Lesson 90

Romans Chapter 7                             

Freedom from the Law's domination                

or the total failure of the law to sanctify.

 

7:1 The principle

Or, do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives?

 

 

- Principle stated, the characteristic of law in view, being pointed out is that the law rules, has jurisdiction as long as the individual lives;  

 

 

If we fail to understand that the law has no jurisdiction over us, we are not going to turn to the new dynamic and motivator for our life grace!

 

7:2-3  Illustrates the Principle of vs:1 with marriage

 

-  What Paul is doing here is teaching about a spiritual relationship,  that is, what occurs when we come to the cross, and he does so by using the physical relationship of marriage that is commonly known/understood.

 

-  The illustration here assumes:

#1.  Marriage is a life long obligation; responsibility [both parties]

-  "bound by law";

 

#2.  Only death dissolves this obligation.

- "if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband."  

 

#3.  Death then frees her for a new marriage.  vs:3

 

Summary

1.  Paul uses the marriage relationship to illustrate the relationship we have after salvation to the Law and to the sin nature.

 

2.  When one of the marriage partners dies there is a release from the commitment in that relationship so also when we believed in Christ we were positionally severed from the relationship we had not only with the law but with the sin nature.

 

3.  This was brought out for us in 6:6-7 where we learned that all that we were in Adam was crucified, in that new relationship we were severed from any relationship with the law and are freed from the domination of the sin nature.

 

4.  This was also emphasized in 6:14 when he stated we are not under the authority of the law but under grace.   Point is that we are to live within a whole new relationship that is with Christ and the Word.

 

The Spiritual application:  7:4-6

7:4  Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die  [aor.pass. ind.] to the Law [as means of sanct.] through the body of Christ [real death] that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for God.

 

The point Paul is making is about a spiritual relationship!

The fact that we're joined to another, to Christ; and therefore able to share the resources and the dynamics of that new relationship!

 

 

7:5  For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.

 

The flesh when the sin nature dominates or rules always brings death; the law cannot give life or righteousness, Gal 3:21

 

7:6 logical conclusion

7:6 But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

 

-  The contrast between oldness and newness, the 2 terms speaks of a qualitative difference, a difference of character;  not old and new in respect to time!

 

-  In His death He fulfilled all the claims of the law by paying    its awful penalty. He became a curse for us!

 

 

-  The source and the empowering of the new life in Christ is the H/S not the law, Our service is based on a new dynamic, a totally new basis for our life, called grace which is based on a relationship with the unique person of the universe Jesus Christ.