This is the third time Paul asks his readers ‘do you not know’ and proceeds to use the analogy of marriage to describe our relationship to the law and then to Christ. As believers we have died to our old husband the law and are now free to marry another. In Christ we have a new husband who is far better than the previous one. He is life-giving and life-saving, producing a fruitful harvest within us. Whereas the law simply stood over us in judgement, Christ dies to forgive our sins. Paul encourages us not to return to our old husband either for salvation or indeed to live the Christian life. Our new husband is Jesus, we are to give ourselves to him and his new way in the Spirit and not turn back to the old way that has no power to produce life.
