But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

Being a visual person, the picture I see here is that of a hot air balloon.  Tethered to the ground by sturdy ropes, it is governed by what  binds it to the earth.  Set free from that bondage, it rises and then is governed by a whole new set of atmospheric laws – wind drafts, drops in temperature, and the warm air being pumped into the balloon  itself.  So it is with us.  No longer bound by sin, we are set free to be controlled by the Spirit of God, and the laws of grace, love and forgiveness.