Romans: Chapter 7

Law School: Learning Our True Identity

The past Chapters of Romans have introduced us to the importance of Sanctification. So then, why do we struggle with Sanctification? It’s simple: the culture we live in is built on lies that are contrary to known Truth. Evolution is a lie; courts excusing criminal behavior and blaming environment; teaching the lie that ‘education’ can make a person ‘good’. Look at the society we live in; man is depraved. Education can’t rehabilitate criminals! Jesus told us the Truth, no one is good, except God, we are all sinners. Only God can transform us; and this process is Sanctification. Think about it: Jesus was the most anti-religious man on earth! His sacrifice on the cross paid our sin debt and reconciled us to God. We can NEVER save ourselves, only God Himself can save us. Keep in mind that true Christianity is NOT a “Religion” it is a Way of Life. All Religions ALWAYS FAIL to reconcile us to God, because they all rely on man’s efforts, not God’s.

Romans 15:4 “All scriptures are written for our learning…God’s Word gives us patience and encouragement so we may have Hope.” Old Testament and New Testament TOGETHER teach us the Truth. We learn the law to know right from wrong, yet we are not under the curse of the law, we are under God’s Grace. Scriptures teach us that knowing the law is not the same as keeping the law. No man can perfectly keep the law!

7:1

Paul begins by assuming we, as Believers, KNOW the law. Do we understand that the Law’s legal claim is only over us as long as we are alive?

7:2-3

Now Paul gives us an example: a married woman is lawfully bound to her husband only as long as he is alive. When he dies, she is freed from the law of belonging to her husband. (3.) While the married woman’s husband is alive, she would be an adulteress if she united herself to another man. But upon her husband’s death, she is freed from the law of belonging to her husband, and may then marry another man, and not be an adulteress.

THIS IS THE KEY TO THE BOOK OF ROMANS! Your True Identity as a Follower of Jesus Christ ~ Being A Born Again Believer! Not sure? See John 3: 1-21

7:4

In the same manner, your old self has died to the law through the crucified body of Christ. You are now freed from the curse of the law; so that you may now belong to Jesus, Who was raised from the dead so that you may bear Eternal fruit for God. We are freed from the curse of the law, and sin and only the person who is alive in Christ can produce good works that are Eternal. We are now ‘married’ to Jesus Christ. The Believers are referred to as the Bride of Christ, thus we now belong to Him. We now operate with the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit, as our guide. This is true freedom; freedom from the power of sin! To go back to trying to keep the law is the same as making ourselves spiritual adulterers. Think about it carefully, can any of you keep the entire law perfectly? How about just the 10 Commandments?

7:5

When we were living our lives only in the flesh, the sinful passions that were aroused in us by the Law were constantly operating in our natural lives. The natural appetites and desires of our flesh led us to sins that bore the fruit of death.

7:6

Now we are freed from the law! We have died to the law that held us captive and under its power. We now are freed to serve in the Spirit in our new life as followers of Jesus. The written law no longer controls us, we are now yielded to being controlled by the Holy Spirit that lives within us. (Notice all the comparisons in this chapter.)

• The letter of the law The Spiritual man
• Fleshly God’s powers
• Rebellious God’s desires
• Sinful Righteous
• Wrath Joy, Peace, Hope
• No Faith Faithful
• Kills Life eternal

The comparisons show us why we struggle when we allow the ‘old self, under the law’ to rule our decisions. Remember, IF you are operating in the Will of the Spirit, you will be successful. IF you make your decisions based on human fleshly reasons and desires, you will fail.

Philippians 2: 12-13. As you obey God.. Working out your salvation, that is, completing the lifetime goal of Sanctification with reverence, awe and trembling, not trusting ourselves, being tender in conscience, watchful against temptation, and avoiding whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Jesus. Not in our own strength, but in the power and strength of the Holy Spirit who is working within us to create in our being the power and desire and obedience to will and to work for His good pleasure, satisfaction and delight.”

7:7

Now Paul asks us to think this Truth through carefully. So what is he saying? The law itself is not sin, it serves to reveal the sin in our lives. When I look into the mirror of the law, I see myself and all my sins and failures. The ugliness of sin is not the mirror’s fault, the law, or mirror, just reveals my ugliness! So, until I looked in the mirror, I did not see how ugly I was! Now I see the ugly Truth of sin and hate it! We now recognize the ugliness of sin. Covetousness is not something we can ‘see’ it is an inner desire for anything we cannot have. We are reminded that the purpose of the law of God is to show us the sin nature of our life and our desperate need for God’s Mercy and Grace. We are now aware of just how bad we really are. Trying to obey the law on our own effort always leads to more sin. It seems like a contradiction, yet, our own lives show that when we tell ourselves NO, NO, on our own power, we are unable to resist the temptations! Oh, we may be able to resist something for a while, but eventually, we will fall into sin. No, the Devil didn’t make me do it; I chose to fall for his lies. Paul now changes to the personal pronoun, I, he admits he is the sinner; we can now be brutally honest and put ourselves in these next verses.

7:8

Sin, in the commandments, got a hold on me and aroused and stimulated all kinds of forbidden lusts, and covetousness. Without the law, sin is dead (actually, dormant) It is inactive and a lifeless thing.

7:9-10

Once I was alive, unconscious of the law. This would be at an age when I am too young to understand or comprehend the nature of sin. This would refer to the age of accountability. That is why we believe babies and young children who die, all go directly to Heaven. They are unaware of their sin nature. Once we are aware of the law, we all sin, and we all die. (10.) The law, which was designed and intended to bring life, actually proves to bring death!

