Romans 7:7-25

Introduction

Read Romans 7:7-25 Verse 18 — Do you ever feel that way? Here’s how we typically read it—Paul talking about you and me in the present I want to challenge that

What Paul isn’t doing

Paul is not taking about himself in the present as a believer Paul is not talking about us as believers Why might we think that? It’s the plain reading.

Paul says “I” so he must mean Paul Paul says “I am” so he must mean Paul in the present It also matches up with our lives How do we know this isn’t what Paul is doing?

Verse 18 — nothing good lives in me as a believer? What about the HS?

He clarifies the sinful nature Verse 17 — contradicts Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me.” Verse 14 — contradicts what Paul says in the exact same book, Romans 6:17-18 “…though you used to be slaves to sin…You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.” If not him in the present, then what?

What Paul is doing

Example of me walking through Tut and talking to a girl on my floor

Paul is speaking rhetorically in the place of Israel before Christ came to make a point, with some allusions to Adam He puts himself in the place of Israel (he was a Jew before Christ) Verse 7 — Law is good

So often we think of God’s law as restrictive, like a set of rules, or the OT as bad because Jesus hadn’t come yet Israel recognized that the law was good Verse 9 — Adam is the only one alive before the commandment came Verse 11-13 — “sin seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment”

Almost a direct quote from Genesis 3:15 Allusion to Israel and all humanity seeing themselves in Adam Israel agreed the law was good but couldn’t uphold it without Jesus The point is the freedom from ch. 3-6 is only because of Jesus

Paul can put himself in the shoes of all the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles b/c that’s who he had been We know that — John 8 “free indeed”, 2 Cor “new creation” What about Colossians 3 “put to death sinful nature”? Old Path metaphor — from Paty

If you move into an apartment, it’ll still feel normal to walk to Paty from class We’ve all driven to an old house or job before It doesn’t negate your lease just because it seems normal to take the old path to Paty Nothing Scripturally says that when Satan calls you have to pick up the phone and answer The reason Colossians says to put the death the sinful nature is because we aren’t slaves anymore. If we were, we’d be hopeless and there would be not point in saying it Put to death the tendency to walk the old path Romans 6 — sin shall not be our master

We don’t work for the old boss anymore Confusion comes from whether or not we could stop sinning forever “Great mindset but I know I’m gonna sin” Bible says who cares…what matters is not the sum of all temptations that will come ahead, what matters is that in this given moment you can choose Jesus All who believe have the HS (2 Cor. 5;5), not tempted beyond what we can bear, will give a way out (1 Cor. 10:13-14), God will give us everything we need to live a godly life (2 Peter 1:3)

Why it matters

This week that moment will come + examples

Could be serious or could be more subtle How we respond to temptation is largely dependent on whether we truly believe we’re free from sin or believe we’re still in bondage. We often think 100% forgiven of sin, but only 95% free

Colossians 1:3 is a present reality Free not just from the consequences but also the bondage Scripture is so confident that 1 John 2 says this

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.” Assumption is not that it’s inevitable, assumption is that because we’re holy/saints/set free we’ll choose Jesus But if one, many, all of us should sin we have an advocate