Sanctification Part III
Romans 7
Bible Study 104 – Class 8
Summary
O Romans 6 instructs us that righteousness is a
requirement for the Christian.
O Romans chapter 7 teaches us that while
righteousness is required, it is nevertheless
humanly impossible, due to the weakness of our
flesh and the power of sin.
O Romans 8, Paul explores the divine provision for
righteousness—the Holy Spirit, by whose power
Christians can fulfill the righteousness which the
Law commanded and which God still requires.
Chapter 6
O In chapter six, we learned we are united with
Christ in His death and resurrection.
O Our union with Him is by the grace of God
which nullifies human pride in our own
spiritual accomplishments.
O We also learned that our sins, past, present,
and future, are forgiven in order that we may
“count ourselves dead to sin, but alive to
Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11)
Chapter 7
O God’s Holy Law: Living in the Spirit frees us
from the Law, which revealed that death was
a result of sin 7:1-14
O The Two Laws: Paul experienced a conflict
within himself between the sin and the good
which indwelt him serving either the flesh or
the law of God 7:15-25
Released from the Law
Roman 7:1-6
O The law is in effect as long as a person lives, but death
releases us 7:1-3
O If one is dead in Christ are no longer under the authority of
Law.
O The example of a marriage demonstrates that death releases
parties that are bound to a legal agreement. When a wife’s
husband dies, she is free to remarry.
O When a person is baptized he dies with Christ (Romans 6:38), and dies to the Law (Romans 7:4). Death severs the
bonds of law (Romans 7:1).
O As we died to the law in Christ, so we are united to the
resurrected Christ in order to bear fruit for God. As
unbelievers we produced fruit for death, but now we are no
longer subject to the law and so we live in the Spirit 7:4-6
Sin and the Law
Romans 7:7-13
O In verses 7-12, we find a three-fold relationship
between sin and the Law.
O The Law defines sin
O The Law condemns sin
O The Law provokes sin
O The law, although not sinful, reveals sin and
declares a person to be sinful and spiritually
dead, proving the law to be holy and righteous
7:7-12
O Death was caused not by the law, which is
spiritual, but by the bondage of sin 7:13-14
Christian Struggle of Mind and
Body Roams 7:14-25
O Paul did not understand his own personal conflict
between desire and practice, but concluded that the
evil which he practiced was done by the sin dwelling
with him since he wanted to do good 7:14-21
O Although he acknowledged the law of God within him,
he also recognized that the law of sin fought against
the law of his mind, imprisoning him 7:22-23
O Paul is thankful to God that through Jesus Christ our
Lord he will be set free from the body of this death.
With his mind he serves the law of God, but with his
flesh the law of sin is served 7:24-25
Four Principles Found in
Romans 7:14-25:
O When God called us to be Christians, He called us to
a lifetime of struggles against sin.
O Although we are called to lifetime struggles against
sin, we will never be able to achieve victory by
ourselves.
O When we triumph over sin by the power of the Holy
Spirit, which should be often, it is by the power and
grace of God and not by ourselves.
O We are to go on fighting and struggling against sin,
taking full advantage of the weapons God has made
available to us; chiefly, prayer, Bible study, Christian
fellowship, service to others, baptism, and
communion.
Homework
O Learn Romans 7:25
O Study the books of the Bible
O Study Bible Verses
O Bring your journal next week
O Based upon today’s lesson, write in your
journal the sins that you struggle with and
using Romans 7, how should understand and
deal with it
Bibliography
O John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible
O Bible.Org
O BiblePilot.com