Not Subject to the Law
A Sermon on Romans 7:1-4
Scripture
Believers United to Christ
1Or do you not know, brothers and sisters (for I am speaking to those who know the Law), that the Law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? 2For the married woman is bound by law to her husband as long …
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.
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.