The Death-free Pathway

In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.

Though the verse above is in the Old Testament, it lays the groundwork for a principle that extends into the New Testament. It says, “In the way of righteousness is life....” The righteousness of Christ gave us eternal life. We couldn’t please God, but Jesus did on our behalf.

Remember that Adam disobeyed God and committed high treason against God. But Jesus Christ, the second and last Adam, fulfilled God’s will and on account of His obedience, we’ve been made righteous: “Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous” (Romans 5:18-19).

Consider again the construction in our opening verse: “In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.” In the path of righteousness, death has no place; it’s a “death-free pathway.”

The Bible says in Romans 8:2, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” The Greek construction here isn’t referring to being delivered from sin as if you were trapped in it, or being rescued or delivered from death as if you were in its clutches. Rather, it’s saying that in Christ Jesus, you’re death-free; there’s no death in you.

The human body is referred to as the “body of death” in Romans 7:24. From the moment a person is born, they carry death within them. Everything is done to prevent the person from dying. This is because humanity inherited the curse of death in the world.

So Paul says, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24). The very next verse says, “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 7:25). Jesus provided the solution; the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made us death-free. Praise God!