A New Way to Righteousness

KEY VERSE: “Ye also are become dead to the Law by the body of Christ that ye 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

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Romans 7:4-6, 13-25

AT SINAI, Israel as a nation entered into a covenant with God, through Moses, the mediator. Paul represents this as a marriage contract between that people and the Law Covenant, picturing the Jews as the wife, and the Law Covenant as the husband. He shows that even though an incompatibility existed between them, nevertheless the Jews were bound by their covenant, as a woman is bound by her marriage contract, so long as the husband lives.

He reasoned, then, that the Jews as a people were less at liberty to enter into a New Covenant with Christ than were the Gentiles because they were already bound to the Law Covenant through Moses. The apostle proceeds to explain that the Law Covenant, or husband of Israel, had not been repealed as a bad law, but had died a natural death, through the fulfillment of the purpose of its creation. Every Jew might properly consider himself as released from all obligation to the (dead) Law Covenant and might properly be united or re-married to Christ, accepting the terms of another covenant, with its grace, mercy, and peace now offered through believing in him. It was proper that they all should see how much better was the covenant of grace into which they would enter by becoming united with Christ, than was the old covenant, which he declared had died a natural death.

However, he would not have them think evil of the first husband. On the contrary, he assures them that it was a good husband to them—“The Law is holy and just and good,” all must speak well of the Jews’ first husband. Nevertheless, argues the apostle, we all realize that we did not receive from the Law Covenant the blessings we so earnestly coveted. We did not receive an actual cancellation of our sins, but merely a temporary covering of them, which required to be renewed and made mention of year by year continually. (Heb. 10:1) Nor, did we obtain the longed-for everlasting life.

As Jews, we cannot blame the Law Covenant; we must only blame ourselves. Nor can we blame ourselves (for I may consider myself a representative, in thought and conduct, of all true Jews, and may speak for them, says the apostle). And I can truly say that while living under this Law Covenant I approved it with my mind, with my heart, and I endeavored to serve it accordingly. But when I came to perform its requirements I found another law, a law of sin working in my members, which hindered me from rendering the obedience I desired to render to that Law Covenant.

Not that it hindered me entirely, for I certainly succeeded in some degree in conforming my life and conduct to its requirements. But since I could not render perfect obedience to its every requirement I necessarily failed. I found, on the contrary, that even though I had been able to perform the requirements of the Law in nine points out of ten, and had failed in the tenth point, and even though that failure were properly attributable to inherited weaknesses, and was entirely contrary to my desires of heart, nevertheless it was failure, and my efforts as a whole were branded failure, and the great prize of eternal life was denied me under that covenant.

What shall I do? How can I escape this condition of things? I thank God that a way of escape has been provided; I thank God that in his due time he has sent Jesus, as a great Redeemer, and that through his death the world of mankind has been redeemed from the original sentence, and additionally that all we who were Jews and under the Law Covenant are set at liberty from that covenant—that the death of Jesus on our behalf means the death of our Covenant, which, though in some respects an advantage, was very unfavorable to us because of our inherited weaknesses. I thank God that now I am at liberty to become united to Christ, at liberty to consider my union with Moses and the Law Covenant as at an end, at liberty to take on me the vows and covenants required of all called to be the bride of Christ.—Excerpt in part, Reprint, p. 2720

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