The Law and the Christian
The Law does not have authority over us (v. 1-6)
The Law does still have purpose for us (v.7-13)
The Law does not have power to change us (v.14-25)
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Intro
It has been hot out there!
We have been facing extreme heat this past week. On Thursday, while driving, my car thermometer read 106 degrees!
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Now I like the summer much better than the winter, and even though I am not a fan of the heat we have been having, I will take this over zero degrees any day of the week.
But I do hear many people I know that complain about the cold in the winter, now complaining about the heat in the summer and wishing we were back in the winter!
We are a people who don’t like extremes and when we are experiencing one end of the spectrum, the other end seems to always look better.
In the church, we see this too.
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We see people in churches and sometimes churches themselves, seeking to live or encourage people to live in ways that they think are just using their freedom in Christ. And when that is going on, we see some people say, they need to have some sort of order or rules. They are not acting like Christians! And sometimes, that can be very true.
As we have been going through our series, Summer in Rome,
We see that Paul dealt with the extreme of licentiousness in chapter 6 as he asked and answered the question that some were thinking that they should practice sinning so that God’s grace may increase?” (Romans 6:1). He says absolutely not!
Christians cannot use their freedom in Christ to go on and living in ways that do not glorify the Lord.
That would cause people to ask another question. Well if we need to live differently, then what do I need to do to follow Christ? What are the rules I need to follow, the things I need to do or not do to be a Christian.
Early on, as Christianity was largely Jewish, many of the Jews felt, that those trusting in Christ had to follow the law.
Today, we see churches on the other end of the extreme of saying you can live any way you want, to saying, if you are going to be a good Christian, then you can’t do these things, and you need to dress in these clothes and you need to do this and not do this.
And people move from living a life of licentiousness, of doing whatever they want, of whatever feels good, to a life of legalism, of following certain rules that are going to make you a Christian.
Paul speaks to that today in Romans 7, if you would turn there with me.
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We are going to see what the relationship should be between the Christian and the Law.
Romans 7
7 Do you not know, brothers — for I am speaking to men who know the law — that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives? 2 For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. 3 So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man.
4 So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. 5 For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. 6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.
7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet." 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. 9 Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.
13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 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. 19 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. 20 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.
21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 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. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God — through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
Ok, We have a lot in this chapter about our relationship to the Old Testament Law, but Paul starts out with the fact that for those in Christ,
The Law does not have authority over us (v. 1-6)
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Romans 7:1-6
Now Paul uses an illustration of a marriage.
Let’s try to understand this.
He uses the illustration of a marriage where one spouse dies, the other is then free to marry again.
In this case between the Christian and the Law, it is the Christian who has died to the law. When we receive Christ as Savior, the old person dies and the Law has no authority over a dead person.
But in trusting Christ, we haven’t just died to the law, but we have been made alive in Christ so we are now united with Him and not the old way of the law!
This is exactly the same thing that Paul said in the beginning of chapter 6.
Romans 6:3-4
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Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
We have been given new life that is not bound by the law!
This new life gives us freedom.
Freedom to live for Christ, which we did not have before.
This new life frees us from living licentiously as well as legalistically. We are now free to live in relationship with Christ. It is in relationship that we make decisions on what to do or not to do. Not by any list to follow, but through a Person we love.
Marriage – list vs love
I have shared this illustration before, but I think it goes so appropriately here.
There was a husband and wife that did not really love each other. The husband was mean and demanding and had prepared a list of rules for his wife to follow. There were things like cleaning and it had to be spotless, cooking and it better not be burnt, laundry.
After several long years, the husband died. Some time passed and the women met a man and they loved one another. They married and her new husband loved her very much and did all he could to make his wife happy because of his love.
One day while the woman was cleaning up, she ran across a list that her deceased husband had given her. As she looked it over, it dawned on her that she was doing everything that her first husband required of her, but she did not do it as if following a set of rules, but out of a desire and love for her current husband.
It is in relationship that we will live out love in our actions.
We are not under the authority of the law.
Maybe you are thinking that you are not Jewish so you are not under the law anyaway.
Well the law you keep is the law you are under.
Listen to what Paul said a few chapters ago.
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Romans 2:14 - Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law
We all have some law that we are bound to. It is the rules and regulations, the things we think we need to do earn favor with God.
When we trust Christ, we die to the law and are made alive in Christ.
The law no longer has authority over us.
Transition
So what good is the law or anything that we find in the Bible that indicates we should do something and not do something else?
If it has no authority in our lives, does it have any purpose?
Is the law sinful if it has no authority over us?
Well, Paul goes on in this chapter to say that
The Law does still have purpose for us (v.7-13)
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Romans 7:7-13
7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet." 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. 9 Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.
13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
The purpose of the law is to reveal sin.
Illustration – Kids told “Don’t do this”
A good illustration of this is when we were kids and were told specifically not to do something. What is it that was on our minds after that? Doing exactly the thing we were told not to!
Johnny don’t splash in the puddles outside. What does Johnny want to do now? Splash in the puddles outside.
Suzie, don’t eat any lollipops before dinner. What does Suzie want to do now? Eat lollipops. It probably wouldn’t even matter if you offered her chocolate. She would want lollipops.
