I.        INTRODUCTION

A.      In the last lesson, we considered Romans 6 in which Paul taught that Christians are dead to sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.

                                                             1.      This concept was demonstrated through the figure of baptism, which represents death to sin, burial into Christ’s death, and a resurrection to newness of life in God.

                                                             2.      The evidence of death to sin and life to God was declared to be the absence of sin and the presence of righteousness in the lives of Christians.

B.      In his explanation, Paul made this statement in Romans 6:14 – “For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace.”  This leads us to our current lesson in Romans 7:1-25.

                                                             1.      To eliminate any misunderstanding, Paul declared in this chapter that Christians are not only dead to sin but are also dead to the Law of Moses.

                                                             2.      He also anticipated another objection in response to his teaching, which he also answered in this chapter.

II.      DEAD TO THE LAW

A.      Whereas Paul had stated that Christians were not under law (Rom. 6:14) as a matter of fact, he elaborated on that fact in chapter 7, saying that Christians have died specifically to the Law of Moses (Rom. 7:1-4a).

                                                             1.      While this teaching was especially important for Jewish Christians, it was also necessary for Gentile Christians who may have been influenced to adhere to the Law as part of their obedience.

                                                             2.      In Christ, the Jews (and all men) were made dead to the Law of Moses, meaning that it no longer has jurisdiction over them.

a.       Paul stated the truth that the Law had jurisdiction over a person (Jew) as long as he lives.

b.       To illustrate this, he used the law of marriage, which is binding until one spouse dies.  Only then can the remaining spouse be free to marry another.

c.        Therefore, the Law of Moses would still be binding upon the Jews unless they were made to die to it.  This is precisely what happened in Christ, as Paul says, “…you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ…” (v. 4).

i.         In this, death is a figure that represents the ending of a relationship.  It is used in the same way here as it was in chapter 6 regarding sin (“died to sin”, 6:2).

ii.        Thus we see that death to the Law happened in the same way as death to sin, for both occurred through Christ.  See also Ephesians 2:14-16; Colossians 2:13-14.

B.      As a result of death to the Law, Christians were made free to be joined to Christ (Rom. 7:4b-6).

                                                             1.      The Law of Moses was a covenant for the Jews.  While they were under it, they were not free to enter into another covenant, just as a wife cannot not enter into another marriage while her husband still lives.

                                                             2.      Therefore, the Jews were made to die to the Law, and Christ set aside the old covenant through His death.

a.       Moses prophesied of Christ’s work in Deuteronomy 18:15.  He said, “You shall listen to Him.”  See also Acts 3:22; 7:37.

b.       Regarding the setting aside of the old covenant, see also Hebrews 8:1-13; 9:15-28.

III.   THE GOODNESS OF THE LAW & THE WICKEDNESS OF SIN

A.      As in previous chapters, Paul anticipated and answered an objection to his teaching in Romans 7:7-25.

                                                             1.      The objection was that the Law of Moses must be evil if it caused those who are under it to be mastered by sin.

                                                             2.      In his answer, Paul demonstrated that the Law was actually good, but sin was to blame for man’s failures.  Let us keep this theme in mind as we study these verses, for we can become confused if we lose sight of Paul’s point here.

B.      The Law of Moses was holy, righteous, and good, but sin found an opportunity in man through the Law (Rom. 7:7-12).

                                                             1.      In verses 7-25, sin is personified as if it has a life of its own.  Let us understand that this is for effect, and it does not remove responsibility from the sinner for his own sin.  Sin does not overpower us against our own wills (1Cor. 10:13; Jas. 1:13-15).

                                                             2.      Also in this section, Paul wrote in the first person, yet he was not writing specifically of his own life, but he wrote of the common experience of the Jews with regards to the Law and sin.

                                                             3.      The Law of Moses revealed the knowledge of what was good and what was evil.  For example, coveting was evil, so the Law commanded, “You shall not covet.”

                                                             4.      It was not the fault of the Law that those who were under the Law chose to do evil.  It was their own choice to sin (“sin became alive” – v. 9) and suffer the penalty of sin (“I died” – v. 9; 6:23).

                                                             5.      While the Jews experienced this under the Law of Moses, this experience is common to all men.

a.       It is the way of man to desire that which he is told not to have or to do.  It is the effect of Satan’s temptations that began with Adam and Eve.

b.       The truth of good and evil is never to blame for man’s sin.  Sinners often want to find fault with the truth, but they can never justify themselves this way.

C.      The conflict, anguish, and death that men experienced under the Law was not the fault of the Law, but it was because of man’s sin (Rom. 7:13-23)

                                                             1.      This section of Scripture describes the conflict between the flesh and the spirit.  It expresses the same truth as Galatians 5:16-25, but with an internal, personal perspective.

                                                             2.      Notice first in verse 13 that it was not the Law that caused death, but it was sin.  By its appalling effects, sin has been shown through the Law to be “utterly sinful,” meaning that its true nature is revealed.

                                                             3.      The conflict between the flesh and the spirit is described in detail in verses 14-23.

a.       If this passage seems bewildering to the reader, it is probably by design.  It is describing a bewildering experience by one who knows what is good according to the Law, but chooses to do evil in spite of his knowledge.

b.       It is a common experience for a person to do something sinful and later ask himself, “Why did I do this?  I knew better.”  This is the weakness of the flesh.

                                                             4.      The point of all of this is stated in Romans 8:3, which is that the Law of Moses was limited because it was dependent on the flesh, even though the Law was spiritual (Rom. 7:14).  The flesh failed, and so the Law failed in those who were of the flesh.

D.      Ultimately, we must realize that we can be set free from this constant conflict within ourselves only by God through Christ Jesus (Rom. 7:24-25).

                                                             1.      In a cry of desperation, the sinner cries out, “Wretched man that I am!  Who will set me free from the body of this death?”  The sinner, whether he is under the Law of Moses or not, must recognize that his lost condition is self-inflicted and that he is incapable of saving himself.

                                                             2.      The joyful news of the gospel is that God has given us a path to freedom from sin through Christ.

                                                             3.      The last statement of verse 25 is again acknowledging the ongoing struggle between the spirit and the flesh.  Under the Law of Moses, the sinner was condemned because he failed in the flesh.  However, under the law of Christ, the sinner can be made free from condemnation through the spirit.

IV.    CONCLUSION

A.      This chapter gives a strong presentation of the truth regarding the Law of Moses, showing that the Law is no longer in effect, that it was holy and good, and that it showed sin to be “utterly sinful.”

B.      In the next chapter, we will see that even though we are not under the Law of Moses, we are under a different type of law.  The law which we now serve does not depend on the flesh, but it emphasizes the spirit and gives life through Christ Jesus.