Romans 7:2-3 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.

I warned you yesterday that things were going to get worse in chapter 7 of Romans. It is extremely easy to get focused on issues of marriage and adultery and miss the analogy of sin. I would have liked a simpler example that was less stressful.

A doctor of theology wrote a book about being set free from the power of sin and the cover had a man’s wrists bound up in ancient handcuffs. Sin binds us like handcuffs and Jesus is the key to setting us free. Now that is a safe analogy and doesn’t put ugly thoughts in my wife’s head..

Granted, Paul states in the opening line that he is speaking to those who know the law. Did you get that he was speaking to the Jews? The marital reference would mean something different to a Jew than it would to my Catholic raised wife. She is twice divorced and the language is calling her an adulteress by her earlier education. This is a distraction I don’t need.

My point is this, if you are not a Jew then this analogy is not best suited to you and you need to temper your understanding as an outsider, a non-Jew. A proper understanding is required to keep focused on Paul’s message here, that sin no longer has power over you.

The mature in Christ get it but what about the inexperienced new Christian? Where will their focus go?