Romans 7:6 Meaning and Explanation
“But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Now believers are released from the law that held them, freed to serve in the newness of the Spirit rather than the old way of the letter.
What Does Romans 7:6 Mean?
The bright 'but now' marks the turn from the old life to the new. Believers are delivered from the law's former hold, having died to what once bound them. Paul is not discarding God's commands but describing a changed relationship to them, made through Christ's death.
The goal is a transformed service: not grudging obedience to an external letter, but glad obedience in newness of spirit. The same God is served, yet from a renewed heart rather than a cold rulebook. This is the freedom of the gospel, where duty becomes devotion and the law written outside is now answered by life within.
Romans 7:6 in the Original Language
gramma (γράμμα), 'letter' -- the written code in its external, unaided form, contrasted with the Spirit's inward work.
Frequently Asked Questions About Romans 7:6
What does Romans 7:6 mean?
Now believers are released from the law that held them, freed to serve in the newness of the Spirit rather than the old way of the letter.