Romans 7:1-25
1 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.
3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
5 For when we were in the flesh, the motionsa of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust,b except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15 For that which I do I allowc not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the bodyd of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
Paul’s letter to the *Romans
Romans
Hilda Bright and Keith Simons
Chapter 7
Freedom from Law 7:1-25
1. An example from *marriage 7:1-6
v1 Christian *brothers and *sisters, I am speaking to people who know the law. You should know that the law has authority over a person. But it has authority over that person only while he lives. v2 For example, a married woman belongs to her husband all the time that he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free from the law of *marriage. v3 So, while her husband lives, she must not marry another man. If she does, she is guilty of *adultery. But if her husband dies, she is free from the *marriage law. Afterwards, if she marries another man, she is not guilty of *adultery.
v4 My *brothers and *sisters, when *Christ died, you also died in relation to the law. This happened so that you may belong to *Christ instead. God raised him from death. Now our lives can be useful to God. v5 Our human nature used to control us. The law brought to our thoughts *sinful desires that we carried out in our bodies. The result of our actions was death. v6 The law used to control us. But now we are free. It is as if we died in relation to the law. So we can serve God in the new way of the *Holy Spirit. We do not serve in the old way of the *written law now.
Verses 1-3 Paul wanted to emphasise a Christian’s freedom from law. So he used an example from a law that the Christians in Rome knew well. A woman belongs to her husband while he is alive. If she marries another man during her husband’s life, she is guilty of the crime called *adultery. But after her husband dies, she can marry another husband. The first husband’s death ends the control that the law had over that woman.
Verse 4 Before we became real Christians, *sin controlled our lives completely. A cruel husband acts as if his wife is a mere slave. And *sin had a similar effect on us. We wanted the law to free us from *sin. But the law was unable to achieve this. In other words, our best efforts to obey the law could not free us from *sin. Instead, the law declared that we were guilty. And it declared that the punishment for our *sin was death.
But, because of God’s *grace, *Christ died for us. By *baptism we take part in the death of *Christ. So, like a woman whose husband has died, we are free from the law. *Sin used to control us like a cruel husband. But death has ended that situation. And we have chosen to love *Christ. Our *relationship with him is also like *marriage. But it is a good *relationship. We want to belong to him. We want to serve him. And we shall live with him always.
Verses 5-6 Because of our human nature, our desires were *sinful. We wanted to do what the law forbids. So we did not obey the law. The result of this is death. But because we are now free from the law, we can serve God in a new way. The law told us that we must be loyal to God. So we obeyed the law because we were afraid of punishment. But now we belong to *Christ. So we obey him because we want to. We obey *Christ because we love him.
2. The law is good 7:7-13
v7 We certainly cannot say that the law is *sin. But I would not have known about *sin unless the law had told me. For example, without the law I would not know that it is wrong to desire someone else’s possessions. But the law said, ‘You must not want other people’s possessions.’ v8 Because of this *commandment, *sin caused all kinds of wrong desires in me. Nobody can fail to obey a law that does not exist.
v9 At that time, I was living without knowledge of the law. But then I discovered about the law. And *sin began to control my life. And then my own life ended. v10 The *commandment ought to bring life. Instead, I discovered that it brought death. v11 When *sin had an opportunity by the *commandment, *sin cheated me. The result was death. v12 So the law is *holy. The *commandment is holy, *righteous and good. v13 This certainly does not mean that something good caused death. But people have to recognise what *sin really is. *Sin produced death in me because of the law, which is good. So by the *commandment, the very wicked nature of *sin became clear.
Verses 7-8 Verses 1-6 do not mean that the law is *sinful. Paul says that such an idea is certainly not correct. The law showed us what *sin is. Paul chose the last of the 10 *commandments as an example. It is easy to think that an action may be wrong. It is more difficult to realise that our thoughts can be *sinful. To want other people’s possessions is a *sin. Paul would not know this until the law told him (Exodus 20:17). So the law is good. It shows what *sin is. But our human nature seems to want things just because God forbids them. St. Augustine said that he and some of his friends stole some fruit. He did not even want to eat them. He knew that it was wrong. And that was the only reason why he stole them.
