READ – Romans 7:1-6
The book to the Romans was written by a first-century missionary named Paul. In Romans 7, Paul begins with an example from marriage to illustrate that Christians are ruled by the Holy Spirit and not by the ancient Jewish law.
He tells the Romans that, when one spouse dies, the other is free to remarry should he or she choose. Marrying another while your spouse is alive is committing adultery, but marrying as a widow or widower is not sinful because the death of one’s spouse releases him or her from the marriage oath.
In the same way, Paul writes, when you “die” to yourself by going through the ceremony of baptism (see Romans 6:1-14) you have been released from the Jewish Law and serve God in a new way: by the Holy Spirit that lives within you.
In other words, the Christian life isn’t about rules; it’s about being in relationship with your Heavenly Father. That means, when you encounter temptation, and your willpower runs out, you have access to God’s.