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If you ignore the law in order to become transformed unto Christ by his spirit, you are free indeed, able to express the glory of God.
If you ignore the law for any other reason, you are simply a lawbreaker.
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Ever been sharing the gospel and some wise soul responds with, “Well, if we’re not under the law, does that mean we can just go out and murder somebody?” Of course, they usually have a smug smile of satisfaction on their face, figuring they’ve presented you with a question that can’t be answered. Well, here is an answer to that type of thinking.
Wherefore, my brethren, you also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that you should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. Romans 7:4
The word “married” is very incorrectly translated in this verse, being the Greek word genesthai, which is the 2nd person aorist infinitive of ginomai (“married” is the Greek word ganeoo).This word ginomai means to be generated or to become or to be produced. It can be understood as a being created or produced or modeled, like a sculptor produces a sculpture. As he works, the sculptor is creating or producing something which is becoming something.
The 2nd person (you, your) aorist (action initiated in the past) infinitive, means this specific word in Romans should be translated “you to have become.” I know that seems clumsy all by itself, but lets plug it into the rest of the verse in which it sits.
Wherefore, my brethren, you also are become dead to the law by the body of the Christ; unto (eis-with the immediate and intended result being for) you to have been generated to another, who was raised out from among the dead, in order that we should bring forth fruit unto God. Romans 7:4
I find this final phrase, “that we should bring forth fruit unto God,” fascinating, because this exact same word ginomai is used in describing how a tree produces, or generates fruit!
What Romans 7:4 is telling us is that the body of the Christ (referring to the physical body of Jesus, who was the Christ, dying on the cross) caused us to be dead to the law (that we were married to) with the result being that we immediately began to be modeled, or generated or produced, or molded, or developed toward becoming like the risen one. Why, for what purpose? For the purpose that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit. So (in this manner) shall you be my disciples. John 15:8
If you are no longer under the law for any other reason than becoming like Christ, you are simply a law breaker. But if you are in the freedom from the law brought about by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, then you are so in order to be made like he is today.
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as he is, so are we in this world. I John 4:17
This understanding of why we are freed from the law, what righteously frees us from the law and to what end, is borne out in other sections of scripture.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation; old things (the law, walking by the flesh-our passions, lusts and worldly wisdom) are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God,
II Corinthians 5:17, 18aBut if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
Galatians 2:17-19
This last verse may inspire the question, “how am I dead to the law through the law?” The law itself indicates that a man is under the law as long as he is alive (in the flesh). The next verse in Galatians indicates the solution to the question.
I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20
The death of Jesus Christ became my death, with the result that his life (resurrected life) becomes my new life.
But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love with which He loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, has made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are saved); And has raised us up together (with him) and made us sit together in heavenly (realms) in Christ Jesus; Ephesians 2:4-6
Because the death of Jesus has become our death, his entailing freedom from the law has become our freedom from the law, the end result being that his becoming glorified unto God and bearing much fruit becomes our becoming glorified unto God and bearing much fruit.
That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first hoped in Christ. In whom, after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also after that you believed, you were sealed with that holy spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1:12-14
Becoming like Christ can only be accomplished by the spirit of Christ, and can only occur apart from the law, for the law deals with our flesh, and becoming like Christ only happens in the spirit.
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind (which deals with the law) is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God (the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus from vs. 2), neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh can not please God. Romans 8:6-8
Outside of the spirit of Christ, which is continually generating us unto the becoming like Christ, there is no pleasing of God, no glorifying of God or bearing spiritual fruit. There is only the law, the flesh and death.
Outside the law are two possibilities: 1) Being a law breaker; or 2) Becoming like Christ.
The choice is yours. 1) Be under the law; 2) Be a lawbreaker; 3) Be becoming like Christ. Choose one.
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