Lesson 91

Romans Chapter 7

Freedom from the Law's domination

or the total failure of the law to sanctify.

Observations:

1. Just as death severs the marriage relationship, so the death of the believer with Christ severs the jurisdiction of the law over him.

2. Our death with Christ also severs the relationship we had with the flesh so that neither has the legal right to rule, to dominate our lives any longer.

3. Our resurrection with Christ, our union with Him is pictured here as a marriage, joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead!

4. What is occurring if we as believers who are in union with Christ are now pursuing a relationship with our Sin Nature - flesh?

We're in effect adulteresses; we're pursuing an adulterous relationship; That can only lead to one thing - death!

Separation from our relationship with Christ -> temporal death.

5. To be dead to the law does not mean that we are free to lead lawless lives!

It simply means that the motivation and the dynamic of our lives does not come from the law, or law performance.

6. To be free from the law results in a positive! The ability to serve in newness of life!

- Christianity is not a religion; its a relationship with a person!

- It's not a set of rules and its not a system of morality. Its not doing something, but its knowing someone!

- Notice where the Scripture says the center of our focus is to be! Phil 1:21; Phil 3:8; 3:10; 2 Cor 5:9; Gal 2:20

Col. 1:9-12 emphasis: (9) spiritual insight; (10) a worthy walk;

(11) abundant power; (12) thankfulness

Sound BD should lead to right focus, which results in right conduct which expresses itself in obedient service!

Ø 7:7-13 The production of the Law and its relationship to sin

- In 7:7 the law is presented as the teacher

In 7:8 the law as the stimulator of sin

In 7:9-11 law as the terminator, the bringing to the end of self;

- v.9 I died

- v.10 results in death

- v.11 killed me

- In 7:13 law is revealer that sin is "utterly sinful" ie. law shows what sin really is, from God's viewpoint!

Ø 7:7 Begins by dealing with another objector's question!

- What do we know about the Law? What should we know?

#1 Rom. 3:20 gives us a knowledge of sin

#2 Rom. 4:15 w/o law there is no violation

#3 James 1:22-25 the law is a mirror

- The When?

- Paul met the Lord on the Damascus road; 35 AD. from that summer into summer of 37 Paul spent out in the Arabian desert;

The law became to him a teacher, in that, it showed him that there was an area where he sinned!

- What is coveting? It is the last of the decalogue, the 10 commandments; Its a mental attitude, a thought process, not an overt action.

7:8 The law as stimulator!

- But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead.

- The source of the coveting, these intense desires, is the Sin nature not the commandment! The law is the stimulator!