7:11-12

Sin then takes a hold on me, the law beguiled and entrapped and cheated me, and was used as a weapon to kill me. The law lured me to try to live for God on my own effort ~ and I failed, miserably, so the law, in effect, killed me. (12.) THEREFORE The law always is Holy, and each commandment is Holy and good. The law is designed to show me I am utterly and hopelessly helpless! My sin nature is the enemy within me, I am rebellious. Anyone think they are NOT rebellious? Just a quick reality check!

7:13-14

So then, what was good actually then proved fatal, bringing death to me? Absolutely not! It was sin, that caused me to become dead. I became a walking dead person. Sin used the good law as a weapon to show me to be in rebellion to God’s laws. (14.) I know the Law is spiritual and expresses God’s Will for my life here on earth. Yet I am a fleshly creature; carnal, weak, wicked and under the control of sin. I am a slave of my own flesh.

John 11:25-26. Jesus says “I am the Resurrection and the life… he who believes in Me, even though he dies, he will live.” So Jesus is telling us we must die with Him in order to really have true life. “Whoever lives in me, and believes in Me shall never die, do you believe this?” Vs. 27. Mary tells Jesus she does believe. Vs. 43 Then Jesus calls forth Lazarus from the dead. He comes forth, wrapped in grave clothes. Vs. 44. Jesus orders him to be freed from those restrictions. Then, when freed, Lazarus becomes a witness for Jesus Christ as the Son of God. First, Lazarus is dead, then he is resurrected, but in bondage, then he becomes free and dangerous. Dangerous to whom? The unbelievers, because he is a living witness to the power of God! So what is my answer to Jesus’ question? Do I really believe? Eternal life is ours for the asking! I need to be freed from the bondage and baggage of sin, so that I can be dangerous for Jesus! As I obey the Holy Spirit, I will be effective for Jesus. I can never be freed from sin apart from the Holy Spirit. I cannot avoid sin by my ways and efforts, only by God’s supernatural power. I need to remove all my selfish foolish ways and yield to the wiser ways of the Holy Spirit. Selfishness is the root cause of all sin! You don’t think so? Name one sin where selfishness is NOT involved in any way.

7:15-16

Put yourself in this dialogue: I don’t understand my own actions; I am confused and bewildered. I do not practice or accomplish what I wish, but I do the very thing that I loathe.
(16.) If I habitually do what is contrary to my desire, that means that I acknowledge and agree that the Law is good, morally excellent, and that I take sides with it.

7:17-18

So it is the sin that is in me that does evil ~ my new life wants God’s goodness, yet my sin nature, that is anything of my own power, causes me to fail. The sin nature has control of me. (18.) Now I know that nothing good is in me, my flesh. I can know and will what is right and good, but I cannot perform it. I have the intention and urge to do what is right, but I have no power to carry out my good intentions. The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak!

7:19-21

I fail miserably to practice the good deeds I desire to do, but the evil deeds that I do not desire to do are what I keep on doing. (20.) Now since I do what I do not desire to do, it is no longer I doing it; it is not me that acts, but the sin principle which dwells with me. It is operating within my soul. (21.) So now I realize it is a rule of action of my being that when I want to do what is right and good, evil is ever-present within me and I am subject to its insistent demands. There is a constant struggle within myself; wanting to succeed and do what is right and follow God’s Word, and the flesh within me that thwarts my intentions.

7:22-23

I agree with and delight in the Law of God in my inmost self, with my new nature. (23.) BUT, Yet my bodily appetites and desires and the will of my flesh set a different rule of action. It is a war within myself. A war against the law of my mind, making me a prisoner to the law of sin that dwells in my flesh.

7:24

‘O wretched, pitiful, and pathetic man that I am! Who will release and deliver me from the bondage of this body of death?’ Have I finally reached the point of accepting the Truth that I am a wretched person, unable to free myself from the slavery and bondage of sin? It is like we are crying out to God: Who will save me from this miserable condition I am in?! It is our shortest heartfelt prayer to God: HELP!

7:25

Now Paul acknowledges the True Answer: JESUS! O thank God! Jesus will! He is the Anointed One, my Savior and Lord! Jesus has given me a new heart when I am born again. Nowhere does the Bible say God heals or cures our hearts; we are always given a new heart, a heart for God. So then I, with my mind and new heart can serve the Law of God through the power of the Holy Spirit. This is a moment-by-moment Faith choice to obey God’s quiet, gentle prompting to do what is right. The Holy Spirit lives within me and wants me to willingly allow Him to lead, guide and control me. When I submit to His promptings, I experience a newness of life. The Law only gives me rules and regulations and I feel guilty and condemned when I do not follow them. But the Spirit gives me the desire to do what is good and right and also the ability and a fresh zeal to do it. The Holy Spirit enables me to serve God with enthusiasm, not out of a sense of obligation. Learning to be led by the Holy Spirit is our primary goal. Only the Holy Spirit knows the mind of God concerning our lives and our circumstances. He will reveal God’s Will to us and lead us into a more abundant life, when we follow His promptings. God never forces us, it is our choice to obey and enjoy the life He has planned for us. Following the Holy Spirit is a blessing, a privilege and an act of obedience, allowing a true life of success, showing Jesus I truly believe and obey Him. Memorize, and Pray into your life, Psalm 119:10-11: With my whole heart I have sought you; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.