Romans Study Chapter 7

Condemned No More!

Text: Romans 7

Introduction

Illustration written by Paul Le Tan: Virginian Colonel Byrd was condemned to death by the Cherokee Indians. In that tribe there was a chief who had been a friend to him. That chief said, “This man is my friend; before you can get at him, you must kill me.” The Cherokees let him go free.

The believer is held safely in Christ's hand. Before the believer could lose his salvation, Christ would have to be overcome; and that is impossible.

VERSES 1-3

Basic principal — legal claims can only be binding on a person while they are living.

Does the law regulate the living or the dead?

He was writing to those who knew the law.

They were well acquainted with jurisdiction of the law.

Paul uses the example of a marriage relationship:

1 Corinthians 7:39 “39 The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.”

Luke 16:18 “18 Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.”

VERSES 4-6

The husband (first spouse) is equated to the law. (slide)

The wife is equated to the believer. (slide)

Before faith in Christ, the soul of an individual was married to the Law. (slide)

The important point of the illustration is that the relationship is broken by the death of one of the participants.

As we have already learned, we died and rose again with Christ the moment of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.

Galatians 2:19–20 “19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. 20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Question: In light of Paul example, what is the spiritual purpose of a believer “dying with Christ?”

That we might belong to another husband. Jesus; the one who raised from the dead.

The resurrection is essential to us having a savior to be wed to.

The future event “the marriage supper of the lamb” gives some insight to what Paul is saying here.

“bearing fruit” slide

What would this mean within a marriage?

Spiritually, Paul is referring to “productivity.”

(v5) “controlled by the sinful nature”

Pre-conversion days of the Roman believers.

(v6) “But now”

No longer in bondage to the law!

People are controlled by their “lower nature.”

Fundamental insight to understanding the evil that has overtaken humanity

The sinful passions of people will promote rebellion against authority.

Some have described history as “the story of humanity gone wrong.”

We are all fallen creatures in desperate need of hope.

“newness of spirit” (vs) “oldness of the letter?” make a slide

A former slavery that dispensed a weight upon us of impossibilities.

A new slavery that frees us to serve God as His eternal children!

Now able to serve in a new way; in the Spirit!

Sadly, some parts of religion lead people to believe that the Christian experience is to be understood, as Robert Mounce explained, “within an ethical framework determined by the law.”

VERSES 7-8

Refer back to verse 5 and include verse 8 — Paul is teaching there was a time while bound by the law, the law aroused our sinful passion. This of course led to death!

This brings about the natural question of verse 7.

Is God’s law intertwined with my sinful actions and therefore making the law sinful itself? NO NO NO!

How should the law of God be viewed?

God’s law is not sinful. It aroused the sinful passions already within us to make them extremely sinful to our own conscience.

Paul will continue with some personal experience to illustrate the experience of all people and the experiences of believers.

Paul describes the law being the instrument that brought the reality of sin to his mind.

Exodus 20:17 “17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.”

Deuteronomy 5:21 “21 Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour’s wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour’s house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour’s.”

Law always defines sin.

Your “lower nature” brings sinful desires to the surface through God’s commandments.

Some have made the point, “Only after a rule is put in place do people want to do whatever it forbids.”

Quote: “Stolen fruits are the sweetest.” (Robert Mounce)

VERSES 9-11

Paul was probably talking about his preconversion days before he really grasped the full impact of the law’s demands.

Paul had a false hope in what he thought the law offered him.

Paul later learned that the intent of life from the law turned out to be a sentencing to death.

Leviticus 18:5 “5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the Lord.”

Luke 10:25–28 “25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? 27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. 28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.”

Satan always works hard to take the intended instrument for life (God’s law) and use it to bring about death.

VERSE 12

Here, Paul gives us a clear answer to the question of verse 7!

The law of God has a threefold nature:

Holy, just, and good.

God’s law is holy — It must be true to God’s nature — Isaiah 6:3 “3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: The whole earth is full of his glory.”

God’s law is righteous — fair and without unreasonable demands.

God’s law is good — it presents the very best for humanity.

Paul’s large point is this: Sin has used God’s law to bring about death.

God’s law was unwilling to bend, so sin leads humanity to bend away from obedience therefore leading them to death.

VERSE 13

Is there a contradiction between verses 9 and 11?

Paul rejects the the idea of a contradiction!

Look back at verse 8.

Sin took a holy, righteous, and good instrument and accomplish much evil.

Sin simply exposes how sinful it truly is.

VERSES 14-25

There are a couple of views: pre-conversion (vs) post-conversion.

I am of the belief that Paul was describing the spiritual warfare he faced as a Christian.

Paul used present tense.

Notice verse 22.

Romans 3:10–12 “10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”

Paul had recognized that any time he tried to live outside of relying upon God’s Spirit for power, he failed.

Paul was saying you are inviting defeat every time you do this.

(v14)

Every believer fails miserably short of God’s divine expectation.

Your old nature will never cease to exert itself in your life!

1 Corinthians 3:1 “1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.”

His times of defeat by the power of the lower nature made him feel like a slave to sin. Robert H. Mounce, Romans, vol. 27, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995), 168.

(v16)

Paul goes back and forth describing when the real Paul is acting and when it is sin rising up in him. (v17)

That corrupt nature has really deeply lodged within us.

(v18)

Paul wants us to understand how helpless and hopeless we are when we try to rely solely upon our own strength.

The knowledge of what was right was found, but the power to live it was not.

(v20) Paul gives us the conclusion what is bringing about this counter living against what he actually desires to do.

(v21) Have you every found that when you had determined to do what was good, sin presented its ugly self?

A law is determined by its continual impact (like gravity).

(v22)

Ephesians 3:16 “16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;”

1 Peter 3:4 “4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.”

(v23) Paul describes “another law.”