FREED THROUGH CHRIST

Background Passage: ROMANS 7:1-25

Lesson Passage:ROMANS 7:4-6,14-25

BIBLICAL TRUTH: CHRISTIANS HAVE SPIRITUAL FREEDOM THROUGH JESUS CHRIST WHICH ENCOURAGES US TO BE USEFUL TO GOD.

KEY BIBLE VERSE: ROMANS 7:6

Brady took his mom to her doctor so she could get her annual flu shot. As they sat in the waiting room, Brady asked her if the shot really worked. She assured him that it was an effective way to prevent her from catching the flu.

Later that day, Brandy was reflecting on his personal struggle with sin. He was deeply troubled by the fact that he continued to give in to sin even though he was a Christian. He wanted to serve the Lord completely. But too often he found himself serving his sinful desires instead. He thought about his struggle in light of his mother's flu shot, and he wished he could find a spiritual vaccination that could prevent him from giving in to sin.

As Paul insisted, Christians have been set free from the reign of sin. Yet we still find ourselves dealing with sinful desires. How can we live out the spiritual freedom we have been given as Christians? The chapter of Paul's letter to the Roman Christians that we study in this session helps us to answer that question. And acting on Paul's message int his chapter will enable us to be more useful to the Lord as we serve Him.

BACKGROUND PASSAGE OVERVIEW

Are we aware that we are accountable to God's law for as long as we live? Death alone removes our obligation to it. But just as a woman is free to marry again after her husband dies, Christians are set free because we died with Christ. Now we belong to Him. We have been liberated from the domination of religious legalism. Now we can embrace a new life of fruitful service to God under the guidance of His Spirit.

Was God's law to blame for Paul's sin? No. The law showed him what was good and what was evil. For instance, the law taught him not to covet. But sin, living in Paul, led him to violate that law and covet anyway. Because of his sinful desires, the law produced nothing but death. The law itself was not evil. It was altogether good because it came from God and showed Paul what was right.

Did something good cause Paul's spiritual death? No. Sin caused him to die. Sin became more pronounced once it was underscored by what was good. The law came from God, but Paul confessed that he served his sinful desires. The power of sin in his life made him do what he didn't want to do. With his mind he affirmed God's law, but he didn't have the ability to live it out with his body. Paul learned that every time he tried to do what was good, evil stood in the way. And so the war inside him raged on.

The war between Paul's loyalties tormented him. Who would deliver him from his desperate situation? Thankfully, God rescued him through the death and resurrection of His son, Jesus Christ the Lord. But even so, the struggle continued. With Paul's mind, he served God. But with his body, he still served sin.

As Paul continued to describe the liberty Christians experience, he turned his attention to the law. Previously he had explained that God's gift of salvation freed Christians from death and sin (See Rom. 5-6). In this portion of his letter he set out to describe how believers had been set free from the law.

STUDY QUESTIONS 1.What is the value of living in a new way that's guided by the Spirit? (7:6)
2.Why did Paul day that the law was good? (7:16)
3.What happened to Paul when he tried to do what was good? (7:21)

4. In what way does a believer often have a valid reason to be upset? (7:24)

ACCEPT THE DEMAND (ROM. 7:4-6)

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.
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.
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.

VERSE 4 ~ As Paul began, he stated that believers no longer lived under the reign of the law. However, liberation from the law came at a high price. The Messiah had to die. Christ's crucified body paid the price in full. Just as Christ died, people who received Christ were put to death with Him.

Our freedom from the law paves the way for us to belong to Christ. Paul's analogy of marriage helps us grasp the importance of our liberty from the law (7:1-3). As a wife is free to marry again after her husband dies, believers are free to devote ourselves to Christ because we have died to the law. Our devotion to Him is meant to be productive, bearing fruit that shows we live for God.

VERSE 5 ~ Our devotion to Christ is far different from our loyalty to sin before we were saved. That's when we gave ourselves to a corrupt way of living. What prompted us to give ourselves to such a lifestyle? Our sinful passions were spawned by the law. Instead of becoming better people, we reacted to the law in a completely different way than we were supposed to react. Nothing good came from our lives then. Our loyalty to the law only resulted in death.

VERSE 6 ~ Now that we are dead to the demands of the law, we embrace a different kind of life. We are not dominated by a religion of legalism any longer. Now we live in a new way that's guided by the Spirit. Because of the Spirit's control in our lives, we can be useful to God as we serve Him. (See study question 1).

ADMIT THE DESIRES (ROMANS 7:14-16)

14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15 For that which I do I allow 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.

VERSE 14 ~ Paul explained how the law produced sinful passions in people who were dominated by it (7:7-13). He began by affirming the spiritual nature of the law. It had been given by God, so it was holy. The problem was the way people reacted to the law. It made them aware of what God didn't want them to do (7:7). That awareness produced a passion in them to do it anyway. As a result, the spiritual nature of the law was lost on people who were dominated by the flesh and its passions. Sin had more power over them because they had sold themselves out to it.

