Romans Chapter 7

The Marriage Comparison

¹ Don’t you know, you that know the Law, that it applies to someone as long as the person’s alive? ² The Law ties a woman to her husband as long as he’s alive. If he dies, she’s free from the law about husbands. ³ So while he’s alive, she’d be an adulteress if she joined herself to another man. But if her husband dies, she’s free from the law, and she’s not an adulteress if she joins herself to another man. ⁴ So, through the Christ’s body you also died to the Law and united with someone else—who resurrected—so you could bear fruit to God. ⁵ When you were in the flesh, its sinful desires that were through the Law worked in your members to bear fruit that led to death. ⁶ Now you’re released from the Law because you’ve died to what imprisoned you. As a result, you’re serving in the new spirit, not in the old letter.

Rom 7:1-6

Indwelling Sin

⁷ What should we say then? Is the Law sinful? Goodness, no! But I wouldn’t have known sin if it weren’t for the Law. I wouldn’t have known coveting if the Law hadn’t said, “Do not covet” [Ex 20:17; Deut 5:21]. ⁸ Sin used the commandment to produce all kinds of covetousness in me. Apart from law, sin is dead. ⁹ I was alive apart from law at one time; but when the commandment came, sin came to life ¹⁰ and I died. The commandment that was meant to bring me life turned out to bring me death. ¹¹ Sin used the commandment to lead me astray and kill me. ¹² So the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy, just, good.

Rom 7:7-12

Inner Conflict

¹³ So, did what was good kill me? Goodness, no! Sin—to show itself for what it was—killed me by using the commandment. By using the commandment, sin became extremely sinful. ¹⁴ We know the Law is spiritual, but I’m physical, sold like a servant to sin. ¹⁵ I can’t figure out what I’m doing. I don’t do what I want to do; I do what I hate. ¹⁶ If I’m doing what I don’t want to do, I agree the Law’s good. ¹⁷ I’m no longer doing it; sin’s doing it in me. ¹⁸ I know nothing good lives in me—in my flesh. Wanting to do good is present, but doing it isn’t. ¹⁹ I don’t do the good I want to do; I do the evil I don’t want to do. ²⁰ If I’m doing what I don’t want to do, I’m not doing it; sin’s doing it in me. ²¹ I find the principle that evil lies in me who wants to do good. ²² In my heart of hearts, I delight in God’s Law, ²³ but in my members I see another pattern of operation that’s in conflict with the pattern of operation that’s in my mind. That pattern is imprisoning me in the sin that’s in my members. ²⁴ Miserable man! Who’s going to rescue me from this death-filled body? ²⁵ Thank God, our Lord Jesus Christ! So, I serve God with my mind but serve sin with my flesh.            

Rom 7:13-25