Observation: Paul writes to the Roman Christians that those who belong to the body of Christ (believers in Jesus) have died to the law and no longer have responsibilities to fulfill it, just as a person whose spouse has died is no longer bound by marital vows.
Application: Maybe this seems at first like an easier concept than it is. Of course, it's easy for Christians (especially those of us who have never been Jewish) to leave behind any idea of following dietary laws, or laws that say we have to dress a certain way. So far, so good. But what about laws like the ten commandments? What about not killing? Not committing adultery? Are we "dead" to those laws too?
Well...short answer, yes. Now before you get too scandalized, let me clarify. By our baptism into Jesus, we have died to any and all religious laws as a means of determining our relationship or closeness to God. But they never did that effectively anyway. But that doesn't mean the law still isn't useful, both to restrain evil in our society, and to remind us that we all need grace.
Jesus' first and only law was love. Love your neighbor as yourself. Seems simple enough, but when you follow along with where that commandment took him, you realize: it will take everything you've got, yet it's the only meaningful way to live.
Prayer: God, remind me today that I am dead to the law, and free to offer my whole life to you. Amen.
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