Romans 7:1-6

I. The position of Romans 7-8

1. Two main themes of Romans 6

1) The believer’s transformation of their identity
(From being slaves to sin to being slaves to righteousness, from our old self to new self, as
well as being dead to sins, and alive in Christ, and being under the grace, no longer being
under the law)
2) Encouragement regarding the transformation of identity
(Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer every
part of yourself to God as an instrument of righteousness. Reap fruits of holiness, rather than
fruits of wickedness)

2. The relationship between Romans 6 and Romans 7-8

1) Romans 7-8 explains how the encouragement mentioned in Romans 6 can be fulfilled in
our lives.
2) Romans 7 clarifies that it is not possible in the flesh, and Romans 8 explains that it can
only be achieved by the spirit

II. Help to understand Romans 7

1. Romans 7 presents the severe inner fight; according to verse 21, the heart willing to
do good(God’s requirement regarding the law of God) exists together with the evil.
Should those struggling with this inner fight be considered believers or unbelievers?
For it is the inner being willing to do good(the law of God), this situation only applies
to the life of believers. The believers receive new nature from being born again, but
their corrupted old nature is still present simultaneously. Regarding this aspect,
Galatians 5:16-17 says there are the desires of the flesh and the desires of the spirit.
2. Parable – The born-again Christians have two kinds of factories in their heart: One is
a factory producing ‘evil’, and the other is producing ‘righteousness’. These two
factories share four things in common, listed below:
1) Both factories never stop working until Jesus comes back.
Both factories producing good and evil will keep running until Jesus’s
second coming.
 2) Both factories are not operated simultaneously. If the factory producing
evil starts working, the factory producing good will cease. Vice versa, if
the factory producing good starts working, the factory producing evil will
cease.
3) We can know which factory is in operation by looking at their products.
Galatians 5:19-21 shows the products of the factory producing evil, and
Galatians 5:22-24 shows the products of the factory producing good.
4) The factory producing evil is operated by ‘corrupted flesh’ whilst the
factory producing good is operated by the spirit.

III. Romans 7:1-6 The meaning of ‘the believers being under grace, not under the law.’

1. Parable (v1-3)
1) Main theme(v1) – The law takes control of people’s lives only when they are
alive.
2) Contents(v2-3)
1. A married woman is bound to the law of her husband as long as he is alive. If
she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is alive, she is called
an adulteress.
2. If her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him, and she
is not an adulteress if she marries another man.

2. Interpretation (v4-6)
1) Church member who died to the law(v4) – The believers died to the law through the body
of Christ(Cross) and now belong to Him who was raised from the dead.
2) The appearance when not dead to the law(v5) – we are in the realm of flesh(Meaning has
not received the holy spirit), and the sinful passion is at work in us, bearing fruit for death.
(Explained in detail in 7:7-25)
3) The appearance when dead to the law(v6) – No longer in the realm of flesh, but now
belongs to the spirit, bearing fruit for God(v4b). We can bear fruit for God by serving him in
spirit(Explained in detail in 8:1-17), not by keeping the old way of the written code in our
own strength (v 6b)
3. Additional explanation
1) “Dying to the law(Not being under the law)” does not mean that the principle of
retribution, the principle of the law, no longer exists. The law is still valid and remains in
force. However, the believers are not suppressed by the principle of the law, for they have
died to the law. For instance, if you migrate to another country and receive new citizenship,
the law of the country you previously belonged to is still valid. Hence, you no longer follow
their law but rather the law of the country you currently belong to.
2) “Dying to the law and bearing fruit for God in Christ ‘in the new way of the spirit’”
implies that
1. In the Old Testament, the law was given as a canon(It was compulsory), but we
were not given power and grace, which restricted us from fulfilling the law due to the
weakness of our flesh.
2. But now, through Jesus, we have received grace by His forgiveness and the holy
spirit, enabling us to serve the law of God through obedience.
In short, the old covenant is about the law given to us as a canon, which the strength
of our flesh should fulfil. The new covenant is about being given the power of the
holy spirit to keep the law, no longer by the strength of our flesh.
3. Continually, 7:7-25 presents the function of the law when following the way of the
flesh. In other words, believers sometimes follow the way of the flesh instead of the
holy spirit.

Romans 7:1-6

I. Romans 7:7-13 The reason being under the law results in death.

1. First Question(v7a): Is the law sinful? (asking this question because V5 says that when
we are in the realm of flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us)
2. Answer(v7b): Certainly not.
3. Detailed explanation(v7c-12): The law only helps to know what sin is. The law is holy.

