We take for granted that we understand certain Bible passages. I've said it before and I will say it again:read slowly ... eat the Bible -- chew it over and over
Romans 7:1-6 was never really a fascinating passage to me. I usually skipped over it on my way to Romans 7:14-25 ( because I felt this way more often). The first part of Romans 7:1-6 is amazing. It is true what one man said: " The word of God does not yield its fruit to the lazy."
So here it is: death decisively changes our relationship to someone/ something
Lee Harvey Oswald was never put on trial for the death of JFK ... why ? Because he died.
Sin picks up the law of God and uses it like a machete to chop off our limbs. Sin is always ( like the lemur said in Madagascar): " interrupting our parties and ripping our limbs off. "
In a way that is difficult to explain a Christian's death took place through Christ and here are the results of that death:
1. freedom from the law's power to condemn us ( we have been forgiven, restored, redeemed)
2. we have been joined to another ( our new husband is Christ ... spiritually speaking)
3. we can now bear fruit for God
4. we can now serve in the newness of the Spirit
I really latched on to the idea of us bearing fruit for God and I thought how does this happen ? It can only happen if we die. Fruit bearing happens when seeds die.
Listen to this : " Jesus' death is the soil out of which rich fruit grows ( see John 12:24) ; His death on the cross brings about redemption for men. As the vine, He sends out life giving power to the branches ( remember who the branches are ?) This power is the power to believe God's word. Some call it faith.
Man ( by himself) can accomplish moral and technical achievements by his natural gifts. However... the fruit of the gospel --that which God expects from man -- can only grow from the soil of obedience, which essentially consists in recognition of the bond between Creator and creature, established by the death of Christ. He ( man) no longer needs to consider his own achievements. Freed from the anxiety of failure, he is capable of the highest endeavor ( more fruit) . CHECK THIS OUT: Because the source of his capacity to bear fruit lies outside himself, the yield is certain. It counts and remains for eternal life (John 15:16). "
These ideas came from a dictionary believe it or not. ( Colin Brown's Dictionary of NT Theology page 723 vol 1) I am encouraged by that last statement: bearing fruit is certain because the source is God, not me.
I am constantly thinking of ways to stop thinking about myself. This passage in Romans reminds me that if I really want to bear fruit to God a death has to take place : namely, my death.
