The New Way

Introduction

Welcome

Introduction to Topic:

Main passage:

Romans 7:1–6 NLT

Now, dear brothers and sisters—you who are familiar with the law—don’t you know that the law applies only while a person is living? For example, when a woman marries, the law binds her to her husband as long as he is alive. But if he dies, the laws of marriage no longer apply to her. So while her husband is alive, she would be committing adultery if she married another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law and does not commit adultery when she remarries. So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God. When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.

Title:

The New Way

Prayer:

In Jesus name, amen.

______________________________________________________

Story:

Explanation:

Illustration:

Christianity is not a system of rules and laws to be worked out; it’s a relationship to be built.

Application:

Body

Bible

Context:

Authorship: The author of the letter of Romans is Paul.

Audience: His audience were Jewish and Gentile believers.

Aim: His aim was to bring unity among two groups of people (jews and gentiles) by reminding them on what the Gospel has done. It has reconciled them both to God and each other, despite their differences.

Romans 1-6: We have learned that God has both set us free from the penalty and power of sin.

In Romans 7, Paul is now going to teach us that we are set free from the law.

Before we delve into chapter 7. I want us to get on the same page on four words:

Law: refers to the Mosaic law. The law that was given to the people of Israel on Mount Sinai in Exodus 20.

Died: refers to being exempt from something. In the context of Rm 7, it’s being free from the obligation to follow the law precisely in order to be accepted by God.

Belong: to become someone by being in union with Christ.

Covenant: Refers to a contractual agreement between God and his people, which require actions from one or both people to achieve a desired goal.

Transitional Sentence:

Four thoughts on how to bear fruit for God from Romans 7:1-6.

Points

First: We are dead to the law (v.1-4a)

Explanation:

Romans 7:1–4 NLT

Now, dear brothers and sisters—you who are familiar with the law—don’t you know that the law applies only while a person is living? For example, when a woman marries, the law binds her to her husband as long as he is alive. But if he dies, the laws of marriage no longer apply to her. So while her husband is alive, she would be committing adultery if she married another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law and does not commit adultery when she remarries. So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God.

Paul uses marriage as an illustration to explain that we are dead to the law and now belong to Christ.

Just as a woman is released from the law of marriage when her husband dies and is then free to belong to another, so we, having died to the law when Christ died, are now free to belong to Christ.

In order to deeper understand what Paul is saying, we have to get the historical background into Israel’s history.

God through out scripture would establish covenants with Israel. The third covenant is called the Mosaic covenant or covenant of the law.

These are the 613 laws including the 10 commandments, which are the foundational and core moral guiding principles of judaism.

In order to be accepted by God it required an obligation to follow his laws precisely and perfectly (Deuteronomy 28)

Galatians 3:23–26 NLT

Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed. Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian. For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

Paul is saying there was only one way to be accepted by God before Christ came and that was by being obedient to the law. So for Paul to say we are exempt (or died) to the law was no light matter. The law was everything the faith of the Jewish people hanged on.

What does it mean to be dead to the law?

Free from living up to the demands of the law.

Free from the curse or penalty declared by the law.

Illustration:

Illustration 1

(Christ fulfilled the law)

Matthew 5:17 NLT

“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.

illustration 2

(Christ took the curse of the law)

Galatians 3:13 NLT

But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”

Application:

(1) When Jesus was on that cross and died, we died with him. We have no obligation to fulfill the law perfectly to be accepted by God because Christ fulfilled the law for us and

(2) the curse we deserves for our wrong doing was all poured out on Jesus.

Second: We belong to Christ (v.4b)

Explanation:

Romans 7:4 NLT

And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God.

So instead of having a relationship with rules, we are now united or in union with Jesus Christ. The result is fruit.

Illustration:

Illustration 1

Colossians 1:6 NLT

This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.

Application:

Fruit speaks of being changed and transformed by your relationship with Christ. The sense of the word are actions that aligned with who you are.

Illustration 2

For example, a tree bears fruit according to what it is. If it’s an apple tree, it produces apples. If it’s an orange tree, it bears oranges.

If you we God’s Son or daughter, God has and is in the process to see through that our actions align with who God has created us to be.

Ephesians 2:10 NLT

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Third: The old way is no good (v.5)

Explanation:

Romans 7:5 NLT

When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death.

In other words, living a rule-focused life, don’t do this or do this, will just awaken, provoke or increase the desire to sin more.

Illustration:

Don’t think about a purple elephant with yellow spots.

Application:

Trying to live by a set of rules only led to more wrong choices. So bearing fruit the old way, rule keeping or legalism, didn’t work. Instead, which leads me to my last point…

Fourth: We serve in the New way (v.6)

Explanation:

Romans 7:6 ESV

But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.

The word serve means to be dominated by some influence or person or to be union to.

In other words, the only way to bear fruit is to be union or be influenced by the Spirit — to cultivate our relationship with Jesus.

Illustration:

John 15:4–5 NLT

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

Application:

This is why I say:

Christianity is not a system of rules and laws to be worked out; it’s a relationship to be built.

It’s the only way to a fruitful life.

Conclusion

Summary:

We are dead to the law.

We belong to Christ.

The old way is no good.

We serve in the new way.

So what:

Living for God is loving God and loving God is rooted in understanding and experiencing God’s love for us.

Now what:

Living by the Spirit means spending time with God.

Be consumed with the Gospel

Galatians 2:20 NLT

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Think about things written in God’s word.

Colossians 3:1–2 NLT

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.

3. Know his character

John 15:4 NLT

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

4. Remind yourself of your identity in Christ

1 Peter 2:10 NLT

“Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.”

5. Being in community

Hebrews 10:25 NLT

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

6. Remain in his love

John 15:9 NLT

“I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.

Prayer:

In Jesus name, amen.