Since fallen man wanted to be the husband, God gave him the law. The law is not intended for the wife, but for the fallen husband. Thus, this law becomes the law of the old man, the law of the husband (7:2). However, God did not intend that the old man keep the law, because the old man cannot keep it. The law was given that the old man might be exposed. People make a great mistake when they think that God gave man the law that he might keep it. On the contrary, God gave the law to man that he might break it and that, by breaking it, he might be completely exposed. If you try to keep the law, you are wrong; if you break the law, you are correct. The law was not given for man to keep; it was given for man to break.
This thought is scriptural. Romans 3:20 says, “by law is knowledge of sin.” The law gives us the knowledge of sin. If man had no law, he would continue to commit sins, but would not recognize them as such. Man would excuse his sinful deeds, using favorable terms to describe them. However, the law identifies sin as sin. Moreover, Romans 4:15 says, “where no law is, neither is there transgression.” You may think that the law prevents transgression, but this verse says that the law exposes transgression. Furthermore, Romans 5:20 says, “But the law entered that the offense might abound.” The law did not enter that the offense might be reduced or restricted. This is our natural concept and thought. Paul says that the law entered that the offense might abound, meaning that it might increase plentifully. Thus, the Bible indicates that the law was not given for us to keep, but for us to violate.
You may say, “I will not try to break the law.” Whether you want to break the law or not means nothing, for you will break the law. You cannot help but break the law. The law says, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Although you may try to love your neighbor, you cannot do it. Even the children in school cannot love their classmates as themselves. Everyone reading this message has broken and continues to break at least one of the ten commandments. Who can keep the law? No one. The law entered that the offense might abound.
According to Romans 7:7, we would not have known sin except through the law. In this verse Paul says that he would not have known coveting except the law had said, “You shall not covet.” As a summary we may say that the law works that the offense might abound. Once the offense abounds, the law exposes it as sin. In this way the law leads us to the knowledge of sin.
The position of the regenerated new man is a genuine wife’s position. Regeneration restores us to our original position.
The first husband of Romans 7:2-3 is not the flesh or the law, but the old man of Romans 6:6, which has been crucified with Christ. If we read Romans 7:1-6 carefully, we can see a correspondence between it and Romans 6:6.
Many Christians have had difficulty understanding the first husband mentioned in Romans 7 because most of them neglected the fact that we, the believers, after being saved, have two statuses—the old and the new. Due to the fall we have the old status; due to regeneration we have a new one. Because of the fall we are the old man, and because of regeneration we are the new man. As the old man we were the husband; as the new man we are the wife. Hence, we have two statuses.
Let us explore this further by considering Romans 7:1-6 in relation to Romans 6:6 and Galatians 2:19-20. Romans 7:1 says, “The law lords it over the man as long as he lives.” This verse presents no difficulty. In 7:2 we are told that the “married woman is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives; but if the husband dies, she is discharged from the law of the husband.” Please notice that it does not say “she lives,” but “he lives.” If the husband dies, the wife is discharged from the law of the husband. Romans 7:3 tells us that if, while the husband lives, the wife marries another husband she will be called an adulteress. However, if the husband dies, she is freed from the law and may be married to another.
The next three verses in Romans 7 present some difficulties. The point of crisis is in 7:4. Let us examine this verse very carefully. “So that, my brothers, you also have been made dead to the law through the body of Christ.” We were not put to death as a result of suicide, but through the body of Christ, meaning that we died on the cross of Christ. The phrase “through the body of Christ” modifies death, indicating what sort of death it was. It was not a suicide; it was a co-crucifixion with Christ. When Christ was crucified, we died with Him. We need to compare this with Romans 6:6, which says, “Knowing this, that our old man has been crucified with Him.” Do you not believe that this verse which says that our old man has been crucified with Him corresponds with Romans 7:4 which says that we were made dead through the body of Christ? We must admit that these two statements correspond with one another. No doubt, the “you” that “have been made dead to the law through the body of Christ” in 7:4 is the “old man” who “has been crucified with Him” in 6:6. To put it simply, the “you” in 7:4 is the “old man” in 6:6.
Romans 6:6 says that the old man has been crucified with Him that the body of sin might be made of none effect. The old man, not the body, has been crucified. If you say that your body has been crucified, you need a funeral and burial. What then has happened to the body? The body has been made of none effect; it has been rendered useless. The old man has been crucified, but the body remains. Since the old man has been crucified, the body is jobless. Nevertheless, Romans 6:6 continues with the phrase “that we should no longer serve sin as slaves.” The old man has been crucified, yet we still live. We should no longer serve sin as slaves.
Now let us turn to Galatians 2:19. This verse says, “For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.” Are we dead or living? Are we two persons or one? By this verse we can see that we have two statuses, that there are two I’s—an old “I” and a new “I.” The old “I” is dead that the new “I” may live. This is not my interpretation; this is my quotation of Galatians 2:19. Galatians 2:19 says that I am dead that I might live. If I am not dead, I can never live. I need to be dead in order to live. I die to live. To what am I dead? According to Galatians 2:19, I am dead to the law.
Galatians 2:20 follows by declaring, “I am crucified with Christ,” a phrase which undoubtedly corresponds to Romans 6:6 and 7:4. These three verses correspond to one another. Galatians 2:20 says, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live.” How can we be crucified persons and continue to live? Are we dead or alive? Both are true. As the old man I am dead; as the new man I live. Although I live, yet it is not I, but Christ who lives in me. I like the three words “nevertheless,” “yet,” and “but.” If we concentrate on these three words, we will be clear about our dual status. I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me. This is marvelous. This is the emphatic teaching of the Bible. Then, Galatians 2:20 says, “and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God.” This verse reveals that a believer has two statuses— the status of an old man and the status of the regenerated new man.
We were troubled by the old husband in Romans 7:4 because we did not pay attention to a Christian’s dual status. As the old man we were the husband; as the new man we are the wife.
Now we return to Romans 7:4. “So that, my brothers, you also have been made dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you might marry another, even Him Who has been raised from among the dead, that we might bear fruit to God.” In this verse Paul puts together a funeral and a wedding. On the one hand, we were buried; on the other hand, we were married. We have been made dead that we might marry another. In Romans 7:4 we are dead to marry; in Galatians 2:19 we are dead to live. If we did not have two statuses, how could this be possible? We were made dead according to our old status that we might marry another according to our new status. According to our new status, we marry Him who has been raised from among the dead, that we might bear fruit to God.
Now we come to Romans 7:5-6. Verse five says, “For when we were in the flesh, the passions of sins, which were through the law, operated in our members to bear fruit to death.” This verse speaks of what we were. Verse six says, “But now we are discharged from the law, having died to that in which we were held, that we should serve as slaves in newness of spirit and not in oldness of letter.” When we were in the flesh (v. 5), we were the old husband. When we were discharged from the law (v. 6), we became the wife. We have been discharged from the law of the old husband, having died to that in which we were held.
By now it should be very clear who is the old husband. The old husband is our old man. The wife is our regenerated new man. As the old man we are dead, and as the new man we are alive. We were dead as the old husband, but now are alive as the wife. As we shall see, the wife does two things— bears fruit to God and serves in newness of spirit.