Romans 7:1–6

¹ Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? ² For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. ³ So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man. ⁴ Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. ⁵ For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. ⁶ But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.

Commentary 

The Apostle Paul now lays down his reasons as to why we are no longer under Law, but grace (see Rom 6:14). To do this Paul will use the principal of "death annulment" from the Law as the means to bring forth his reasoning. Therefore as he will demonstrate only death can annul a covenantal relationship. And so he begins by asking us all, "Do you not know, brethren that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives?" His point being (though not yet stated) before Jesus Christ's crucifixion death, and our faith in Him, and thus our co-death with Him, we were all "under the Law", (that is the condemnation of it), whether Jew or Gentile, we were all reckoned by God as "under Law", so that redemption could come to us all who believe in Him through the Gospel. And so with Christ's crucifixion death, and our co-death with Him, by our faith in His Person, we are no longer under the Law (Gal 3:23-25). Jesus Christ as our Head has fulfilled all the righteous requirements of the Law, and thus paid the penalty for all our sins by His own crucifixion death, and so we through body of Christ have not only died to sin, we have also died to the Law (Rom. 7:4). That's where the Apostle Paul is heading, but for now we will look at how Paul wants us to get there in our understanding, and that is through the principal of a marriage relationship. And so in accordance with the law a wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives, if however her husband dies she is released from the law of her husband (vs. 2). Meaning she is free from that covenant relationship, and she can lawfully marry another man. However if she takes another man, while her husband lives, she is by law an adulteress. But if her husband dies and she marries another man, she is not considered an adulteress. And that is the principal the Apostle Paul is using here in describing every believer's relationship to God, that through the body of Christ we have not only died to sin (discussed in chapter six) but also the Law (discussed here), so that we may be married (i.e. be in a covenant relationship with) the Lord Jesus Christ. For it was Christ who was raised from the dead, to whom we are now "married" (i.e. in a covenant relationship with) and thus He gives life to all who believe in Him. The Law on the other hand does not bring life, only condemnation, (which is why it is called the "ministry of death" and the "ministry of condemnation", see 2 Cor 3:5-9, vs. 7, 9). Therefore Holy Spirit rebirth/regeneration (and thus life) does not come through the Law (Gal 3:21). For the Law is not the means of salvation for anyone, rather it is our tutor (gr. paidagogos ) meant to bring us to Christ who alone is (Gal 3:24-25). And so through Christ's crucifixion death and our co-death with Him, we have died to the Law, and thus we have been released from being under the Law's domain (John 1:12). Christ's death and our death with Him has annulled that covenantal relationship. Thus with Christ's resurrection life, we are now free to be married (i.e. enter into a covenant relationship) with Himself. And as verse four goes on to say this was done not only for our redemption, but as verse four states, in our being brought to life by faith In Jesus Christ, we are now to bear fruit to God. Fruit being the positive life, holy attributes, and abounding good works that are inherently part of having Christ's life now within us. Something which we could not do, nor can anyone else produce in of themselves. For no one can replicate the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22-23) in of themselves. And so it is now the Spirit who is to govern our persons and lives, not the law. For only these testify to the grace of God, clearly manifesting and revealing Jesus Christ's' Resurrected Person and Life in us and through us. And so having our own persons transformed by Christ's Resurrection Power and Life, we can now have a positive and eternal impact on this world and people within it. For being released from servitude to sin and law we are now living temples of God, testifying to grace of God through the Gospel of God by our persons and lives. And thus we have been freed to serve God as His agents of reconciliation and peace, through the blood and cross of Christ, and thus do good wherever the King and the Kingdom of God is needed.

Vs. 5 ⁵ For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death.   

The Apostle Paul now uses the term "in the flesh" to describe us before we were in Christ; thus to describe our unregenerate state. A familiar term in the N.T. and here (like many of it's uses in the N.T.) it is being used to describe ones unregenerate state. Thus before we were made alive by the Spirit of God, and baptized into Christ, being fully united with Him, we were "in the flesh." Living only by our fleshly instincts and desires. And so here the Apostle Paul here reveals to us and essential problem of being in the flesh and how the law cannot fix us. For the law does not liberate anyone from sin. Indeed, when one is in the flesh (i.e. not In Christ, not reborn by the Spirit of God, and thus not freed from sins domain), the sinful passions of the flesh are only aroused by the law, and thus the law is no solution to sin in anyone's life, only Christ is. Thus the law, only awakens and arouses the sinful passions of the flesh which only bear fruit to death (vs. 5). 

Vs. 6 "But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter."

And so through the body of Christ, we have been delivered (i.e. discharged) from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we might serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. The implication being our co-death with Christ has completely liberated us from both sin and law, and so with that we are no longer to serve in the "oldness of the letter". Meaning the strict and exact observance of every detail of God's commandments, and thus by doing so leaving no room for grace, nor faith, nor love to flourish through us. And so unlike the Father in Jesus' prodigal son's parable who in heart felt love and longing ran to his returning and broken son, and who then openly rejoiced and celebrated having him home again with Himself. Observing God's commandments in the "oldness of the letter" would have left no room for such grace and compassion to be shown towards the prodigal son, nor any other repentant sinner (consider Matt 9:9-13). And so if you try to serve God in the "oldness of the letter" all you are going to do is end up back under bondage, just as the Pharisees exemplified in the N.T., living by the most minute details of "the letter" while forsaking the major and most important aspects of God's commandments; like love, justice, mercy, and faith (consider Matt 23:23-24; Rom 13:8-10). And so we must not put ourselves or anyone else under the laws impossible demands (see Acts 15). Instead we are to be led by the Spirit, who is now the controlling force in our lives; not sin, and not the law. And so in serving in the newness of the Spirit, we are to be governed or led by the the Spirit, and thus the fruits thereof (see Gal 5:22-23) and so these are too govern our persons and lives, and thus our behavior. For when anyone does they are no longer living by "the flesh", and it's sinful impulses and desires, (which are only aroused by the law) instead they are living by the life and freedom and power of the Spirit of God, working within and manifesting the life of Christ throughout our person and lives, and thus they are no longer under law (Gal 5:16-24).

Scripture Quotation  
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.