One of the most radical statements in the New Testament is Paul’s declaration that we must become “dead to the law” in order to be “married to Christ.” For the religious mind, this sounds like a license to chaos; but for the New Covenant believer, it is the only pathway to true holiness. You cannot serve two masters, and you cannot live under two contradictory covenants at the same time.
To live alive to Christ, you must first have a funeral for your relationship with the Law.
The Legal Marriage Analogy
In Romans 7, Paul uses the analogy of marriage to explain our relationship with the Law. He explains that a woman is legally bound to her husband as long as he lives; but if the husband dies, she is free to marry another without being called an adulteress.
- The First Husband (The Law): The Law was a demanding husband. He was perfect, but he had no power to help you. He only pointed out your flaws and demanded a standard you could never meet.
- The Death of the Old Man: You didn’t just “quit” the Law; you died to it. When you were crucified with Christ, your legal obligation to the Old Covenant husband was terminated.
- The Second Husband (Christ): Now that you are “dead” to the Law, you are legally free to be joined to Jesus. This new Husband does not just demand fruit; He produces it within you.
Why You Must Be Dead to the Law
Many believers try to “date” Jesus while still staying “married” to the Law. This spiritual adultery leads to a life of confusion and double-mindedness.
- The Law Revives Sin: As we have explored, the strength of sin is the law. If you stay married to the Law, you are staying married to the very thing that gives sin its power over you.
- Grace Provides the Power: You are dead to the Law so that you might be “alive to God.” Grace is not the absence of a standard; it is the presence of a Person who fulfills the standard through you.
- No Condemnation: The Law only knows how to condemn. If you are dead to the Law, you are dead to its right to judge you, shame you, or make you feel “unclean.”
How to Walk in Newness of Spirit
Living “alive to Christ” means you no longer look to a list of rules to tell you how to live; you look to the Spirit of Life within you.
- From Letter to Spirit: The “letter” kills, but the Spirit gives life. Instead of following the “letter” of the Law (external rules), you follow the “spirit” of the Law (internal nature).
- Identity-Driven Living: You don’t avoid sin because a stone tablet tells you to; you avoid sin because it is inconsistent with who you are as a new creation.
- The Fruit of the Spirit: Galatians 5-22,23 (NKJV) lists the fruit of the Spirit and concludes with a powerful statement: “Against such there is no law.” When you are walking in the Spirit, you fulfill the heart of the Law without ever looking at the Law.
The Result: Effortless Fruitfulness
When a branch is connected to the vine, it doesn’t “try” to grow grapes; it simply abides, and the life of the vine produces the fruit. Living dead to the Law means you stop “toiling” to be holy and start “abiding” in the One who is holiness itself.
- Restful Increase: Your focus shifts from “How am I doing?” to “How great is Jesus?”
- Boldness in Grace: You can stand before God with a clear conscience, knowing that your standing is not based on your ability to keep the Law, but on Christ’s perfect keeping of it on your behalf.
Conclusion
Living dead to the Law is the secret to a high-voltage Christian life. It is not an invitation to sin, but an invitation to a love relationship that is so powerful it makes sin lose its taste. You have been discharged from the Law so that you can serve in the new way of the Spirit. Stop trying to please your “dead husband” and start enjoying the life of your living Savior.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I’m dead to the Law, can I just do whatever I want?
Under Grace, you do do whatever you want; it’s just that God has given you a “new want.” Your new nature desires the things of God and finds sin repulsive.
Is the Law still useful for anything?
The Law is useful for the unbeliever to show them their need for a Savior. For the believer, it is a mirror that reflects the perfection of Christ, but it is no longer our “rule of life.”
How do I “reckon” myself dead to the Law?
By faith. When thoughts of guilt or “religious duty” arise, you remind yourself: “I am dead to that system. I am married to Christ, and His righteousness is my current reality.”
Why do I still feel guilty when I don’t follow religious rituals?
That is your “conscience” still being programmed by Law-based thinking. You must wash your mind with the Gospel until your heart agrees with the Finished Work.
This article is part of a series answering difficult questions about grace and the New Covenant.