Romans 7

Study Guide 126: Romans 7-8 POWER Overview Romans 6:1-14 was a pivotal passage in Paul’ s argument. On the one hand it was the culmination of Paul’ s presentation that those who are spiritually dead can have life — through union with Jesus! It was also the launching pad for another presentation: an affirmation of freedom to live a righteous life. Here, in brief, is the line of thought we trace.

Not Under Law, But Under Grace (Romans 6:14) (Digression: are we then free to sin? [Romans 6:15-23]) How can we legally be freed from the Law? (Romans 7:1-3) Why must we be freed from the Law? (Romans 7:4-6) (Digression: if the Law is so closely linked to sin, is Law evil? [Romans 7:7-12]) What happens to a believer who tries to relate to God through Law? (Romans 7:13-25) What happens to a believer who relates to God through the Holy Spirit? (Romans 8:1-8) What is the source of our victory experience? (Romans 8:9-17) Keeping this simple line of thought in mind can help us grasp the powerful teaching of this vital New Testament passage.

Commentary We often picture Romans as a doctrinal book, full of deep and difficult truth. In fact, the Book of Romans is totally practical. In seeking to understand the human condition Paul did not turn to abstract theory. He simply looked around him, and saw in society and in each individual’ s experience a daily demonstration of the reality of sin. In seeking to explain faith, Paul again resisted the philosophical approach. He simply went back to look at a flesh and blood man in a historical situation. He noted that, for Abraham, faith meant unwavering trust in God’ s promise. And in turn his unwavering trust led Abraham to respond to God’ s word. Then, like the practical person he was, Paul turned his attention to how faith works in us to produce a righteous life. In particular, he explored how we find the freedom to be righteous. Oh, it is good to know that sin in his life had been “ rendered inoperative.” But we do still feel its pull! At times when we honestly want to respond to God, we may find ourselves actually choosing the opposite way. What does it take for us to live victoriously? How do we experience the flow of the divine power? Paul’ s answer was simple, but surprising. “ Sin shall not be your master, because you are not under Law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14). Somehow release from the Law, to live a Christian life under grace is vital to our experience of freedom. Romans 7:1-25 and Romans 8:1-39 in Romans hinge on this affirmation. In them Paul answered the questions his statement had raised, as outlined in this study guide’ s overview. But before we look more at these chapters, we need further backgrounding. Earlier in our study of Romans we noted that the concept of spiritual death lurked in the background of Paul’ s teaching in Romans 1-3. Another concept casts a shadow across the teaching in Romans 6-8. This is the concept that the believer has “ two natures.” The Bible speaks very bluntly about human “ sin nature.” This is an inbred tendency to sin which warps and distorts the human personality. Human nature, which in the original Creation reflected the character of God Himself (Genesis 1:26-27), was twisted out of shape by the Fall. That fallen nature, warped and twisted, with its capacity and passion for every way but God’ s, remains with us. What God in Christ has done is to add a “ new nature,” or “ new creation.” Those who believe are “ made alive” in Christ, with a new capacity for goodness which we did not possess before. Now at last we have both the desire and capacity to respond to God. But these two natures, the old and the new, are at war within us. Christians are to “ put to death” what belongs to the earthly nature, for the “ old self with its practices” are to be put off and a “ new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator” put on (see Colossians 3:5-11). So now in one person there are two capacities. The one oriented to good and the other to evil. In each believer reactions, motives, desires, values, and behavior become channels through which God will express Himself in righteousness, or evil will express itself in sin. The challenge of the Christian life is to learn to live as the new people we have become, and to increasingly reject the old we once were. This distinctive understanding of the believer and our difference from other men and women is basic to Paul’ s prescription for victory. Understanding this background, we can move on to examine, in order, the answers to the questions raised by Paul, and answered in Romans 7:1-25 and Romans 8:1-39.

