Right in God s Sight Paul s Letter to the Romans Romans 7:1-13 Inductive Discovery Lesson 9 Remember when you first gave your heart to the Lord? What a relief to find out He didn t expect you to clean yourself up before coming to Him! He loved and accepted us in spite of ourselves. Knowing perfectly well all the work that was needed, Jesus moved in and made our heart His home. After extensive remodeling (those ugly old habits really needed to be torn out and replaced) we settled into a new life with the Husband of our soul. In chapter 7, Paul continues to explain that, since we belong to Christ, we are free to live by grace through faith. He already answered those who would misunderstand grace as a license to sin; now he responds to the other extreme of legalism. As a reformed rule keeper himself, Paul knew how futile it is to reach God by trying to be a good person. So he takes a page from everyday life to help his readers understand they are no longer bound to the Law. Think of it this way, Paul says. The Law isn t sin but it exposes the sinful nature within us. Your marriage to sin ended when you died in Christ. Now you are joined to the One who gave you life and the freedom to serve Him with all your heart. Romans 7:1-13 Read through the passage one time without interruption. Read it again, using a different translation if possible. Briefly describe in your own words what Paul is saying. 1
Working Text for Romans 7:1-13 New Living Translation (NLT) 1 Now, dear brothers and sisters you who are familiar with the law don t you know that the law applies only to a person who is still living? 2 Let me illustrate. When a woman marries, the law binds her to her husband as long as he is alive. But if he dies, the laws of marriage no longer apply to her. 3 So while her husband is alive, she would be committing adultery if she married another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law and does not commit adultery when she remarries. 4 So this is the point: The law no longer holds you in its power, because you died to its power when you died with Christ on the cross. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, you can produce good fruit, that is, good deeds for God. 5 When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced sinful deeds, resulting in death. 6 But now we have been released from the law, for we died with Christ, and we are no longer captive to its power. Now we can really serve God, not in the old way by obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way, by the Spirit. 7 Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is evil? Of course not! The law is not sinful, but it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, Do not covet. 8 But sin took advantage of this law and aroused all kinds of forbidden desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power. 9 I felt fine when I did not understand what the law demanded. But when I learned the truth, I realized I had broken the law and was a sinner, doomed to die. 10 So the good law, which was supposed to show me the way of life, instead gave 2
me the death penalty. 11 Sin took advantage of the law and fooled me; it took the good law and used it to make me guilty of death. 12 But still, the law itself is holy and right and good. 13 But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my doom? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God s good commandment for its own evil purposes. Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, 1995. Used by permission of Tyndale Publishers, Inc., Illinois, 60189. All rights reserved. 3
Write down your OBSERVATIONS Read the section and record what you see. Use the first column to keep track of what you find in the Bible passage. (Who? What? When? Where?) Circle repeated words and phrases. Use the second column to record information you gather from other sources such as a dictionary, concordance, maps, etc. You can also use this section to jot down your thoughts, impressions or questions that come to mind. Do your best to follow Paul s train of thought. Does he emphasize a particular topic? Are his words urgent? Encouraging? Commanding? What issues or problems does he address? What questions does he ask? Romans 7:1-3 Facts from the passage: My Research and Personal Observations: Romans 7:4-6 Facts from the passage: My Research and Personal Observations: (continued on next page) 4
Romans 7:4-6 Facts from the passage: My Research and Personal Observations: Romans 7:7-13 Facts from the passage: My Research and Personal Observations: 5
Key Words and Phrases Key words and phrases help us understand the main point the writer wants to make. How do we recognize key words and phrases? Here are some simple things to look for. When you see a word or phrase repeated, you can be sure Paul is using it to make his point. In Romans, Paul frequently quotes Old Testament scripture to support his point. You may find some key words there. If you are unfamiliar with a word or its meaning, it becomes a key word for you. Take time to learn the definition so you will understand how it is being used in the sentence. List any key words and phrases you found in Romans 7:1-13 Write the definition of the following words or phrases. Use a regular dictionary or a concordance with a Greek Dictionary if you have one. bear fruit to God (vs.4) bear fruit to death (vs. 5) 6
INTERPRETATION What does it mean? Look for a spiritual lesson. Be careful not to read into the Bible an idea that is not there. Examine each verse in light of the verses around it. To help you find a spiritual lesson, ask questions such as, Is there a command to obey? A promise to claim? A condition to that promise? Is there a warning to heed? An example to follow or avoid? State the lesson in one simple sentence. APPLICATION How does it apply to me? We don t study the Bible just to gather information we want to spiritually grow. Our heart needs to be open to change. The only way to move truth off the pages of your Bible and into your life is to put it into action. To apply a spiritual lesson, we must examine ourselves and take deliberate steps to do something with what we have learned. Ask yourself: Is this a new insight for me, or does it reinforce what I already know? What does it challenge me to do? Does it point out error in my attitude or actions? What changes does it require? Think of how the lesson relates to you and what specific course of action you will take. Write your application in the form of a question to make it personal. Romans 7:1-3 Lesson: Application: Romans 7:4-6 Lesson: Application: Romans 7:7-13 Lesson: Application: Summary Write a simple sentence that summarizes what the passage is about. Give a title to the chapter that will help you personally to remember it. 7
Take a Closer Look 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. Romans 7:6 NIV Memorize Choose the translation you prefer to memorize from and re-write the verse here. Meditate Look up. What does this verse teach you about God? (For example, look for signs of His character, His attributes, His works, His promises.) Look around. What does this verse teach you about the world and people in general? Look within. What does this verse teach you about yourself? Look ahead. Does this verse give you reason to hope? Briefly share your thoughts. Look alive! Given the opportunity, how would you express the truth found in this verse to someone who needs to hear it? 8
Make it a Prayer As you memorize and meditate on this verse, pray it back to the Lord. Let the Holy Spirit examine your heart, increase your understanding, and help you to pray. Ask Him for faith and strength to act on the truth of God s Word. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. 1 John 5:14-15 NASB God s Word Bearing Fruit For you, personally, what has been the most important lesson from this study? How will you put what God has shown you into practice? Something to Think About... What really is legalism? It is the belief that I can become holy and please God by obeying laws. It s measuring spirituality by a list of do s and don ts. 1 - Warren Wiersbe - 1 Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary 1989 by SP Publications, Inc., p. 534 9
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2007 Leah Case, All Rights Reserved 11