Introduction:
Every true born-again believer eventually wants to know, “What is God’s way for me to become holy in life?” Legalism, or obedience to laws and standards is one of the answers often given. Holiness comes through self-control, discipline, and self-denial, they say.
In Paul’s day, there were many teaching this idea. They might confess that keeping the Jewish Law couldn’t save a person but would still have said that keeping the Law was incredibly important. It was God moral and behavioral code. Only by keeping the Law could one please God and become holy in life.
But was keeping the Law the way to holiness? Is the keeping of more modern standards today the way to achieve victory over sin and become holy in life?
Paul addresses this question in the passage we’ll study today. It is a critical question for any believer who wants to have victory over sin and have greater holiness in life.
Seeking Holiness in All the Wrong Places, Romans 7:1-8:4
Paul begins this discourse by explaining the Christian’s relationship to the Jewish law, the law being promoted as the way to holiness. Then he’ll reveal the ‘problem’ of the Law, at least as regards trying to achieve holiness through obedience to it, then he’ll share his own struggles to achieve holiness by obeying the Law, which led him to total frustration and to look for another approach. We’ll conclude by taking a peak at what the true way to holiness is.
The Christian’s with the Law, 7:1-6
We have been from the Law, 7:1-6
A. The human illustration, 1-3
(MULTILINE)
B. The spiritual application, 4-6
1. I am from the Law and to Christ, 4
2. The Law only provoked in me, 5
3. I now serve God in the , not in the of the Law, 6
This is a conclusion, but as we’ll see it was not an immediate conclusion. Paul had to learn personally the futility of making the Law a standard for Christian living.
The ‘’ with the Law, 7:7-13
The Law shows us what sin is, but it also , 7:7-11
Paul now turns to his main point: the reason he does not and cannot endorse obedience to the Law as the way for a Christian to grow in holiness.
A. The Law sin, 7
B. The Law sin, 8
This is what we’d call an unintended consequence of the Law. It arouses our sinful nature.
C. The Law results in , 9-11
Rather than result in a deeper and richer life, attempting to grow in holiness by keeping the Law leads to death.
The Law reveals our sin is, 12-13
If the Law arouses sin and leads to death, did God create something evil when he created the Law?
A. The Law itself is , 12
B. The Law reveals sin is, 13
Sin takes what is , what God created, and uses it for .
The of growing in holiness by obeying the Law, 7:14-24
Here’s the problem: Even though the Law is good, it shows me what is right, and I even have a desire to do what is right, yet I can’t obey the Law. My sin nature constantly drags me back into sin.
A. The problem is : , 14
B. I can’t make myself , 15-16
C. Sin is me, 17-20
D. I to sin, but am a of sin, 21-23
Paul discovered a new ‘law’ and it wasn’t a good one. He calls it the law of sin. “Whenever I try to do what is right I end up doing what sin wants instead of what God wants.” As we’ll see in a moment he also calls this law the law of sin and death.
E. I can’t . Who will free me? 24
The Christian’s from the law of sin and death, 7:25-8:4
Here’s the good news: has delivered me from the Law of sin and death.
In verse 25, Paul telegraphs what he discovered by experience. Freedom comes through Jesus. In just a moment he’ll elaborate, but for now he simply concludes his account: the mind is going in the right direction, but the flesh is refusing to go along. Whatever Jesus is going to do for him must help him overcome the flesh so he does what the mind agrees is right.
Let’s take a peak ahead to see where our deliverance from the law of sin comes from.
Romans 8:1-4
In Romans 8 Paul introduces someone he’s only rarely spoken of so far: the Holy Spirit.
mentions of the Holy Spirit in chapters 1-7. mentions of the Holy Spirit in chapter 8.
The way of deliverance from the law of sin and death?
“…us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (my emphasis)
In 8:5-17, Paul will explain how the Holy Spirit produces the holiness in us that trying to obey the Law could not do.
CONCLUSION
If you have continued to struggle with sin, here is the good news. You don’t have to struggle . You don’t have to make fresh . You don’t have to next time. You don’t have to develop better .
The law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
Next week we’ll learn how holiness can be achieved in our lives through the work of the Holy Spirit.
One thing’s for sure. The path to holiness through trying to keep the Law of God or any other laws you or others have drawn up.