Human Nature and the Law: Romans 7:1-25How can we legally be free from the Law? (Romans 7:1-3) Paul turned to marriage for an illustration. A married couple is bound to each other under the Law until one of them dies. The death of a partner frees both, so that the living partner is free to remarry. Our union with Jesus is a real union too, so when He died we were legally released from any obligation to the Law. God considers us to have “ died to the Law through the body of Christ” (Romans 7:4), and so to be free from any past obligation to live “ under” it (Romans 6:14). Why must we be freed from the Law? (Romans 7:4-6) This is an extremely significant question. It is, in fact, central to the Bible’ s whole teaching on the Law and the believer. What Paul said here is that the old nature (our “ sinful passions” ) is aroused (literally “ stimulated,” or “ energized” ) by the Law! And the result of this stimulation is that we produce sin’ s deadly fruit. But since we are “ not under Law,” we can relate to God in a new way. This new way is by the Spirit, who speaks to us directly from within. And, while Law energized the old nature, the Spirit energizes the new nature! The result of the Spirit’ s ministry is that we produce the fruit of righteousness. We see the energizing principle at work everywhere. The child who is told, “ Don’ t touch the cookies, they’ re for company,” finds his hunger for a cookie increased! The forbidden seems far more desirable. When we approach life as interpreted through the Law, all marked off by “ do’ s” and “ don’ ts,” our old sinful nature is charged with energy. But when we approach life in God’ s new way, seeing each challenge as an opportunity to let God ex press Himself through us, we are on the way to victory. What is the experience of the believer who places himself under the Law? (Romans 7:13-25) Paul again showed his practical bent. He looked back to his own experience after his conversion when he tried to live the Christian life under the Law. And Paul shared the discouragement he felt then. No matter how hard Paul tried, sin kept on expressing itself in him. You and I and our group members have had the same experience. We have wanted to do good. We’ ve tried to keep what we saw as good laws or rules, and we’ ve known the shame and agony of failure. Paul’ s deeply felt anguish, expressed in this rough paraphrase, reflects feelings that we have known only too well. I don’ t understand my own actions. I don’ t do what I want — I do the very thing I hate. Because I don’ t want to do the things I do, it’ s clear that I agree that what the Law says is good and right. I’ m that much in harmony with God, anyway. But somehow I’ m not in control of my own actions! Some sinful force with in me takes over and acts through my body. I know that nothing good exists in the old me. The sin nature is so warped that even when I desire good I somehow can’ t do it. Sin, dwelling in me, is to blame for this situation. It all seems hopeless! The fact is that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. In my inmost self I delight in God’ s law. But another principle wars with the desire to obey, and brings me as a captive to my knees before the principle of indwelling sin. Romans 7:15-23 (author’ s paraphrase) Paul’ s effort to keep the Law, with which he agreed, had failed. The sin nature had retained enough control over him to make it plain that no matter how he tried to keep the Law, he fell far short of the holiness and goodness it reveals.

