Chapters 5 Through 8 of Romans—
The Kernel of the Bible
Message Four
The New Husband
OPENING WORD OF THE PROPHESYING MEETING
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
Rom 7:2-4 For the married woman is bound by the law to her husband while he is living; but if the husband dies, she is discharged from the law regarding the husband…So then, my brothers, you also have been made dead to the law through the body of Christ so that you might be joined to another, to Him who has been raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit to God.
Rom 7:6 But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that in which we were held, so that we serve in newness of spirit and not in oldness of letter.
Word of Appetizer
Which two husbands are there in chapter 7 verses 2 through 4a of Romans?
The first husband, the old husband, is the old man mentioned in 6:6, who has been crucified with Christ. The second husband, the new husband, mentioned in 7:2-4, is Christ.
As believers, we have two statuses: The first is our old status as the fallen old man, who left the original position of a wife dependent on God and took the self-assuming position of a husband and head, independent of God. The second is our new status as the regenerated new man, restored to our original and proper position as the genuine wife to God, depending on Him and taking Him as our Head.
Spiritual Burden
Our old man has been crucified to the law through the body of Christ so that we might marry another husband, Christ, who has been raised from the dead. Since Christ is our Husband, we must depend on Him and take Him as our Head. Christ is not only our Head—He is also our person and our life.
We need to realize that we, as the new man, are freed from the old man’s law and have been married to our new Husband, the resurrected Christ, that we might bear fruit to God and serve the Lord in newness of spirit.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
Christ is the new Husband; our old man, the old husband, has been crucified.
Our old man has been crucified to the law through the body of Christ so that we might marry another husband, Christ, who has been raised from the dead.
We have died to the law in which we were held so that we might be discharged from it; we, as the wife and the new man, are no longer under law.
The Experience of Life
Our old man has been crucified to the law through the body of Christ so that we might marry another husband, Christ, who has been raised from the dead. This joining indicates that in our new status as a wife, we have an organic union in person, name, life, and existence with Christ in His resurrection; now we are married to Christ, our new Husband.
We have died to the law in which we were held so that we might be discharged from it; we, as the wife and the new man, are no longer under law.
Practice and Application
As the wife, we should also serve the Lord in newness of spirit, not in oldness of letter.
