| Author | Message | ||
| Gatororeo7 (Gatororeo7) |
In the last several chapters, we have looked at verses that say the law condemns, it brings death, and it stirs up sin in our lives. After looking at these verses, it would be easy to conclude that the law is bad. As a matter of fact, after Paul stated the purpose of the law, people asked him if he was saying the law is sin (Romans 7:7). His response was an emphatic, "Certainly not!" The law was given by God. Therefore, it is holy, righteous, and good. Think about the commands God gave to Moses: "Do no steal." "Do not murder." "Honor your father and mother." "Love the Lord your God." No one would say these commands are sin. Loving the Lord, honoring your father and mother, and not stealing or murdering is very beneficial to all. The problem is not with thecommands. The problem is us. Hebrews 8:7, 8 For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. But God found fault with the people and said: "The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah." 1. According to these verses, was there something wrong with the first covenant, the covenant God established with Israel at Mount Sinai? Yes. 2. If there had been nothing wrong with the first covenant, would there have been a need for a new covenant? No. 3. With whom did God find fault? With the people. 4. Did God say that He found fault with His covenant or with the law? No. 5. What, then, was the real problem of the first covenant? The people. 6. Because God found fault with the people, what did He say He would do? Make a New Covenant. Romans 7:15-24 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 1. In this passage, Paul is describing the experience of a man trying to live according to the law. When a persion is living under the law, can he understand what he does? No. 2. Under the law, is a person able to do what he wants to do? No. 3. What does he end up doing? What he hates to do. 4. Can you identify with the statement, "For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate to do"? Yes. 5. Paul said, "It is no longer I myself who do it." What did he say was the source of his struggle? Sin living in me. 6. What is the source of our struggle? Sin living in us. 7. What did Paul know about his flesh? Nothing good lives inside him. 8. Is the same true regarding your flesh? Yes. 9. Since nothing good lives in your flesh, even if you have the desire to do good, can you carry it out? No. 10. Even though you want to do good, what is it that you keep doing? The evil we don't want to do. 11. Does this sound familiar? Yes. 12. Once again, what does Paul say is the source of us continuing to do the evil that we do not want to do? The sin living inside us. 13. What law did Paul find at work within him? When he wants to do good, evil is right there. 14. In his inner being, did Paul delight in God's law? Yes. 15. But what did he see at work in the members of his body? Another law. 16. As a result of the two laws waging war against each other, what did Paul become a prisoner of? The law of sin at work withi his members. 17. Gi back and read through this passage. As you do, circle all the references to "I, me, and myself." How many did you circle. 34 18. Under the law, who is our focus on? Me, myself and I. 19. Based on this, what would you say the real problem of trying to keep the law is? Me, myself and I. 20. Does man have the ability within him to free himself from the bondage, "What I want to do I do not do, but what I hate to do?" No. 21. In trying to live up to the law to gain God's acceptance, what conclusion did Paul come to about himself? What a wretched man I am! 22. Has the law brought you to the same conclusion? Yes. 23. What was Paul's cry after coming to the conclusion, "Wretched man I am"? Who will rescue me from this body of death? 24. When we recognize our own wretchedness and our total inability to deliver ourselves from the bondage of sin, what should be our cry? What a wretched man I am! Romans 7:25 Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! 1. What was Paul's answer to his question, "Who will rescue me from this body of death?" Thanks be to God. 2. Who is the only One who can deliver us from the bondage of sin? Jesus Christ. 3. What, then, should be the answer to our cry, "Who will rescue me?" Thanks be to God! Romans 6:7 ...because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. 1. According to this verse, when is a person freed from sin? When he has died. 2. Do you think this means dying physically or dying to our own self-efforts to keep the law. It can mean both. Galatians 2:19, 20 For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 1. What did Paul die to so he could live for God? The law. 2. Since he had been crucified with Christ, what could Oaul say about himself? He no longer lives. 3. Who lives in Paul? Christ. 4. How does he live his life in the body? By faith in the Son of God. 5. Who was Paul's focus on, himself or Christ? Christ. 6. We have been crucified with Christ as well. What, then, is true of us? We no longer live. 7. Who is it that lives in us? Christ. 8. So, how should we live our lives in this body? By faith in the Son of God. 9. If we are still trying to keep the law, could we have faith in Christ to life His life through us? No. 10. If we are still trying to keep the law, who would our focus be on? Ourselves. 11. What did we say the real problem of trying to keep the law is? Ourselves. 12. Are you willing to get your eyes off the problem (yourself) and focus your attention on the solution (Jesus Christ)? Yes. 13. Are you willing to die to the law so you can live for God? The real problem of the law is you and me. The law requires us to perform, to live up to its standards. But because sin dwells in our flesh, we are totally incapable of doing so. We cannot free ourselves from the power of sin. As a result, no matter how hard we try, or how strong our desire to do good is, we will always find ourselves saying, "What I want to do I do not do, but what I hate to do." The solution to our struggle is to die to the aw and come alive to the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, law and grace is more than an issue of how we live the Christian life. At the root of this issue is the source of the Christian life. Under the law, you and I are doing the living. Under grace, Christ lives. With us doing the living, there is no way to be free from the power of sin. Therefore, for us to be free, we must die to what keeps us under the power of sin - the law. The Christian life is all Jesus and none of us. That is why it is so important for us to die to the law. As long as the law is active in our lives, we miss the experience of Christ living His life through us. He is the only One who can free us from the power of sin, and it is the grace of God that focuses our attention on Him. |
