Married to Christ

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. (Romans 7:3,4)

What becomes true of us legally at the moment we are united with the death of Christ on the cross?

We have died to the Law by our union with the dead body of Christ on the cross. As a result, we are allowed to be married to the resurrected Christ and no charge of adultery, in terms of our former marriage to the Law, can be brought against us.

We have not died to the Law of Moses so we may be free but so we may be married to Christ. This concept is extremely important. The current thinking is that we now are free from Moses so let us rejoice in our freedom. This is a warped idea. We are free to be married to Christ, not free to do as we please.

Marriage to Christ places far, far greater restrictions on our behavior than ever could be true of the Law of Moses. Until the Christian churches understand this, the present moral disaster will continue.

What will take place in our life if we truly have been married to the Lord Jesus Christ?

The fruit of Christ-likeness will begin to show in our own personality and behavior, and also in the personality and behavior of those to whom we minister.

By the expression Christ-likeness we do not mean an imitation of Christ; although Jesus certainly is the best example of a human being that mankind has ever seen and He is well worth imitating.

By Christ-likeness we mean the moral image of Christ, which will begin to be formed and expressed in our personality and behavior because He—Christ Himself—is being formed in us and is dwelling in us. His likeness cannot be reproduced by the efforts of flesh and blood. His likeness can come only from Himself.

The only true righteousness, according to the judgment of almighty God, is that which proceeds directly from God through the Lord Jesus Christ by means of His substitutionary death, and also by His living Presence and will, which are revealed within us as we are pressed by the Holy Spirit into His death and into His resurrection. (from A Study Guide for the Book of Romans)