Two Ways of Relating to God Through the LawThrough the Spirit The Law energizes the old nature which produces fruit to deathThe Spirit energizes the new nature which produces fruit of righteousness Victory: Romans 8:1-39Rom_7:1-25 ended with a cry: “ What a wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24) Romans 8:1-2 answered. “ There is now no condemnation . . .because through Christ Jesus the law [principle] of the Spirit of life set me free from the law [principle] of sin and death.” Sin within is overcome by a new and powerful principle, that of “ the Spirit of life.” Put simply, Paul found his answer in realizing that even as a believer he could not keep the Law . . . and was no longer trying! Paul no longer felt any obligation to try! Paul had finally accepted himself as really a sinner, with no hope of pleasing God. So Paul turned his gaze back to the Cross, and found joy in the thought of “ no condemnation.” But then Paul made the great discovery! When he stopped trying, and instead relied on God to express His own divine life through Paul’ s personality, then “ the righteous requirements of the Law” were “ fully met” in him (Romans 8:4). Sin lived in Paul. But Christ lived in Paul too. If Paul concentrated on keeping the Law rather than on trusting Jesus, his old nature was stimulated and he sinned. When Paul concentrated on trusting Jesus, the Spirit energized his new nature and he found himself living a righteous life. Our obligation, then, is not to the Law, but to respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:12, Romans 8:14). The Law has been replaced by an intimate, personal relationship with God. Baseball provides an analogy. We want to get to first base. But to do so the batter does not look at first base. He watches the ball. He focuses all his energy in concentrating on hitting the ball as it is pitched. In a sense the “ righteous requirements” of the Law are first base to us. We yearn to get there. But too many believers focus their attention on first base — and constantly strike out! What Paul said was keep your eye on the ball — on Jesus Himself — and you will discover that you arrive on first base (a righteous life) without even trying. How can relationship be the key to moral victory? How does relationship produce righteousness? Paul showed us that as we deepen our relationship with the Lord, the Spirit of God gains more and more control over our lives. Then the Spirit will “ give life to your mortal bodies” (Romans 8:11). Yes, in our mortality we are in the grip of sin. It has always taken resurrection, life from the dead, for God to express Himself in human beings. And resurrection is exactly what God provides for those who “ live in accordance with the Spirit” and “ have their minds set on what the Spirit desires” (Romans 8:15). Likeness of Jesus (Romans 8:18-30). In Romans 5:1-21 Paul concluded his explanation of the Gospel by stating an underlying principle: all men are spiritually dead; they desperately need righteousness, and can only receive it as a gift. Then, in Romans 8:1-39, as Paul concluded his explanation of how the Gospel produces righteousness in a believer, he again stated a principle which supported his argument. God had chosen to shape redeemed men in the likeness of His Son, Jesus Christ (Romans 8:28). It is our destiny to be like Jesus. God is committed to produce in us all the love, all the joy, all the patience, all the long-suffering, all the goodness, and all the gentleness of Jesus. This divine commitment means ultimately the renewal and transformation of the whole creation. It means that one day sin will be eradicated and that we will be “ brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God” (Romans 8:21). It also means that we now have hope. In another passage, Paul spoke of a progressive transformation, of a growth in Christlikeness which we can expect to take place. “ We . . . are being transformed into His likeness,” Paul wrote the Corinthians, “ with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18). As the Spirit of God shapes the likeness of Jesus within us, we need never concern ourselves with Law. The life of Jesus will overflow in spontaneous righteousness. What the Law never was able to produce, the Spirit of God within us is producing, even now.

Comparison: Romans 7 and 8 Romans 7:1-25Rom_8:1-39 I struggle to keep the Law.I yield myself to Jesus. Battlefield: Self-effortBattlefield: Enablement Combatants: Law of sin in the flesh vs. Law of the mindCombatants: Law of sin in the flesh vs. Spirit of life in Christ Jesus Outcome: I serve sin.Outcome: The requirements of the Law are fulfilled in us. Summary: Romans 7:4-6Summary: Romans 8:8-11 NOTE: Relating to God through an impersonal code:NOTE: Relating to God personally through faith: “ law” used 20 times “ I” used 22 times “ I do” used 14 times“ law” used 4 times “ Holy Spirit” used 20 times The New Testament on the Law At this point, then, we need to review and summarize the New Testament teaching on Law. The Law itself is, objectively, “ holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good” (Romans 7:12). As such, the Law has several important characteristics. Law establishes standards by which people can measure and evaluate their behavior. It provides a partial explanation of righteousness, illustrating righteous behavior and specifying what is unrighteous. The Law (defined in this context as the moral and social commands given to Israel) is definitely revelational; it is designed to help us know more about both God and about what is good. The Law’ s revelation of the holy has several functions. These, strikingly, relate to the “ old man” or the “ sin nature.” The Law is designed to bring the knowledge of sin (Romans 3:19-20). When a person looks at the Law’ s demands and then reflects on his own deeds, he becomes aware that he is a sinner. The Law is designed to stir up sin within us. This overlooked function is one often mentioned in the Bible. “ The Law was added so that the trespass might increase” (Romans 5:20). It is because man is a rebel that God’ s commands stimulate his rebelliousness. Yet even this function has gracious intent: unless we recognize the sin within us we are unlikely to seek God’ s forgiveness in Christ. The Law is designed to demonstrate human need of redemption. Only a person who has given up, and ceased to rely on his own efforts to gain favor with God, is likely to turn to faith. It is our natural tendency to “ try harder.” If we look honestly at our lives, in the clear reflection provided by the Law, we see how futile our self-effort really is. The Law and the believer. In theology it is common to distinguish “ three functions” of the Law: (1) to reveal God, (2) to convict of sin, and (3) to guide the believer in his or her life with God. This third function is one over which there has been conflict. Some say that during the Old Testament era believers were guided by the Law to respond to God, but that the New Testament introduced a new way. Others believe that the Christian should be expected to keep the Law today, and that Law is still the means God uses to guide Christians to please Him. But neither of these notions seem to fit the New Testament facts. The point made in Romans 7:1-25 is that Law always relates to the old nature (the capacity for sin in man). What’ s more, the Law always energizes that sin nature. This is true whether a person is spiritually dead (and possesses only one nature) or is spiritually alive (and possesses the two natures — the sin capacity and the new life capacity). The Law has never been the way that believers related to God (see 1 Timothy 1:8). Always the true believer, in Old and New Testament eras, responded to God directly and personally. Even when listening to Scripture’ s words, the true believer heard through the Law the loving voice of God, and was freed by faith to respond to Him. The Old Testament principle of life by faith (presented by Paul in Romans 4:1-25) was missed by historic Israel. They distorted the Law into something it had never been intended to be. They tried to make it a way of salvation. They tried to make it a ladder on which to climb, rung by rung, to claim a place beside God as good. In so doing, they lost sight of God Himself, ignored a personal relationship with Him, and thus fell from grace. And so may we. We too can read about righteousness in the Scriptures, and take the Bible’ s teachings as rules and laws to live by. We can make the mistake of seeing God as a rule maker, and the Bible as a rule book for the game of life. We can throw our energies into vigorous attempts to fulfill the “ oughts” and “ shoulds.” But in so doing we will take our eyes off the Lord and our personal relationship with Him. For what we are called to in Christ is a growing closeness, a deepening love. What we are called to is the warm, loving guidance given by the Spirit, and the eager, “ Yes, Lord,” which moves us to respond. If we try to live by Law, we miss the joy, and our inward battle wears away our hope. How wonderful to know that God accepts us as we are: imperfect, falling short of goodness, and yet, because Christ is in us, we are growing toward His likeness. For our present sins and failures we have forgiveness. And for the rest of our lives we have the promise of progress toward God’ s goal — likeness to Jesus. In another passage, Galatians 2:20, Paul summed it up this way, “ The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God.” As Jesus’ life surges up within me, all the righteousness which the Law ever envisioned, and even more, will find its expression in me. In Jesus we have peace. And power.

