Romans 7:4 - Dead to the Law and Married to Another

 “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 7:4 KJV

Romans 7:4 uses the language of death, marriage, resurrection, and fruitfulness to explain the believer's new relationship with Jesus Christ. Paul has just used marriage as an illustration: death ends the legal bond that previously held a person. He then applies that principle spiritually—the believer has become “dead to the law by the body of Christ” and now belongs to the risen Christ.

The purpose is not lawlessness. Paul tells us exactly where this new relationship is supposed to lead:

“that we should bring forth fruit unto God.”

“Ye Also Are Become Dead to the Law”

Paul does not say that God's Word became evil. Later in the same chapter he declares:

“Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.” — Romans 7:12 KJV

The problem was never that God's law was sinful.

The problem was sin in humanity.

The law could identify sin, expose transgression, and establish guilt, but it could not give sinful humanity the power to make itself righteous before God.

Therefore, being “dead to the law” does not mean believers are now free to live in sin.

Paul had already rejected that conclusion:

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid.” — Romans 6:1–2 KJV

Rather, Paul is describing a decisive change in the believer's relationship to the law: righteousness and acceptance with God are not obtained by trying to establish ourselves through law-keeping. In Paul's illustration, death ends the former binding relationship so that another relationship can begin.

“By the Body of Christ”

How did this death occur?

“by the body of Christ.”

This directs us to the actual sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.

Christ gave His body.

Christ bore our sins.

Christ died.

And believers are identified with Him in His death.

Paul expressed the same truth earlier:

“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him…” — Romans 6:6 KJV

The Christian's freedom is therefore not accomplished through personal effort.

It comes through Christ's finished redemptive work.

“That Ye Should Be Married to Another”

Here Paul's marriage illustration reaches its purpose.

We have died to the former relationship:

“that ye should be married to another…”

Christian salvation is not merely deliverance from something.

It is union with Someone.

We have not been set free so that we might belong to ourselves.

We have been brought into relationship with Jesus Christ.

This is one of the beautiful truths within Romans 7:4:

Dead to the former dominion—joined to Christ.

The Christian life is therefore relational.

We belong to Him.

“Even to Him Who Is Raised From the Dead”

Who is the One to whom believers are joined?

“him who is raised from the dead.”

We are joined to a living Christ.

The cross cannot be separated from the resurrection.

Christ died, but Christ also rose.

Therefore, the believer's new relationship is not with a dead religious founder. It is with the risen Lord.

Romans 6:9 declares:

“Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.” — Romans 6:9 KJV

Our spiritual life flows from union with the One who conquered death.

Marriage Speaks of Belonging

Paul's marriage imagery communicates something deeper than simply changing religious systems.

Marriage speaks of belonging.

The believer belongs to Christ.

Our lives are no longer to be governed by the old sinful nature.

Our bodies belong to Christ.

Our gifts belong to Christ.

Our worship belongs to Christ.

Our service belongs to Christ.

Our future belongs to Christ.

We have been joined to Him.

“That We Should Bring Forth Fruit Unto God”

Paul now explains the purpose:

“that we should bring forth fruit unto God.”

This is extremely important.

Grace does not produce a fruitless life.

Union with Christ is supposed to produce fruit.

Romans 7:5 contrasts this with the former condition, when sinful passions worked in the members to “bring forth fruit unto death.” Verse 4 instead describes the new relationship as producing “fruit unto God.”

The direction of the fruit has changed because the relationship has changed.

Before Christ:

fruit unto death.

Joined to the risen Christ:

fruit unto God.

Not Lawlessness, but Newness of Spirit

Romans 7:6 continues the thought:

“But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.” — Romans 7:6 KJV

Notice that deliverance leads to service.

We have not been delivered so that we can stop serving God.

We have been delivered so that we can serve Him in a new way.

The Christian does not say:

“I am under grace, therefore holiness does not matter.”

Grace produces a new life in which obedience flows from relationship with Christ rather than an attempt to earn righteousness through works.

From Obligation to Fruitfulness

There is a profound difference between trying to produce righteousness in order to establish acceptance with God and producing fruit because we belong to Christ.

The first says:

I must perform so that God will accept me.

The gospel says:

Through Christ I have been brought into a new relationship with God; therefore my life should now bear fruit for Him.

Fruit is not the root of salvation.

It is the result of a life joined to Christ.

Christ Is the Source of the Fruit

Jesus taught:

“I am the vine, ye are the branches…” — John 15:5 KJV

A branch does not produce fruit independently from the vine.

Its fruit comes because it remains connected to the source of life.

Romans 7:4 presents a similar principle.

We are joined to the risen Christ:

“that we should bring forth fruit unto God.”

The closer our lives are surrendered to Christ, the more His life should become visible through us.

Personal Application

Romans 7:4 asks us to examine both our relationship and our fruit.

Are we trying to earn God's acceptance through religious performance?

Or are we living from our relationship with Jesus Christ?

And if we say that we belong to Christ, what kind of fruit is that relationship producing?

Our lives should increasingly demonstrate the evidence that we belong to another.

We belong to the One who died.

We belong to the One who rose again.

We belong to Jesus Christ.

Therefore, our marriages, ministries, conversations, decisions, attitudes, service, and conduct should increasingly produce fruit unto God.

Romans 7:4 gives us a beautiful progression:

Dead to the former relationship.
Joined to the risen Christ.
Living in newness of Spirit.
Bringing forth fruit unto God.

We were not set free merely to become independent.

We were set free to belong to Christ.

And because we belong to Him, our lives should now bear fruit for the glory of God.