A Study of The Book of Romans

Lesson 43 Chapter 7:5 – 7

 

  1. Verse 5 “For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.”
    1. The central and basic thought here is “for when we were lost and in the flesh or [sinful nature] our passion by being under the law was to break the law even more, the more law give, the more fleshly people desire to break it.”
    2. It is not within mans fleshly heart to live by God’s law but rather to break God’s law. This is because it is mans nature to break laws and man is most satisfied in breaking God’s laws.
    3. 2 Corinthians 10:3 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:” Paul said here even though we are in the flesh (bodily) we do not walk after the flesh (or in a sinful matter) but rather as Christians we war against Satan, not just sin itself but against Satan and his power. Paul also reminds us of this in Ephesians 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
    4. It is not within man (fleshly man) to obey the law of God but rather to break them, and the fruit of this brings death or eternal damnation.
    5. James 1:15 “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
  2. Verse 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.”
    1. The law in itself does not bring eternal life but rather eternal destruction, It was written not that anyone would or could live it but rather to show us our eternal death. This is why in Galatians 3:24 – 25 Paul said it was a “school Master to bring us to Christ”  
    2. The law brings death and miserable destruction; but we [who are saved] have been delivered from its penalty through the destruction and death of Christ. This is wonderful in that it shows us the penalty Christ had to pay for our disobedience of the law. Others will suffer in the eternal lake of fire.
    3. “…we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held…” The thought here is that since we are delivered by Christ we are dead to that which we were held hostage, the law. Romans 7:4 “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.”
    4. Galatians 3:23 “But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.” - It is not a blessing to be under the law but rather a curse. Paul likens it here to being a prisoner to the law. 
    5. “…that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.” We now that we have believed in Jesus Christ, we that have been called by the Holy Spirit, We that are now saved are free from walking according to the Old Testament laws and ordinances; we walk by the Holy Spirit because we have been born of the sprit. – As John reminds us John 3:6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
    6. John 6:63 “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”
  3. Verse 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, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.”
    1. This is a wonderful question “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid.” – Is there something wrong with the law? Would following the law make us sinners? Is the law of God actually sin? - God forbid – don’t even think such a thing.
    2. This is the simplest bottom line – the law showed us that we are sinners or breakers of the law – it was never a tool or the tool to bring justification.
    3. Paul said “…I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.” – I would not have known I was a sinner had God not written the law.
    4. Romans 3:20 “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
    5. Coveting is the simplest law to break as Paul uses it here. -  Deuteronomy 5:21 “Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's.”  
    6. The law is not sin; in fact it is the perfect law of God. The error is on mans part we simply cannot live up to the standers. Paul uses the last or tenth commandment, the tenth commandment focuses entirely on our inward nature. While some may have thought to have lived up to the first nine the tenth condemns us all and if we break one we are guilty of all ten. - James 2:10 “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”