FREEDOM FROM THE LAW (Romans 7, 1-25)

Since the Christian has died and risen mystically with Christ she or he can no longer find the principle of salvation in fulfilment of exterior law. The Christian is now in a new regime. Docility to the Spirit “poured into our hearts” now constitutes the norm for conduct (Romans 5, 5). The “Law of Christ” is summed up in love, (Romans 13, 8ff) and, under the influence of the Spirit, we carry it out spontaneously, for “where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Cor. 3, 17). As we have already seen, love and not legalism is what is expected of us and what Jesus gave us.