New Life in Christ: Reflections on Romans 7:3-4

This morning, I spent time meditating on Romans 7:3-4, and it's given me a profound insight into my spiritual journey. The passage uses the analogy of marriage to explain our relationship with Christ, and it's truly eye-opening.

Paul talks about how a woman is free to remarry without being called unfaithful if her husband dies. He then applies this to our spiritual lives. Just as death frees someone from the bonds of marriage, Christ's death has freed me from the authority of the law. It's not that the law was bad, but it couldn't save me. Now, through Christ's sacrifice, I'm free to be united with Him.

What really struck me was the idea of having two identities as a believer. I have my old self, born from humanity's fall, and my new self, born through spiritual rebirth. It's like I was both the husband and the wife in this spiritual marriage analogy.

The part about my old self dying with Christ on the cross was particularly powerful. I didn't choose to die; Christ chose it for me. When He was crucified, in a very real sense, I was crucified too. My old self, bound by sin and the law, died there.

Paul's imagery of a simultaneous funeral and wedding is beautiful and profound. As my old self is buried, my new self is married to Christ. It's a complete transformation - out with the old, in with the new.

This new identity, united with the resurrected Christ, isn't just for my own benefit. It's so that I can "bear fruit for God." This means living in a way that honors Him, doing good works not to earn salvation, but as a result of it.

As I reflect on this, I'm filled with gratitude. Christ's death didn't just save me from something, it saved me for something. I'm no longer bound by the law but freed to live in union with Christ. It's a reminder that every day is an opportunity to live out this new identity, to bear fruit, and to honor the incredible sacrifice that made it all possible.

I want to keep this perspective fresh in my mind. When I'm tempted to fall back into old patterns or to try to earn God's favor through my own efforts, I'll remember: the old has gone, the new has come. I'm united with Christ, and that changes everything.

Until next time

Chaplain Mark