Take a moment to read Romans 7:1-13 before reading the devotional below.
In today’s passage, Paul uses the Jews’ deep understanding of the law to help them understand the concept of death to the power of sin. It is tempting for us to read the first three verses of this chapter as a pronouncement (or clarification) of law. But that would miss the entire point. Paul is not saying, “Here is how you need to understand marriage and how it works legally.” He is simply using an illustration the people will understand: you know how the law releases you from marriage after a person dies? That’s how your obligation to sin ends too.
When you die to yourself by handing yourself over to God completely, you participate in Jesus’ death. There is a sacrifice made to God that produces a removal of sin. When you journey into a new life with Jesus, you have no obligation to sin anymore. The law doesn’t own you anymore.
Here’s your freedom for today: you do the right thing when you have the right reason.
Here’s your freedom for today: you do the right thing when you have the right reason. Simply having a law that says, “Don’t do this” will not be enough to stop you from doing it. If you think you can get away with something and you just want to look good in front of other people, you will break the law repeatedly. Those who have studied the process of moral development have found that higher levels of morality involve doing the right thing because you want it. If I only slow down in a school zone because a sign is posted, then what happens if the sign falls down? Will I speed right through? Or do I care enough about the safety of the children that I will voluntarily slow down because I believe it to be best? When you turn your life over to God and he gives you his Holy Spirit, you begin the process of heart transformation. The law has no power and you don’t need it anyway. You start wanting what God wants for all the right reasons.