{"id":30191,"date":"2026-05-22T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T04:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/questionsandbelief.org\/?p=30191"},"modified":"2026-06-12T01:13:58","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T15:43:58","slug":"romans-76-delivered-from-the-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/questionsandbelief.org\/sw\/romans-76-delivered-from-the-law\/","title":{"rendered":"Warumi 7:6 \u2013 Tumeonewa kutoka katika Sheria"},"content":{"rendered":"\n[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”et_body_layout” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”et_body_layout”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.24.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”et_body_layout”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”1891px” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”et_body_layout” sticky_enabled=”0″]

Theme:<\/strong> Delivered from the Law<\/p>\n

Bible verse:<\/strong> Romans 7:6:<\/p>\n

\u201cBut now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Question:<\/strong><\/p>\n

What does this verse mean?<\/p>\n

\n

Meaning of the verse<\/h3>\n

At first glance, this verse appears to say we are no longer bound by Law, and are free to act according to our individual guidance by the Spirit. But ironically, to keep to that meaning requires a superficial, \u201clegalistic\u201d interpretation of the verse, so let\u2019s dig a little deeper.
The complete freedom view appeared in the movie, \u201cOh Brother, where are thou?\u201d, where one of the escapees from prison thought he wouldn\u2019t have to keep running from the police after he had been baptized \u2013 but he soon found that wasn’t true.
I found the opposite attitude in a young, newly qualified pastor, who dismissed the idea of being guided by the Spirit. He seemed to have been told in his studies that in practice it just meant doing what you feel like. Perhaps his lecturer had found too many instances of that.<\/p>\n

Meaning of the Law<\/h3>\n

The term Law in the bible can be confusing, as it can refer to many things:<\/p>\n

Ten Commandments<\/strong> \u2013 as a summary of what we call the \u201cmoral law\u201d;<\/p>\n

Civil & Criminal Law<\/strong> \u2013 there are many chapters in the Old Testament with commands for social behaviour. Some are timeless in nature (mainly criminal), but I think some others (civil) apply to a particular time and place. But the unchanging truth they convey is about the nature of God and his continuing guidance for us in various ways throughout all time.<\/p>\n

Ceremonial and worship Law<\/strong> \u2013 is similar to civil law. The need for reverence before God and joyful thanksgiving is timeless, but the commands relating to sacrificial practices were in preparation for Jesus, and have now been fulfilled in Him.<\/p>\n

The first five books of the bible<\/strong> \u2013 Genesis to Deuteronomy (Pentateuch) attributed to Moses, were the entire scripture for much of Israel\u2019s history. So the verses from Psalms which praise the Law may refer to all of scripture, which we may take as applying to the whole bible, in praise of all of God’s revelation to us.<\/p>\n

Regulations and traditions<\/strong> \u2013 There were a huge number of these, constructed by Jewish leaders to amplify what was in scripture. The minute detail covered by these regulations, and the way they were applied by the Pharisees, showed this had become something being worshipped for its own sake. Jesus condemned this, as the regulations had become a barrier between God and mankind, as well as a burden which ordinary people were unable to carry.<\/p>\n

Purpose of the Law<\/h3>\n

So, the various types of law had different purposes.<\/p>\n

The civil and criminal law stops mankind from descending into chaos, and what was given in the bible formed an important base to grow and adapt to different times and cultures.<\/p>\n

Some of Paul\u2019s letters are concerned with keeping the church in line with right teaching and doctrine, and in others he commands certain practices to overcome problems which had arisen in the church. Paul also warns that fallen mankind will produce individuals who would mislead believers. His letters show that a caring church needs to maintain and apply appropriate rules and standards, both to protect people from evil-doers, and maintain an environment to encourage growth in faith. A church where I saw those appropriate rules were not being applied has now closed down.<\/p>\n

Many people still view abiding by the moral law or Ten Commandments as the way to be restored to God, and the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:17 thought in terms of the Law when he asked \u201cwhat good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?\u201d<\/p>\n

