Not Subject to the Law
A Sermon on Romans 7:1-4
Originally preached April 17, 1959
Scripture
1Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? 2For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but …
Sermon Description
What does marriage have to do with the relationship to the law? Paul begins Romans 7 by discussing how the relationship with the law closely mirrors a relationship with a spouse. In the sermon on Romans 7:1–4 titled “Not Subject to the Law,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones creates four points to show how Paul is using the marriage relationship as an illustration. Just as the woman is bound to her husband by law, so also the Christian is bound to the law. This reflects the leadership that the husband has over the household. In a marriage, the spouses are bound until a death breaks that agreement. Christians are also bound to the law until a death occurs. Death brings a freedom from the law. In the same way, Christians have died to the law and are now able to enter into a relationship with righteousness. Finally, the purpose of marriage is to replenish the earth and the relationship with God is to bring forth fruit. All must be delivered from the power and dominion of the law if they are to produce fruit. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that the Christian must first be separated from the old in order to conform to the new.
Sermon Breakdown
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The apostle Paul is addressing all Christians, both Jews and Gentiles, not just Jews. He refers to them as "brethren" and the overall message of being freed from the law applies to all believers.
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By "law" Paul means God's moral law, not just the Mosaic law. All people are under obligation to God's law.
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The law has "dominion" over a person as long as they live. It applies to them and they are subject to it. But when someone dies, the law no longer has dominion over them.
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Paul uses the analogy of marriage to illustrate our relationship to the law. A woman is bound to her husband by law as long as he lives. But if he dies, she is released from that law and free to marry another.
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While the husband lives, if the woman marries another man she commits adultery. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law and can marry another man without committing adultery.
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Paul applies this analogy to believers. We were once "married" to the law, but now we have "died" to the law through the body of Christ. The law no longer has dominion over us. We can now be "married" to Christ.
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Some misunderstand this to mean Christians have nothing more to do with the law. But that is not the case. We are simply no longer under the law as a means of obtaining righteousness. We are under grace. But the law still reflects God's moral will for our lives.
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The purpose of salvation is not to abolish the law but to fulfill it. God writes his laws on our hearts and enables us to obey them. We demonstrate love for God by keeping his commandments.
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Paul quotes several of the Ten Commandments in his letters to Christian churches, showing the law still applies to believers. We fulfill the law through love of God and neighbor.
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Antinomianism, the belief that Christians have no obligation to God's moral law, is unbiblical and dangerous. The law is still "holy and just and good."
Sermon Q&A
What Does Romans 7:1-4 Teach About Our Relationship to the Law?
What is the main theme of Romans 7 according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the main theme of Romans 7 is "the Christian in his relationship to the law, and in particular as regards his sanctification." The chapter is specifically concerned with explaining why the Christian's old relationship with the law had to be broken, especially for the purpose of our sanctification. Lloyd-Jones sees this as a continuation of the theme introduced in Romans 6:14: "Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law but under grace."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the marriage analogy in Romans 7:1-3?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Paul uses the marriage analogy to illustrate several key points: 1. It shows the binding nature of our relationship to the law - like a wife bound to her husband 2. It demonstrates that only death can legally break such a binding relationship 3. It illustrates how one can enter into a new relationship after death breaks the old one 4. It emphasizes the purpose of the new relationship - "to bring forth fruit unto God"
The illustration shows how a woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives, but if he dies, she is free to marry another man without being called an adulteress.
What does it mean for Christians to be "dead to the law" according to the sermon?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, being "dead to the law" does NOT mean Christians have nothing to do with God's moral standards. Rather, it means: 1. We are no longer under the law as a "covenant of works" - we're not trying to save ourselves by keeping the law 2. We are no longer in the position of trying to justify ourselves before God through law-keeping 3. We have been freed from the law's condemning power 4. We are now under grace, with a new relationship to Christ
Lloyd-Jones strongly warns against antinomianism, saying: "It is in order that we might be enabled to live according to the law, and thereby bear fruit unto God, that Christ came and died for us and rose again."
How does Paul's argument about the law connect to sanctification?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Paul's argument connects to sanctification because: 1. While married to the law, we could never bring forth fruit to God 2. Only by being married to Christ can we produce spiritual fruit 3. The purpose of salvation is "to enable us to keep God's holy law" 4. As Romans 8:4 says, Christ came "in order that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us" 5. Our sanctification requires us to be freed from the condemning power of the law while embracing its moral standards through our new relationship with Christ
The sermon emphasizes that the goal is not lawlessness but rather fulfilling the law's righteousness through our new relationship with Christ.
What warning does Dr. Lloyd-Jones give about misunderstanding our relationship to the law?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones warns strongly against two errors: 1. Legalism - trying to save or sanctify ourselves through law-keeping 2. Antinomianism - the dangerous idea that Christians have no relationship to God's moral law at all
He calls antinomianism "the most dangerous form" of error and says it contradicts scripture. He provides multiple examples (from Hebrews, Jesus's teaching, Paul's letters, and James) showing that Christians are still expected to follow God's moral standards. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes: "Beware of antinomianism, my friends. It is, in a sense, in order that we might be enabled to live according to the law, and thereby bear fruit unto God, that Christ came and died for us and rose again."
The Book of Romans
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.