Rom 7:1-6 In Rom 6:14-15 Paul stated that as Christians sin no longer has power to lord over us because we are no longer under law but under grace; why are we no longer under law? See Rom 7:1,4. What illustration does Paul give to illustrate his point? See Rom 7:2-3. What does his illustration teach us about the permanency of marriage and when it is lawful for a person to remarry? What does it teach us about remarriage while one’s original spouse is still living? How does Paul apply this illustration to our relationship with Christ? Who is the “old man” to whom a Christian was once bound? See Rom 6:6. When our old sin nature is crucified with Christ, to what are we also necessarily dead? See Rom 7:4,6. As a Christian dies to sin and is thus freed from the law, to whom may he then lawfully be joined, and for what purpose? See again Rom 7:4. What is it about this new relationship that allows us to bear fruit to God, whereas before we were only able to bear fruit for death? See Rom 7:6. What is the difference between serving God in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter? See 2 Cor 3:6, Mat 5:21-48, 1 Tim 1:5-7. Applying Paul’s marriage illustration spiritually, what is it called when a person is joined to Christ but that person’s old man of sin is still living? See also James 4:4, Prov 2:16-19, 5:1-6, 6:24, 7:5-27, 9:1-6,13-18, 2 Pet 2:1-2,18, Rev 17:1ff, 18:4,7, 19:2.
Rom 7:7-13 In the previous verses Paul stated that in dying with Christ to sin a Christian is also made to die to the law, and in being set free from the bondage of sin one is also released from the law (see Rom 6:6-7, 7:4-6); recognizing the close relationship between the law and sin, what question does Paul anticipate in Rom 7:7? How does he answer it? What is the purpose of the law in relation to sin? Why was the law necessary in order for people to understand the terrible power of sin? See Rom 7:8-10 and also Rom 5:13-14. How does it accomplish its purpose? See also Rom 7:5. Notice Rom 7:8-11: Since the law incites our sinful nature and then condemns us for it, how can Paul conclude in Rom 7:12 that it is a good thing? See again Rom 7:7 as well as Rom 7:13. Is it the law that is responsible for our death? What is? See Rom 6:23. Note: in the language of mathematics, there is a perfect correlation between the law and death (see Rom 7:9-10), thus someone might be inclined to believe that it is the law that is responsible for our death; however, as mathematics teaches us, correlation does not imply causality, since the causality may be the result of some unknown “lurking variable”. In this case the lurking variable is sin, and it is the purpose of the law to make it known.
Rom 7:14-25 What does Rom 7:14 teach us about the nature of the law’s requirements and why we are unable to fulfill them apart from Christ? See also Rom 8:4. What words in Rom 7:15-23 lead us to understand that the sort of person Paul is describing is the same that he described in Rom 2:7, who “by perseverance in doing good seek[s] for glory and honor and immortality”? See Rom 7:18,21. Describe the mental cogitations and spiritual struggle produced by the law within the pure heart of such a person. See Rom 7:15,18-19. What conclusion does such a person reach about the law of God? See Rom 7:16 & 22. What conclusion does such a person reach about his fallen nature? See Rom 7:17,20-21,23-24. Who sets one free from the bondage to sin Paul describes in these verses? See Rom 7:25. How is he set free? See again Rom 6:6-7,17-18, 7:6, and 8:1-4.