Teaching Guide Prepare Have you experienced in your own life the essential shift from Law to personal response in your relationship with God? How can you tell? It’ s as simple as, “ All right, God, I’ ll try” versus “ Lord Jesus, I trust You to do it through me and help me obey.”

Explore

1. Give a minilecture introducing the two natures.
2. Also place on the board the “ line of thought” outline from this study guide’ s overview. Divide into teams, each of which is to study one question and the passage which answers it. When each group has had 10 or 12 minutes to study, come together again for an interactive lecture.

Expand

1. Probably the best way to cover these two chapters is through an “ interactive lecture.” That is, ask the questions raised in the text in sequence. After asking each question, let the team that studied the relevant passage share their insights. Then sum up or correct what they have suggested in a brief lecture, using such aids as the charts above, and paraphrase of Romans 7:1-25 (above). Draw on material from the commentary only to supplement this interactive lecture, or to help answer questions your group members may raise.
2. Explain that the emphasis on relating to God directly by the Spirit does not rule out the objective Word of God which we have in Scripture. The issue is one of how we perceive Scripture. The Bible as Law is perceived as saying, “ You should,” “ You must,” and “ You ought,” and is experienced as a demanding, nagging voice that calls on us to try our best. The Bible as grace and the Spirit’ s voice, is perceived as invitation; a revelation of what God intends to do in and through us. Faith hears the Spirit’ s guiding voice and does not try, but surrenders, expecting Jesus to do in us what we are unable to do ourselves. The difference between Law and Grace in the spiritual life is not that one uses the Bible while the other looks within to hear the Spirit. Both approaches use the Scripture. But only one turns completely from reliance on self to surrender with confidence to God, and in surrender, steps out to actually obey.

Apply Analogies and illustrations often make difficult ideas more clear. For instance, trying to live the spiritual life is like playing baseball — you have to keep your eye on the ball and not on first base. There are other analogies. For instance: Law is like a magnet, which pulls at the sin nature within us. Law is not like a ladder, for it was not meant for us to climb on. Obedience is not like a “ stop” sign along a highway, but like an escalator. Faith is expressed in the first step: the Spirit carries us along. See how many such analogies your group members can come up with to express the truths which you have led them to study in this session.