Sermon Tone Analysis

Sermon Series for Romans 7 (Four Part Series)

Title: “You Can’t Do It!” – The Impossibility of Following God’s Law Flawlessly!

You Can’t Obey God’s Law Enough!

God’s Law Can’t Eradicate Sin!

You Can’t Stop Sin!

Only Jesus Can Do What You and the Law Can’t!

Sermon Series for Romans 8 (Nine Part Series)

Title: “You Can Do It!” – The Possibility of Following Christ Perfectly!

Taken separately, Romans 7 seems to view the Christian life from a defeatist perspective while chapter 8 views it victoriously.

The purpose of this contrast is to show that Christians can be defeated by the law and the sin it reveals if they do not remain identified, moment-by-moment, with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ; if they do not accomplish the law’s goals in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code (Rom.

7:6).

Title: You Can’t Obey God’s Law Enough!

Text: Romans 7:1-6

ENGAGE

I love being married.

But I realize that there will come a day when vows will become a reality.

The “Until death do us part” part of our vows.

I’m not looking forward to that day.

I hope my wife isn’t looking forward to that day either!

I always tell Angie that I want to go before her because I can’t stomach the thought of dating again.

I know, I know, that is selfish.

Just keeping it real.

But marriage is an interesting illustration that Paul uses to explain our relationship with the Law of God.

What’s exciting about Paul’s illustration is that once you understand what he means, it leads to a very awesome conclusion that should make a huge difference in your Christian life.

ENCOUNTER

Let’s take a look at Romans 7:1-6

Okay, so you see the illustration I am talking about as well as how Paul applies it.

It leads to this main thought...

Main Idea - You Are Freed from The Law’s Demands to Serve in the New Way!

Wait, I must die in order to serve God properly?

Can’t I just make up my mind to be a better person, turn over a new leaf and start living right?

Just live out God’s law?

Paul answers these questions in verses 1-4.

And his answer is...

1.

You Must DIE to the Law!

(vs.

1-4)

Explain - Paul is not talking to novices here.

He is speaking to those who...

This entire chapter deals with the law and the believer’s relationship to it.

Remember, who is the church at Rome comprised of?

Who are the members at First Church of Rome?

Jews and Roman Gentiles.

The Jews were well acquainted with the Law - God’s law.

In particular, the Mosaic Law.

Chapter 7 deals with this.

The Roman Gentiles were also familiar with the law.

Pax Romana

“The Pax Romana (Latin for "Roman Peace") is a roughly 200-year-long timespan of Roman history which is identified as a period and as a golden age of increased as well as sustained Roman imperialism, order, prosperous stability...” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pax_Romana

How did Rome achieve such a status?

Their law and their military might to enforce it.

Just think of the the art of crucifixion.

That was a roman tool to keep the peace...

So whether Jew or Gentile, both understood the concept of LAW.

But as Christians, they needed to also understand their new relationship with the law.

And in the first verse, Paul makes something very clear.

“…the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives...”

The NIV translates it…

“the law has authority over someone ONLY as long as that person lives...”

So, what point is Paul making here?

Dr. Craig Keener helps us understand what Paul is talking about in verse 1...

Some later Jewish teachers argued that one who converted to Judaism was a new person—to such an extent that one’s former relatives no longer counted as relatives.

Paul can use this line of reasoning differently: just as a person became dead to his or her old master (here, sin) at conversion (see comment on 6:1–5), that person became dead to the old law in which he or she was held.

To help his readers understand what he is talking about he uses the illustration of marriage.

Look at verse 2...

Now before we get in to this, let me remind you that this is just an illustration Paul is using, he is not teaching about marriage, divorce, or remarriage.

He does that well in other places.

In this case, he is using an illustration for a group up people that understood what God’s law, and even the law of the land, demanded.

Paul’s point?

There is a legal connection between the wife and her husband.

She, according to Paul, is bound to her husband because it is the law.

Now certainly divorce could be addressed here, but that has nothing to do with Paul’s point.

However, what does have to do with Paul’s point is death.

Death is the release from the commitment to marriage.

And it is more than just a commitment, there are legal implications to every marriage - even to this day.

Death releases her.

He goes on with the illustration and gives it a twist.

Look at the first part of verse 3...

Romans 7:3a (ESV)

3 Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive.

Why does Paul bring this up?

Because it proves the validity and power of the law.

It is against the law for a married woman to live with a married man, and in Paul’s day she would be subject to the law regarding her choice.

Romans 7:3b (ESV)

But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.

What is Paul saying here?

This married woman who is living with a man other than her husband is bound by the law ONLY if her husband is still alive.

If he is dead, she, according to the law, is free to marry another.

Okay Paul what does this illustration have to do with your teaching on the Law?

Go back to verse one...

Romans 7:1 (ESV)

...that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives?

Paul is using the illustration of marriage to show a believer’s relationship with the Law of God in this sense.

Believers are released from the law because they have died.

Paul makes the point that believers are dead to SIN in Romans 6.

Believers are dead to sin and dead to the Law.

Dr. John Stott makes a very important observation in his commentary on this passage...

There are, in fact, many parallels between Romans 6 (freedom from sin) and Romans 7 (freedom from the law).

As we died to sin (6:2), so we died to the law (7:4).

As we died to sin by union with Christ’s death (6:3), so we died to the law through the body of Christ (7:4).

As we have been justified and freed from sin (6:7, 18), so we have been released from the law (7:6).

As we have also shared in Christ’s resurrection (6:4–5), so we belong to him who was raised from the dead (7:4).