Cheating on Jesus?
Updated: Sep 25, 2021
I was married to the love of my life on August 12, 2016. That date will always hold a special place in heart. It was the day that the lady who became my wife decided that she would legally take my wacky last name! Our wedding was beautiful and years later we both look back on it with joy that is unfading.
In the midst of the events of that day there was a legal document that we both signed. It's what made our union a reality in the eyes of the law of The State of North Carolina and The United States of America.
If I were to pass away that legal document would become void, and my wife would be free from our marriage. The truth is, we are only actually married to people that are still living. The apostle Paul knew this well and used it as an example to us as believers.
Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. Wherefore, my brethren, 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 7:1-4 KJV
The law has dominion over you as long as you live.
Imagine with me that you got pulled over for speeding. Let's say you were going over eighty miles-per-hour in a fifty-five mile-per-hour zone. This transgression of our highway laws at this level would come with some serious fines. You may have your license revoked, or even face some time in jail.
The police officer is now approaching your vehicle. Justice is on his mind. He wants to enforce the law to the fullest extent of his legal ability. In your future sits a judge in a courtroom that will make sure you pay these fines, and maybe do some jail time. However, as the officer is almost to the door of your vehicle, you die of a heart attack! Plot twist!
You are now freed from the penalty of your actions. Why? You are dead. You can no longer pay the speeding ticket. You no longer have a court date. The jail time cannot be served. Why is this? Your dead corpse is sitting in the driver's seat of your car. You won't be doing much of anything from here on out, much less paying for your highway crimes.
You see, the law only has dominion over the living. Even after you are dead, what the state decides regarding your estate won't matter much to you after your departure. Why? You are dead.
"Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ;" -Romans 7:4
There is a difference between Jesus and Moses.
The Apostle Paul distinguished the difference between the law and commandments of Moses and the person of Jesus Christ. These are two separate entities and they both had different purposes. Jesus fulfilled the law and set it to the side and declared his sufficiency apart from the law. (Hebrews 8:13)
"But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:" - Romans 3:21-22 KJV
John the Baptist also wisely drew this dividing line between the two: "The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." (John 1:17)
There is a dividing line of human history. That line is when God gave His Son. Jesus completed the work of the Old and established the New. Jesus fulfilled everything that was written in the law.
Jesus did not do away with the law, He fulfilled it.
Jesus fulfilled or completed a work that we never could. He performed all 613 laws of the Old Covenant in our place and on our behalf. He now lives within you, guiding you in true righteousness through His Spirit and your new identity in Him. (Ephesians. 4:24, Romans 8:14, Galatians 5:18)
Let's sum it up.
When you believed in Jesus, you were placed in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). When this took place, God placed you in the death, burial and resurrection of His Son. Our old, dead spiritual nature was crucified with him, and we are born again by His Spirit as a new creature (Titus 3:5, Eph. 4:24). We are free from sin, but this is all because we are dead to sin because we are dead to the law by the body of Jesus Christ.
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: - Romans 6:6-8 KJV
You died to the law. You are alive unto God. Paul says in Romans 7:4 that we are now dead to the law, free from it and its power to produce sin and death in our lives (Romans 5:20-21) and we are now married to our Savior, Jesus Christ, who leads us with unearned blessing through what He has accomplished on our behalf. We are united with him at the very core of our being. (I Cor 6:17). He is all we need. Let us keep our trust in Him. His grace is enough.
Don't cheat on Jesus by flirting with Moses! Romans 7:4