Verses 9-11 Paul discovered that *sin cheats us. This is what we think: ‘I shall be happy when I have more things. I want things that I cannot have.’ But these things cannot satisfy us. We think that we can avoid the punishment for our *sin. But such things do not make our lives better. Instead, they bring death. Paul uses a military description. The word for ‘opportunity’ also means the place where soldiers begin an attack. *Sin used the *commandment as a place from which to attack people.
Verses 12-13 The law is *holy because God gave it. And God is holy and perfect. So the law is *righteous. God intended the law to help people. Paul says that the law is good. It is not responsible for death. It is *sin that causes death. The law was good for people. But *sin used it to cause death. That is what *sin does. It turns something good into something wicked. For example, it can turn love into a wrong sex desire. *Sin uses the law wrongly. This shows how terrible *sin is.
3. The struggle against *sin 7:14-25
v14 We know that the law is *spiritual. But I am not *spiritual. It is as if *sin has bought me as a slave. v15 I do not understand what I do. I do not do what I want to do. Instead, I do what I hate. v16 I am doing things that I do not want to do. So I have to agree that the law is good. v17 I do not still control my own actions. Instead, *sin, which lives in me, controls me.
v18 I know that nothing good lives in me. I mean that there is nothing good in my human nature. I want to do what is good. But I cannot. v19 I do not do the good things that I want to do. I continue to do the wicked things that I do not want to do. v20 I do the things that I do not want to do. I do not choose to do such things. Instead, *sin, which lives in me, controls me.
v21 So I discover that this law (principle) is operating in my life. When I want to do good things, evil desires are there with me. v22 In my spirit, my delight is in God’s law. v23 But I see another law that works in the parts of my body. This other law fights against the law of my mind. It makes me a prisoner of the law of *sin. The law of *sin controls the parts of my body. v24 I am a very miserable person. I ask who will rescue me from this *sin. It brings death to my body. v25 But I give thanks to God. He rescues me by means of Jesus *Christ our *Lord.
So in my mind, I am a slave to God’s law. But in my human nature, I am a slave to the law of *sin.
Verses 14-25
Paul had used ‘I’ and ‘me’ in verses 7-13. He spoke there about the past. In verses 14-25, he speaks in the present tense. It is clear that he is describing his own struggles with *sin. Most people have had such an experience. So Paul speaks for everyone, not just for himself.
There are two opinions about when this struggle took place:
1. Maybe Paul was writing about his experiences before he became a Christian. At that time, Paul wanted to please God. So Paul tried to obey God’s law. Paul was very sincere. But he discovered that he was unable to obey God’s law completely. Paul did not want to *sin. But *sin controlled his human nature. So Paul was even doing things that he knew to be wrong (verses 18-20).
This was a terrible struggle for Paul. Paul loved God’s law (verse 22). But Paul could not obey it. So he made himself rules in his mind (verse 23). But he could not even obey those rules because the control (law) of *sin was too powerful for him.
So Paul felt miserable and desperate. He needed someone to rescue him from *sin (verse 24). At last, he realised that he could not save himself by his own efforts. And that is when *Christ changed his life (verse 25; Acts 9:1-22; Galatians 1:11-17).
2. Or maybe Paul was writing as a Christian. He said that he loved the law (verse 22). Someone who does not believe probably would not say this. But a Christian is not ‘a slave to *sin’ (verse 25; Romans 6:17-18). And a Christian should not say, ‘nothing good lives in me’ (verse 18). In fact, God’s *Holy Spirit lives in a Christian (1 Corinthians 6:19). However, many people still believe that Paul was writing here about his struggles as a Christian. Paul wondered how he could show his love for God in actions. The Christian life is not easy. There is a struggle against *sin. Paul says in Philippians (3:12-14) that he is not perfect. He is like someone who is running a race. He has to try very hard to reach the goal. Paul urges Timothy to ‘fight’ for his *faith. If this opinion is correct, Paul’s cry in verse 24 was not a cry of despair. His cry expresses his great desire to be free from his weak human nature. He wants to become more *holy.
