Essays in Romans 7:1-3 - Death Changes Things

Someone has to die. That is the legal principle Paul wants his readers to understand. Now think about the Law itself. Throughout Romans, Paul has shown just how impossible life under the Law really is. The Law isn’t evil—in fact, he’ll make that clear later in the chapter—but it is relentless. It demands absolute perfection because that is God’s holy standard. It never lowers the bar. It never excuses failure. It never says, “Good enough.” Instead, the Law continually exposes sin, pronounces guilt, and condemns the sinner. In that sense, living under the Law is like being married to a husband whose expectations can never be satisfied. He constantly demands perfection while knowing you will never achieve it. Every failure is exposed. Every shortcoming is condemned. There is no relief because the covenant never changes. So how do you escape that relationship? Again, Paul’s answer is simple: Somebody has to die.