Married anew

I get all excited when I read a "therefore"!

Why?

Because it brings a therefore.

Things are never the same after a "therefore".

The best "therefore" of all

In all of God's Word The most precious of all "therefores" to me, can be found in Romans 8!

Oh, Romans 8!

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus ...

I guess we have to look into what the "therefore" is there for.

It is there for what is explained in Romans chapter 7 that starts of by explaining our predicament in the law. But then the predicament changed ...

The bonds of marriage broken

There was once a marriage that broke up, because the malicious one in the relationship was put to death.

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. Rom 7:1-4

The Husband with the impossible standards

Chapter 7 goes on to explain the gruesome details of our previous marriage, but always played off against how we were delivered from this detrimental husband that only knew right from wrong, only reminded us of our wrong-doing, only scorned and warned of death and destruction. He was not bad, but his standards were infinitely impossible to reach ...

So, by working His standards we could not be. We were constantly doing the things we were not supposed to, even when we tried harder and harder.

In fact, we discover that it was he who made us to sin!

But he was put to death

Therefore ... (now we are in Romans 8!)

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

There is a new husband!

With a beautiful Name ...

That has such deep intimacy with us that He resides within, never leaving nor forsaking us ever. Always speaking sweet words of goodness and kindness and love and grace towards us. Always being patient and comforting, teaching us about love and His very being as He walks with us in the cool of the evening.

Who is He?

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

He is totally different!

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

He does what the law demanded but we could never achieve ... and He gives it without merit!

That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Rom 8:1-4

He does it so well that we can bring this good message ourselves through Him that abides forever ...

Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 2Co 3:6