By Beverly Rainwater

But 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. (Romans 7:6)

Christians have a new law. The Gentiles never served under the Old Testament Law. The Jews served under that Old Law, but today, in Christ Jews and Gentiles are united to serve under the same New Testament Law.

But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.” (Hebrews 8:6-8)

By these verses we see that the Old law is no longer in force and the New Law is in effect. Romans 7:6 tells us that Christians serve Christ by the New Law that He set in effect. Christians do not hold to the letter of the Old Law that was done away with.

A way to realize how this change in the Law works is to think about a warranty on a product your neighbor owns. They start off with a warranty that is good on a product for a specific period of time. Once that warranty expires it is no longer in effect and does them no good whatsoever. So it is with the Old Law. It has become of no effect. Your neighbor’s washing machine warranty was never of any use to you. Once it expires, that warranty is of no use to you or to your neighbor. It is the same with the Old Law which has expired and it is of no use to Jew and never was applicable to the Gentile.