Paul uses coveting in his example and says in Romans 7:7-8 that “For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet." 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire”
The law shows us just how sinful we are.
Then Paul asks and answers another question in verse 13.
Romans 7:13
13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
We needed to recognize how sinful we were, and are, so that we could then recognize our need for a Savior, our need for Christ.
Paul told the Galatians in Galatians 3:24-25 that “the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.”
The Law has no authority over us but it has purpose in reveling sin and leading us to Christ.
The final thing that Paul talks about here and we desperately need to realize is that
The Law does not have power to change us (v.14-25)
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Romans 7:14-25
14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 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. 19 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. 20 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.
21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 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. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God — through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
I think there are many Christians who think that now that they are a Christian, they can now live sinlessly. You can’t.
In these verses we just read, Paul describes the dual nature of a believer in Christ.
Before trusting Christ – One sin nature
Before trusting and receiving Jesus as our Savior, we have one nature and that nature is our sin nature. We are sinners through and through. Everything we do is tainted with sin. There is no good that comes out of us and through us from God’s perspective at least.
Now when we receive Christ as Savior, our old nature is put to death positionally. What does that mean? It means that when we trust in Christ, we receive the Spirit of God to indwell us and when the Father sees us, He sees the righteousness of His Son, and we are His Child in a salvation sense. Nothing is ever going to change that. We are God’s child.
Now practically speaking our old nature is still here. While we are still alive physically, we still have a sin nature, but we also have a spiritual nature now.
This Spiritual nature gives us new desires, desires that we did not have before, but are in conflict with the desires of the sinful nature.
Listen to what Paul tells the Galatians about this in
Galatians 5:17
17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. NIV
Now this is not an excuse to just give up and sin more. This is just a recognition of the reality of our need for Christ in every aspect of our life.
We need Him. We need His forgiveness. We need His wisdom. We need His love. We need His Grace. We need His mercy. We need Him.
And while the law was never intended to change us, but expose the sin in us, and it does not have the power to change us, the Spirit of God does have the power to change us.
God’s Spirit convicts us, strengthens us, comforts us, helps us. And while we cannot become sinless, we can, as we mature and grow in our relationship with Christ and feed our spiritual nature instead of feeding our sinful nature, sin less.
Paul tells the Galatians exactly this.
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Galatians 6:7-8
A man reaps what he sows. 8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
And as we grow in our relationship with Christ, we realize more and more how truly wretched we are.
Paul ends with this
24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God — through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Paul understands that in himself, by his own strength, he is a failure. We are failures in our own strength as well.
But in Christ, and by His Spirit, we can have victory, when we have surrendered ourselves to Him and abide in an ever deepening relationship with Him.
Warren Wiersbe comments on this passage and concludes with this:
The law of sin and death is counteracted by the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. It is not by submitting to outward laws that we grow in holiness and serve God acceptably, but by surrendering to the indwelling Spirit of God.
You are not going to become holy by keeping the Law, the old Testament Law or some new and improved law that Christians or anyone else develops that says you need to do this or not do this to be holy.
It is all about being in relationship with Christ.
Just like in marriage, your marriage will never be a successful and joyful marriage if your focus is on rules of what is acceptable or not acceptable in your marriage.
I can’t have an affair because I am married
I can’t go out because I am married.
I can’t have fun because I am married
What your focus needs to be on is your relationship and growing in your relationship.
If you are in deep and abiding relationship, the “rules” will not be an issue. It is all about relationship.
For the Christian, concern yourself with recognizing and responding to the love Christ has shown by seeking to take steps that grow your relationship.
Being in God’s word, spending time praying, being in Christian fellowship.
These are all aspects of being in a growing relationship.
Paul tells us the Galatians and us to
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Galatians 5:16, 25 - So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 25 - Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. NIV
Keep walking side by side with the Spirit.
It is not a law we need as Christians, it is a growing relationship we need with Christ that will make us joyful and holy.
Conclusion
Are you in a relationship with Jesus?
Is it a growing relationship?
Just like in a marriage, things usually start out well. But if we don’t maintain relationship, we tend to fall into a form of relationship that is about what I can’t do or what I have to do.
Unlike an earthly marriage that can end in divorce, Christ will never leave you, but you will never live life to the full outside of that growing relationship!
Maybe you are not in a relationship at all.
Maybe you only know about Christ, but don’t know Him.
That was my problem for many years of my life.
Realize that knowing about Jesus will not save you.
Matthew 7:21-23
21 "Not everyone who says to me, ’Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ’Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ’I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Do you know Him?
If not, you can enter in to that relationship by receiving Him as Savior.
John 1:12
12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— NIV
Romans 10:9
9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. NIV
Maybe you are here and you do know Him, but you have let your relationship grow distant.
Don’t try to live better. Instead, draw closer. Join a Bible study. Spend time in prayer.
You can’t change yourself for long. But by growing in relationship with Him, He can transform you for eternity!
Trust Him, walk with Him, worship Him, grow in Him and glorify Him.
Pray
Being in that growing relationship means realizing each day each moment, who He is and it helps when we can speak or sing that truth.
This morning we are going to close singing Glory in the Highest and there are some great truths to know and remember in this song.
So let’s worship and be drawn into an ever deepening relationship with the One and Only God of the Universe!
Glory in the Highest
