United With Christ

As we continue in our sermon series this week, Paul moves on from the imagery of slavery to the imagery of marriage in order to talk about the law. Now, as someone who is married, I know a few things about marriage and how it’s supposed to work. I have preached sermons about marriage, I have helped couples prepare for it, and for nearly 28 years I have experienced it. However, none of that means I am a good husband (even though I try). But the larger point is that, even if I’m poor at it, I am still a husband.Paul’s point is that marriage is not based on performance or on the application of laws to the situation. Marriage is about two hearts and lives connected in close relationship to one another. In my marriage, whether times are good, bad, or indifferent, one thing I know for sure is this: as a husband, I belong to my wife. And because my marriage is about a LIVING union, the “laws” of marriage only apply while both of us are living.And that’s the point Paul is making about Jesus and the law. Belonging to Jesus is not about living within certain laws about faith; it’s about a living union in which Jesus and I are in active relationship. As a result, it means that Jesus as my Savior has my heart and that I am fully devoted to him. I desire to put him first in my life by forsaking all other claims to my loyalty to Him. If Jesus has my heart, then that is where my passion needs to be.And so it is with all of us!Grace & Peace, Pastor Aaron