1) The function of the law(v7c) – “I would not have known what sin was had it not been for
the law.” (This does not mean that he would not have committed sins if there were not the
law, but rather saying, without the law, he would not be able to recognise the reality of the sin
in him.
2) Example of the function of the law, which alerts about sins (v7d) – If there were no tenth
commandment, “you shall not covet”, he would have considered himself righteous, not
knowing there is a sin of ‘covetousness' in him, however, by being given the commandment,
“You shall not covet”, His reality of being covetousness has been revealed.
* The story of the rich young man – Before Jesus told him to sell his possessions and give to
the poor, He thought he was fully obeying the commandments. However, through the word of
God, which evoked an attitude towards the law, He saw his reality of not even being close
enough to obey the command “love your neighbours.”
3) The relationship between sin and the law(v8-10) – The result when sinners are given the
law.
1. Sin is already inherent inside the corrupted life(v8a)
2. When the commandment is given, the sin reveals its reality and seizes the
opportunity afforded by the commandment, producing every kind of coveting(v8b) –
Regarding this problem logically, when the reality of sin is revealed by being given
the commandment, the power of sin must shrink and become impotent. However, in
fact, sin in human beings has power that is alive and effective, and it becomes more
dominant as it is revealed through the commandments. (The sin goes on a rampage as
its reality is revealed more)
-> Copycat crime – When mass media reports a hideous crime, many people seem to
criticise the criminals, yet many copycat crimes occur in real life. This clearly shows
that when the reality of sin is revealed, it does not become attenuated but more potent
and effective.
3. Therefore, without the law(Or not understanding the law yet), the sin remains silent
and seems dead. This is because we do not recognise sin as being active and powerful.
4. However, when we receive the law of God, we eventually recognise sin as being
active and powerful(v9b); We can realise that sin is alive and working in us.
5. When we recognise that sin is active and powerful working in us, we (humans) are
brought to death(v9c-10). We will realise that It is not us who is taking control of
ourselves, but it is the sin working in us.
 We will eventually recognise we are spiritually dead. (Recognizing our spiritual death
in which we cannot overcome sin and take control of our own life)
In cf v9, ‘I was alive apart from the law’ does not refer to living everything according
to my own will before he received the law, but rather, he considered himself alive
following his own will. In real life, he considered himself alive, overlooking that he
became a slave to sin, and it took control of his life. However, through the
commandment, he realised that he died, and sin sprang to life, dominating our lives.

 ‘’commandment that was intended to bring life’ – This does not imply that the law
of God initially gives us life. The law never saves us from anything. Nevertheless,
it is called the “commandment that was intended to bring life.” Because it teaches
us the way of life(good and evil) through the law by evidently differentiating good
and evil, in contrast, the authority of sin present in humans does not lead to the
way of life that the law teaches. Instead, they lead to the way of death.
4) Summary of the relationship between sin and the law (v11-12)
1. v11 – For sin(which is already inherent in humans), seizing the
opportunity(Working in its power and authority) and through the
commandment(Using commandment as a weapon against me; abusing the
commandment) put me to death.
2. v12 – Therefore, the law is not sinful but holy, righteous, and good. However, if
those who became slaves to sins are given the law, It just becomes another opportunity
for sins

4. Second question (v13a): Did that which is good(the law), then, become death to me?
5. Answer (v13b): By no means. The law did not bring death.
6. The role of the law (v13c): It is not the law which put us to death; it is ‘sin’ which became
death to us. The law takes the role of revealing sin as a sin which puts us to death. “Through
the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.” Meaning the law reveals the reality of
sin, which tries to put us to death.
- Without the law, we will gradually be put to death, not knowing we are dying in our sins.
However, the law makes our sins utterly sinful, alerting us that we are dying in our sins.
Romans 7:14-25

I. Romans 7:14-25 Unable to obey the law in the flesh as being unspiritual and sold as a slave
to sin.

1. Keynote (v14):
1) The law is spiritual/holy(Knowing this is related
2) I(My life, Physical status as a flesh)am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.

2. inner conflict and inner fight being incomprehensible as flesh (v15-20)

1) I do not understand what I do(v15) – For what I want to do(Good way of the law) I do not
do, but what I hate(Breaking the law) I do.
2) Although I do not understand what I do, I agree that the law is good(v16) – My heart
desires to obey the law. But I know I am restricted from doing what my heart desires.
Therefore, knowing what I do is not what I want refers to acknowledging that the law – what
my heart desires- is good.
3) The authoritarian/governor who does what I hate (v17) – The reason for doing what I hate
and not doing what I want to do is because there is a more vital being inside myself. It is not
me, but sin(its authority) dwelling in me, which results in doing what I hate.
Cf. This does not allude to the fact that we are not responsible for sins. Hence, we are
dominated by the uncontrollable authority of sin.
4) The good itself does not dwell in humans’ flesh (v18) – Based on v15-17, There is no good
dwelling in us for us to do good. Since there is no good dwelling in us, we cannot do good
even though we have desires to do so.
5) Summary (v19-20)
1. I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do(v19)
2. It is not myself, but sin dwelling me, which lets me do evil I do not want to do.
(I died, and sin sprang to life, leading me to do the desires of the evil)

3. The principle stated (v21-23): The reason for the internal conflict in the believer’s heart -
there are two laws in the believer’s heart.
1) Keynote (v21) – There are two laws(desires) in the believer’s heart
1. The desire to do good 2. Inherent evil exist together
2) Detailed explanation (v22-23a) – the law of sin within the body raging war against the
Inner Being(the law of mind)
1. Inner being (The law of the mind) delights in God’s law
2. Another law in the body tries to follow the law of sin.
3) The result of the internal warfare(v 23b): If we fight in the flesh, the law of sin captivates
the law of mind.

4. Lamentation and hope(v 24-25a): internal warfare which resulted in the Lamentation and
hope of the believer
1) Lamentation (v24a) – the law of sin overpowers when we fight in the flesh. Therefore, we
cannot help but mourn “What a wretched man I am.” - The wretched man is spiritually
incompetent to do good.
2) Hope (v24b – 25a)
 1) Question – “Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? (Body in
which the two laws have internal warfare, and the law of sin overpowers, has the same
meaning as ‘flesh’” It implies that somebody else must rescue me from the outside.
2) Answer – “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
Meaning God will rescue me through Jesus Christ from the body subject to death.

5. Overall summary (v 25b) – I myself(the believers) in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but
in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. Thus, in our flesh, we cannot follow the way of
righteousness.

Therefore, Romans 8 clarifies what it is to live according to the law of God, which our heart
desires.