But in Romans, Paul explains the purpose of the (moral) Law was never to save us, as no one can fully obey it. It was given to make us aware of our sin, and lead us to humility, remorse, repentance, and a hunger to receive the salvation offered freely to us through Jesus.
Romans 3:20 reads, \u201cTherefore no one will be declared righteous in God\u2019s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.\u201d
And Romans 8:3, \u201cFor what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.\u201d<\/p>\n

Personal application<\/h3>\n

Since Paul freely offers many rules or commands in his letters, I see our verse as being concerned with our relation to God, and what Jesus has accomplished for us.
\u201cWe have been delivered from the law\u201d means that we have been released from the impossible demands of perfect obedience to God\u2019s commands or Law, which was seen as the means of being restored to God.
\u201cWe should serve in the newness of the Spirit\u201d means that through the Holy Spirit, God is present with us and within us, and it is through the Spirit that the victory won by Jesus on the cross is our only way of being restored to God.\u201d<\/p>\n

The major categories of Law we are looking at are those that concern our relation to God, and those concerned with our relations with people. Abiding by Law could never restore us to God, and we are called to follow Him as His Spirit lives in us. All Law concerning our relations with people holds fast, but even that is taken to a new level as we are guided by the Spirit.<\/p>\n

This delivery from the Law is not freedom to do as we please. Mankind likes to revert to the Law, as it is tangible and limited in its restrictions on us. But the requirements of being guided by the Spirit are unlimited, we can find ourselves being called on to do things beyond our imagination, and this may involve sacrificing our own interests. The word \u201csanctification\u201d sounds like another theological term, but it simply refers to what the Holy Spirit is doing in us as we put our self-will aside and follow Jesus\u2019 will for us, of how we are being transformed.<\/p>\n

I like to think of the Law as being like the guideposts on the side of the road. If you go beyond the guideposts, you know you are off the road and in trouble. But keeping within the guideposts will not make you a good driver, and it won\u2019t save you from fatal crashes. The Law won’t make us a “good person” who is reconciled to God, as salvation is a only received as a gift through Jesus. But the Law shows us how we have fallen of the road, and how badly we need that gift.<\/p>\n

\n

For later study<\/em><\/p>\n

Related questions:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

How do we reconcile this verse with Jesus\u2019 statements in:
♦\u2003Matthew 5:18, \u201cuntil heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.\u201d, and
♦\u2003Matthew 5:48, \u201cBe perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Lev 19:2, “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.”)<\/p>\n

Do the Ten Commandments and other Law in the Old Testament still hold? (such as commands against murder and stealing)<\/p>\n

How do we protect children and others in church from predators if the Law no longer applies?<\/p>\n

Should our caring for people make us even more zealous for the Law?<\/p>\n

    <\/ul>\n

    Related verses:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Freedom:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Romans 6:14: “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”<\/p>\n

    Romans 8:2: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”<\/p>\n

    Galatians 2:19: “For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God.”<\/p>\n

    Galatians 5:18, \u201cBut if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Colossians 2:14 (NIV): “having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.”<\/p>\n

    Obedience:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Luke 16:17 (NIV), “It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.”<\/p>\n

    Romans 7:12, “Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.”<\/p>\n

    2 Thessalonians 2:15, “stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.”<\/p>\n

    1 Timothy 4:16, “Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.”<\/p>\n

    2 Timothy 4:3, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;”<\/p>\n

    Psalm 119:165: “Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.”<\/p>\n

    Psalm 19:7-8: “The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.”<\/p>\n

    Psalm 1:1-2: “Blessed is the one… whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.”<\/p>\n

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    Theme: Delivered from the Law Bible verse: Romans 7:6: \u201cBut now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.\u201d Question: What does this verse mean? Meaning of the verse […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26063,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30191","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bible-verses"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/questionsandbelief.org\/sw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30191","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/questionsandbelief.org\/sw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/questionsandbelief.org\/sw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/questionsandbelief.org\/sw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/questionsandbelief.org\/sw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30191"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/questionsandbelief.org\/sw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30191\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30196,"href":"https:\/\/questionsandbelief.org\/sw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30191\/revisions\/30196"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/questionsandbelief.org\/sw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26063"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/questionsandbelief.org\/sw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30191"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/questionsandbelief.org\/sw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30191"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/questionsandbelief.org\/sw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30191"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}