February 17, 2002 Lesson 22

Chapter 7 Outline

7:1-6 Authority of the Law / Liberation from the Law

7:7-13 Ministry of the Law or production of the Law

7:14-25 Inability of the Law to Sanctify; reason = power of old nature

First section breaks down into 3 sections.

7:1-6 Authority of the Law / Liberation from the Law

7:1 principle

7:2-3 Illustration from marriage

7:4-6 Application

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?

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 Prin of vs:1 with marriage

- 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

The application: 7:4-6

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.

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 Sin Nature - flesh?

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!