Romans 7:1-6
Paul continues his reasoning in Romans 7 by comparing our faith we confess in baptism to the love we confess in marriage. Ouch. Many of us have been wounded by broken promises and commitments by people we thought we loved and whom we thought were committed to us. Paul is comparing when we are married, the marriage vows bind us and define us in that relationship but if the spouse dies, we are free to remarry. In the same way, Paul is saying that the Mosaic Law which was given to teach us how to live the good life and how to live into that “happy ever after” life, was distorted to become a tool of sin, of guilt and shame, an accountability measure of right and wrong. When we choose to follow Christ, baptism symbolizes how we identify with his death, go under the water, die to the requirements of the law that kept convicting us of wrong, and come up to live a resurrected life in a relationship that is committed to us through death, to eternity. After the funeral of our sinful self we are then united with Christ. Justification resurrects us to relationship with God, grace, and not the law. Here is the key verse as translated in The Message.
“When Christ died he took that entire rule-dominated way of life down with him and left it in the tomb, leaving you free to “marry” a resurrection life and bear “offspring” of faith for God. (Romans 7:4-6, The Message)”
Most of us know the pain and disappointment of broken friendships. What might be some of the qualities you would want in a “forever friend”? Thank God for offering to be a “forever friend” and allow your thoughts to dwell in that relationship for moment and what you would like it to look like. God wants a real relationship and not a relationship in name only. Blessings.
On the Way to Wonder 