A Walk down Roman’s Road Chapter 7
Do you not know, brothers and sisters, for I am speaking to
those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as
that person lives? Romans 7:1
When Paul taught to those who know the law he was meaning
the Jews of course because they were taught it as a guideline for right living
in God’s eyes. They had certain beliefs they followed because of this. The thing
is, when Christ was sacrificed for our sins we died to our sins. This is what he
wanted the Jewish brothers and sisters to know, they died to the law, but they
became Christ followers that they may share that with others of like lives. They
needed to realize that the freedom they received was not just fleshly but also
of the Spirit so they could bare fruit in the Spirit instead of forcing the law
it was freeing with the Spirit.
So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law
through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was
raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. For when we were in the realm of the flesh,
the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore
fruit for death. 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. Romans 7:4-6
What was the old way of the written code Paul speaks of
here?
We know that the law
is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want
to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree
that the law is good. As it is, it is no
longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in
me, that is, in my sinful nature.[c] For I have the desire to do what is good,
but I cannot carry it out. For I do not
do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on
doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but
it is sin living in me that does it.
So, I find this law
at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging
war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at
work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body
that is subject to death? Thanks be to
God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! Romans 7:15-25
Paul explained here that the law brought people to sin buy
giving them a thing to live up to that was really not always possible for
someone to obey. It was too easy to feel bad because you sinned by his example ‘coveting’
something someone else had, and that sin would make one worse off as apposed to
when we accept Christ and repent of our sins we can be cleansed from the bad
feelings as well as the desire to sin itself. There is a way to wage but once
we chose to follow Christ’s example and obey God’s Word with the Holy Spirit as
our guide it is much easier!
Think for a moment of a time you sinned. Yes you have! We
all have! So would it be easier for you to sin knowing that the Holy Spirit was
with you and in reality you are dragging Jesus into your sinful act or
thoughts? When we realize this it makes it easier to put a check on our
behaviors!
Continue reading through this chapter and see if you can
answer the following discussion questions when you group up with your study
partners.
What did Paul mean when he said that they died to the law?
Does it mean they no longer follow the law of God? Why or why not?
Paul asks if what he did became death to him. What do you
think he meant by that? Look in verses
13-17 to find the referenced section and look it up in your study commentary or
other study notes to solidify your answer.
How would you use this information to share Jesus’
redemption story with someone?