July 22, 2012
Morning Service

Paul made it very clear throughout chapter 6 that we are to avoid sin.  He went on to explain that at our baptism, we died (spiritually) to sin and arose to become a new creation.

 

Rom 6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father; even so we also should walk in newness of life.

 

He also encouraged us to yield ourselves to be tools of righteousness in the hands of God.

 

Rom 6:13 Do not yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but yield yourselves to God, as one alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

 

He closed the chapter with one of the most powerful scriptures in this letter that explains how that the curse of sin upon our lives has been replaced by the free gift of life through Christ.

 

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Rom 7:1-4  Or are you ignorant, brothers; for I speak to those who know the Law; that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives?  (2)  For the married woman was bound by law to the living husband. But if the husband is dead, she is set free from the law of her husband.  (3)  So then if, while her husband lives, she is married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress. But if the husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress by becoming another man's wife.  (4)  So, my brothers, you also have become dead to the law by the body of Christ so that you should be married to Another, even to Him raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit to God.

·         He uses an illustration hereof how death breaks the marriage covenant.  We who have died, (in baptism) are no longer bound to our marriage with law.  We are free to marry another, which is Christ.  (We are the Bride of Christ)  We are to bear fruit to God.

 

Rom 7:5-6  For when we were in the flesh, the passions of sin worked in our members through the law to bring forth fruit to death.  (6)  But now we having been set free from the Law, having died to that in which we were held, so that we serve in newness of Spirit and not in oldness of the letter. 

·         “In the flesh,” means before our conversion (old man), we brought forth fruit (works) leading to death.

·         Now we serve in the “newness of the Spirit” not under the bondage of the law.  We are no longer motivated by fear, but love; our service is not of bondage, but of freedom; we are no longer burdened by minute details, but joyfully pour out ourselves to a God who loved us “while we were yet sinners.”  The burden of the law is replaced by the freedom of love.

 

Rom 7:7-11 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! But I did not know sin except through the law. For also I did not know covet except the law said, “You shall not covet.”  (8)  But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, worked in me all kinds of evil desires. For apart from law sin was 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 to life, was found to be death to me.  (11)  For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. 

·         The law defines sin.  You can only break rules (sin) if there are rules. 

·         The law also produces sin.  We have been created with a fascination for the forbidden.  Adam and Eve were the first to yield to it.  We all have done the forbidden, just to see if we could get away with it.

·         The truth of the law is distorted by sin.

 

 

 

Rom 7:12-13 So indeed the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good.  (13)  Then has that which is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear to be sin, working death in me by that which is good; in order that sin might become exceedingly sinful by the commandment.

·         The law is holy (spoken by God), just (giving God and man their due reward), and good (if followed it works).  The problem was it was given to a fallen people.  Man was unable to fulfill the law by keeping it.

·         Thus the law brought the knowledge of sin to us.  It also brought the realization that we are all sinners incapable of doing it on our own.  It pointed us to the fact that we need a Savior.

 

Rom 7:14-23  For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.  (15)  For what I am doing, I do not understand.  For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.  (16)  If then I do that which I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good.  (17)  But now it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells in me.  (18)  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells. For to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I do not find.  (19)  For I do not do the good that I will; but the evil which I do not will, that I practice.  (20)  But if I do what I do not will, it is no more I working it out, but sin dwelling in me.  (21)  I find then a law: when I will to do the right, evil is present with me.  (22)  For I delight in the Law of God according to the inward man;  (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 being in my members.

·         Paul becomes very real and personal here (I), he bears his soul to us.   He explains the very real battle that wages within him between the two natures (flesh vs. spirit).

·         Notice the conclusion he draws in verse 18.  There is nothing good within him.  He is unable to bring himself under the obedience of the law with a pure conscience.

·         He knows and desires to do what is right, but he finds himself doing the opposite.  The flesh will always cry out to have its way.

·         We must expect and accept that our efforts for righteousness will fail, because sin is dwelling within us (Verse 20).  Though we try within ourselves, it is like casting an anchor inside the boat.  We must have help; a Savior.

 

 

Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

·         Paul groans as he comes to the conclusion that he is unable to bring this old body (flesh) into total subjection to God, regardless of his efforts.

·         Who shall deliver him; who shall deliver us?

 

Rom 7:25 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.

·         Jesus Christ is our Deliverer, our Savior, and our Lord!

·         Last week, we spiritually died out to the old fleshly nature and arose to walk in the “newness” of life.  We surrendered our will to His and through our baptism we “put on Christ.”  We will continue to battle that flesh, but we have given Him our heart.  That is what He wants.

·         We seek to serve our Deliverer out of love from our heart; not out of fear, duty or guilt.

 

 Rom 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

·         We are now IN Christ and God will not condemn us for this struggle we have with our old sinful nature.  There is NO condemnation from Him.  If He does not condemn us we should not then condemn ourselves; but allow ourselves to be free to worship Him from our heart.

·        We need to realize and accept there is nothing good within us but; we have a Savior who has nothing but good in Him.