he did continually because, by God’s light, he continually saw more of himself. He died to sin and lived to righteousness. This is how he was set free from the law. Then the liberty we attain through death will be perfect. This is not a life in bondage; however, it is bondage to exert yourself, trying to keep the law according to the flesh.

“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Gal. 5:19-21. “Yes, but what if I pray for forgiveness?” you ask. Very well, but Paul’s word holds true: those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. If you pray for forgiveness for something, you must also stop doing it! “But I can’t,” you reply. That is the very reason why you need to believe in Jesus; and if you have heard the gospel of Jesus, who came full of grace and truth, you are without excuse, whoever you may be.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” Gal. 5:22-23. In other words, such people are set free from the law, and we understand that this is the right way in which to be set free.