VERSE 15 ~ Notice that Paul became extremely personal as he wrote. He gave an intimate testimony about the struggle in his own life as a believer. Although he knew what he wanted to do as a Christian, he testified that he found himself doing the exact opposite.

His testimony gives us a fresh awareness that we are not alone in our struggle to live according to God's ways. But it also leaves us with the sobering understanding that Christians of all ages, even seasoned apostles like Paul, deal with recurring sinful desires.

VERSE 16 ~ We can identify with Paul, and we can agree with his observations about God's ways. We affirm with Paul that God's law is good. For that reason, we cannot blame our sin on God's law. It is a superior moral code that gives us an honorable way to live with God, ourselves, and others. (See study question 2.).

Christians affirm the law without reservation. The real culprit behind our sinful behavior is not the law. The finger of guilt can only be pointed to our sinful desires.

Paul's testimony challenges us to move beyond a superficial examination of this portion of his letter, even as it prompts us to apply it in our walk with the Lord. We understand that our sinful desires cause us to live in disobedience to God's ways. What are we supposed to do about our sinful desires? We have only one choice. We must deal with the sinful desires that get in our way as we try to serve God. After all, our ultimate goal in living is to be useful to Him.

ACKNOWLEDGE THE DIFFICULTY (ROMANS 7:17-23)

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.

VERSES 17-18 ~ Dealing with sinful desires, however, is easier said than done. That's the impression we get as we read Paul's testimony of his inner struggle. Like Paul, we continue to struggle with sin as well. Even though we want nothing more in our minds and hearts than to serve God, we find ourselves actually serving sin instead.

We can also identify with Paul's assessment of the conflict within us. We know what is right, and we sincerely want to do it. But we can't because we don't have the ability – or power—to do what is right.

VERSES 19-20 ~ We can also relate to Paul's description of the two facets of his struggle with sin. First, we know what is good, and we want to do it. But we don't. Second, we know what is evil, and we want to avoid it. But we can't. Giving in to sin in these two ways demonstrates the power of sin over us even though we are Christians.

VERSES 21-22 ~ As Paul struggled with sinful desires, he noticed a principle at work in his life. When he wanted to do something good, something that reflected his devotion to God, evil would rise up and stop him. Evil was always close by, constantly lurking in the shadows of his life and waiting to pounce on his efforts to do what was good. (See study question 3.).

VERSE 23 ~ So goes the conflict of all of us who follow Christ. The law, which is in our minds, always directs us to live according to God's ways. But the law of the other parts of our bodies directs us to serve sin. Both laws constantly wage war in us. If the law related to sin has victory, we live in spiritual imprisonment to it. That's why we are wise to face up to the difficult struggle with sin in our lives, even though we belong to Christ.

AFFIRM THE DELIVERER (ROMANS 7:24-25)

24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body 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.

VERSE 24 ~ Facing up to the reality of such an intense spiritual conflict leaves us extremely frustrated, to say the least. Paul chose a graphic word to describe himself as he struggled with sin: wretched. The word signifies the inner torment of a believer who has been liberated from sin's rein but who can not break free from its grip. (See Study Question 4.) Like a corpse strapped to a person's back, the body of death pertaining to sin keeps on clinging to us.

Such a tormented Christian has no choice but to draw one critical conclusion. We cannot expect to be right with God by trying to live according to His law. Some believers may think that they can eventually live according to God's ways. They may believe that being saved means being able to live according to God's law. But Paul bore witness to the truth that we can't do it, no matter how hard we try. We can only expect to grow more desperate after each failed attempt. Like Paul, we cry out to be rescued from such a tormenting situation.

VERSE 25 ~ Thankfully, our Deliverer has already come. God mercifully rescued us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord. We are not rescued by the law, but by God's Son. Therefore, instead of living in desperation, we live in gratitude to God for delivering us from life under the law.

Notice that Paul returned to the issue he had been dealing with throughout this section of his letter. He acknowledged that the conflict continued in his life. His mind was devoted to God, but his flesh wanted to serve sin.

Does our affirmation of Christ make our struggle with sin go away? No. However, it helps us to see our struggle in a different light. And it prompts us to turn to Him for help so we can live in a way that makes us more effective servants of the Lord .

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

What Paul said about our freedom in Christ encourages us. Also, his testimony of his personal struggle with sin as a believer clarifies an important issue for us. We understand that we aren't vaccinated against sin after we receive Christ. On the contrary, we continue to struggle with sinful desires even after we are saved. Only through Christ can we consider ourselves free to devote ourselves to serving God.

What can you do that will help you to grow through your own struggle with sin to be a useful servant of God? You can begin by following Paul's example and admitting that you still have to deal with sin, even though you are a Christian.

Then you can turn to the Lord in some simple, straightforward ways. First, thank Him for saving you and rescuing you from a miserable life under the law. Second, ask Him to help you live in a way that reflects the guidance of His Spirit in your life. Third, memorize romans 7:6 and recite it regularly as a way of focusing your attention on the goal of serving God effectively.