Dead To The Law

"Ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ." Romans 7:4,

 

            When Jesus Christ died as our Substitute under the penalty of the law, he silenced its thunderous threats and broke its power of condemnation. The sentence of the Lawgiver against the transgressor was satisfied in our representative – "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." And, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus."

            As Christ has fulfilled the types of the ceremonial law, he has abolished the obligation of believers to the moral law. The handwriting of ordinances that was against us, he has taken out of the way, nailing it to the cross. It was an ancient custom to cancel bonds with a nail. And our Lord has cancelled the law against us, being nailed to the cross.

            All are agreed that Christ did away with obligation to the ceremonial law. But, many are still as Ishmael, under the bondage of the moral law. Brethren, it was the moral, not the ceremonial law that had the power to condemn us. And it is this law's curse which Christ nullified by his death. The ceremonial law of sacrifices was the gospel in shadows, appointed for the relief of men. The ceremonial law was a foreshadowment of our justification in Christ. This was not contrary to us. Our Savior died under the power and force of the moral law in his life, our Substitute rendered the exact requirements of the law in perfect obedience. In his death, he received its full penalty and execution. And in him we died. By the cross of Christ we are dead to the law. The law can have no power over us until the virtue of our surety's death has ceased! And that cannot be. Now, when the blood of Christ is applied to our hearts by faith, we are not brought under the law. We are freed from it and married to Christ. Fixing our eyes upon the righteousness and shed blood of Christ, we sing with the full assurance of faith -

 

Free from the law, O happy condition!

Jesus hath bled, and there is remission!

 

            Does this mean that believers are antinonian (against law)? Perish the thought! Never does the true born child of God say that he is free to sin, free to break the law. But we do refuse to become entangled again with the yoke of bondage. We will not be brought again under the covenant of works, obeying God by a legal principle. Our principle of life is, "the love of Christ constraineth us." We live by faith in Christ’s satisfaction of the law, and walk by the heart principle of love to God and our fellowmen. We are dead to the law and alive to God, by Jesus Christ.

            This gives us comfort and freedom. The law can only bring fear and bondage. Righteousness can never come by the law, neither for justification, nor sanctification. Brethren, let us live by faith in Christ, not frustrating the grace of God, "for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."

Don Fortner