Untitled Sermon (5)

The Book of Romans

Chapter 7

North Kingsport Church of God

March 29th, 2023

Romans 7:1-25 (KJV) 1 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?

Romans 7:1 (GW)

"Don't you realize, brothers and sisters, that laws have power over people only as long as they are alive? (I'm speaking to people who are familiar with Moses' Teachings.)"

2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. 3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

Romans 7:2-3 (GW) 2 For example, a married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he is alive. But if her husband dies, that marriage law is no longer in effect for her. 3 So if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she will be called an adulterer. But if her husband dies, she is free from this law, so she is not committing adultery if she marries another man.

4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, evento him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

Romans 7:4 (GW)

"In the same way, brothers and sisters, you have died to the laws in Moses' Teachings through Christ's body. You belong to someone else, the one who was brought back to life. As a result, we can do what God wants." 5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

Romans 7:5 (GW)

"While we were living under the influence of our corrupt nature, sinful passions were at work throughout our bodies. Stirred up by Moses' laws, our sinful passions did things that result in death."

6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

Romans 7:6 (GW) "But now we have died to those laws that bound us. God has broken their effect on us so that we are serving in a new spiritual way, not in an old way dictated by written words."

7 What shall we say then? Isthe law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

Romans 7:7 (GW) What should we say, then? Are Moses' laws sinful? That's unthinkable! In fact, I wouldn't have recognized sin if those laws hadn't shown it to me. For example, I wouldn't have known that some desires are sinful if Moses' Teachings hadn't said, “Never have wrong desires.”

8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.

Romans 7:8 (GW) But sin took the opportunity provided by this commandment and made me have all kinds of wrong desires. Clearly, without laws sin is dead. 9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

10 And the commandment, which was ordainedto life, I found to be unto death.

Romans 7:9-10 (GW) 9 At one time I was alive without any laws. But when this commandment came, sin became alive and I died.

10 I found that the commandment which was intended to bring me life actually brought me death.

11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.

Romans 7:11 (GW) "Sin, taking the opportunity provided by this commandment, deceived me and then killed me."

12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Romans 7:12 (GW) "So Moses' Teachings are holy, and the commandment is holy, right, and good."

13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

Romans 7:13 (GW) "Now, did something good cause my death? That's unthinkable! Rather, my death was caused by sin so that sin would be recognized for what it is. Through a commandment sin became more sinful than ever."

God's Standards Are at War with Sin's Standards 14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

Romans 7:14 (GW) "I know that God's standards are spiritual, but I have a corrupt nature, sold as a slave to sin." 15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. Romans 7:15 (GW) "I don't realize what I'm doing. I don't do what I want to do. Instead, I do what I hate."

16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Romans 7:16 (GW) "I don't do what I want to do, but I agree that God's standards are good."

17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. Romans 7:17 (GW) "So I am no longer the one who is doing the things I hate, but sin that lives in me is doing them."

18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but howto perform that which is good I find not. Romans 7:18 (GW) "I know that nothing good lives in me; that is, nothing good lives in my corrupt nature. Although I have the desire to do what is right, I don't do it."

19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Romans 7:19 (GW) "I don't do the good I want to do. Instead, I do the evil that I don't want to do."

20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. Romans 7:20 (GW) "Now, when I do what I don't want to do, I am no longer the one who is doing it. Sin that lives in me is doing it."

21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. Romans 7:21 (GW) "So I've discovered this truth: Evil is present with me even when I want to do what God's standards say is good."

22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: Romans 7:22 (GW) "I take pleasure in God's standards in my inner being."

23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

Romans 7:23 (GW) "However, I see a different standard {at work} throughout my body. It is at war with the standards my mind sets and tries to take me captive to sin's standards which still exist throughout my body."

24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Romans 7:24 (GW) "What a miserable person I am! Who will rescue me from my dying body?"

25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Romans 7:25 (GW) "I thank God that our Lord Jesus Christ rescues me! So I am obedient to God's standards with my mind, but I am obedient to sin's standards with my corrupt nature."