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 6:3- 8), 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