We Belong to Christ

We Belong to Christ

Date: Apr. 25, 2023

Passage

Romans 7:1-13 (ESV)

1 Or do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? 2 For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. 3 Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.

4 Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. 5 For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.

7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. 9 I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. 10 The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. 11 For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. 12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved.

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Daily Bread

Key Verse: 7:4

Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.

When a man and a woman marry, the law that binds their marriage together is in place as long as the two are alive. But if one of the spouses dies, the law of marriage no longer applies. That means they can remarry without being guilty of adultery. It frees the surviving spouse from the law. In the same way, when we are united with Jesus Christ, we die to the law, just as Jesus himself died. Because we died with Christ, we no longer belong to the law. We belong to Christ himself, who was raised from the dead. In this way, we can bear fruit for God. What kind of fruit do we bear? The fruit of faith in Jesus, who died so that we ourselves would die to sin.

What, then, about the law? If the law just arouses our sinful passions, does that mean the law is sinful? Not at all! Actually, the law is holy, righteous, and good! Paul explains that before the law said that coveting was sinful, he didn’t think much about it. But as soon as the law declared coveting a sin, his sinful nature went to work and produced all kinds of covetous desires in him. So, the very law that was meant to save him brought about sinful desires and thus death. The law, then, makes our sin known, and then we know we need the gospel.

Prayer: Prayer: Father, thank you for the gospel which put to death my sin, that I may live a new life, bearing fruit to you.

One Word: One Word: Died to the law, living for Christ

God Accepts Those Who Fear Him

Acts 10:17-35

Key Verse: 10:34

Gentiles Hear the Good News

So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality,

Today's Question

What rules did God first reveal for man to obey?

See answer and references

IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT