Unspoken Vow

Since I am speaking to those who understand law, brothers, are you unaware that the law has authority over someone as long as he lives? For example, a married woman is legally bound to her husband while he lives. But if her husband dies, she is released from the law regarding the husband. So then, if she gives herself to another man while her husband is living, she will be called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law. Then, if she gives herself to another man, she is not an adulteress.
Therefore, my brothers, you also were put to death in relation to the law through the crucified body of the Messiah, so that you may belong to another- to Him who was raised from the dead-that we may bear fruit for God.
For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions operated through the law in every part of us and bore fruit for death. But now we have been released from the law, since we have died to what held us, so that we may serve in the new way of the spirit and not in the old letter of the law. Romans 7:1-6

Now, that is a piece of steak, it needs chewing through. On the weekend I made a meat stew with
vegetables and dumplings. Very tasty! However, it is not something I usually eat and my body is having to adjust to digest it, it has to provide more digestive juices to assimilate it. When I wake in the morning I don't feel as empty as I would f I had eaten fish.

This word takes chewing through and not dismissing lightly. What is God saying? What can I learn from it? So much! I am being intrigued with the phrase 'give herself to.' The fact that I can give myself to someone, something denotes ownership. However, if I have given my heart to Christ, I am like a married woman in the relationship. I am then, not free to give myself to the flesh. Once I give my life to Christ, I am His. I belong to Him. Just as if I am married to a man, I chose to marry and promise to not break my vow. When I give my life to Christ, there should be a spoken vow, but my Lord would have none of that. I am His in my heart, or not at all.

As I now belong to Him, I cannot give myself to pursuits that are not His, but rather those that are. I am dead to sin and alive to righteousness. Amen!

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