So perhaps Paul was writing about the time when he was a Pharisee. (The Pharisees were a group of *Jews who tried to obey all of God’s laws. Paul belonged to this group before he became a Christian.) Or perhaps he was writing as a Christian who was struggling to live a *holy life. But he shows clearly that human knowledge is not enough. We can know what is wrong. We may decide to do what is right. But our power to carry out our decision is weak. Peter said that he would never deny *Christ. But he failed soon afterwards.
We cannot live in a manner that pleases God by our own efforts. Paul emphasised this in Galatians 3:3. We can only become Christians by the power of God’s *Holy Spirit. And after we have become Christians, we can only please God by the power of his *Holy Spirit.
Verse 23 Paul uses another military description. A law was fighting a war against his mind. The law of his human nature was making him a prisoner of the law of *sin. He struggled to obey his conscience. He knew what was right. But he could not do right things. His cry in verse 24 is a cry of despair.
Verse 24 Paul is grateful that he can win the *victory over his *sinful human nature because of Jesus *Christ. Paul will explain in chapter 8 how the *Holy Spirit can give to Christians the power to live a *holy life.
Verse 25 Some people who have translated the Bible want to change the order of the verses. They think that the second part of verse 25 should be before the cry of verse 24. They say that it is in the wrong place after Paul’s words in verse 24. But there is no *manuscript evidence for this. In verse 25 Paul emphasises again his moral struggle, which he described in verses 14-24. And the words lead naturally to Romans 8:1, which begins with the word ‘Therefore’.
Roman ~ a person from the city called Rome, or a description of anything that has a relationship with Rome. Rome was the most important city in the world at the time when Paul wrote this letter. It was the capital city where the Emperor lived.
Emperor ~ ruler over many countries.
marriage ~ the relationship between a husband and wife.
relationship ~ a friendship; or way in which people know each other.
adultery ~ when someone has sex with another person’s wife or husband.
Christ ~ the Greek word for Messiah, that is, Jesus.
Greek ~ the language in which the authors wrote the New Testament; or a word that describes anything that came from the country called Greece; or the people who came from Greece; or anyone who followed the same culture as people from Greece.
Messiah ~ the Jews’ word for the king who would come to rescue them; the Christ (that is, Jesus).
New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, about Jesus and the early church.
Jew, Jewish ~ a person whose ancestors were Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
ancestors ~ people or members of the family or nation in the past.
sinful ~ sinful people do things against God or other people; they do not obey God's commands; they do not do what God wants them to do; sinful actions are actions that are against God’s commands.
holy ~ something or someone that is special for God.'written law ~ God’s law, which Moses wrote down for the Israelites.
Israelite ~ the people that are Jews.
Jew, Jewish ~ a person whose ancestors were Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
ancestors ~ people or members of the family or nation in the past.
sin ~ evil deeds against God’s law; or to do such deeds.
grace ~ God’s love that people do not deserve.'baptise, baptism ~ use water as a sign that Christ has freed a person from sin.
baptism ~ when they put a person into water, or put water on a person; the way that we show to everyone that we belong to Christ and his church.
Christ ~ the Greek word for Messiah, that is, Jesus.
sin ~ evil deeds against God’s law; or to do such deeds.
church ~ (1) all Christians; (2) members of a local group of Christians.
Greek ~ the language in which the authors wrote the New Testament; or a word that describes anything that came from the country called Greece; or the people who came from Greece; or anyone who followed the same culture as people from Greece.
Messiah ~ the Jews’ word for the king who would come to rescue them; the Christ (that is, Jesus).
New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, about Jesus and the early church.
Jew, Jewish ~ a person whose ancestors were Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
ancestors ~ people or members of the family or nation in the past.
sin ~ evil deeds against God’s law; or to do such deeds.
relationship ~ a friendship; or way in which people know each other.
holy ~ something or someone that is special for God.
righteous ~ good, holy.
holy ~ something or someone that is special for God.
spiritual ~ a description of something that belongs to the spirit.
Lord ~ God; the word that we may use for Jesus when we obey him; someone who rules or who is a master.
faith ~ trust in someone or something; the things that Christians believe about Jesus.'Jew, Jewish ~ a person whose ancestors were Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
ancestors ~ people or members of the family or nation in the past.
victory ~ success against an enemy.
manuscript ~ a book that someone has written by hand.