Romans 7:1-13: The Law and Sin Functioning in a Sinner

 I am the Problem

Anticipated objection: Paul’s view cannot produce a godly lifestyle among the committed because in his system the law does not affect salvation (justification) or sanctification (spiritual growth in godliness, holiness). The Apostles teach that the moral law is part of the gospel message leading to salvation and aids each human to realize that they are a sinner. The moral law is also an aid to the believer who is governed by grace and walking by faith to see what is pleasing and displeasing to the God he/she loves and serves as a purchased slave. But for the Judaizers, the ceremonial law is what they want forced on New Covenant believers, and all the New Testament Apostles of Christ and prophets strongly oppose this plan. Paul argues against it.

I. The law has no part in the justification of a sinner. Its task is to bring exposure of sin and condemnation for sin (a pre-salvation work) vs. 1-13

     A. Paul is addressing the Jews, who know the whole Mosaic law about the mystery of the law vs. 1

     B. Paul’s fact: Every person is under the law’s authority as long as he lives

     C. Paul’s illustration: A married couple that makes vows; the woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive vs.2-3

        1. If her husband dies, she is free to remarry

        2. If she breaks her vows while he is alive, she is an adulteress

        3. In wills and covenants, a death changes everything

        4. We are bound to the law as long as we are alive (in Adam)

     D. Paul’s application: You have died to the law through your identification with the Messiah vs. 4

        1. You are no longer under the dynamic of law, condemnation, everlasting punishment as is every natural person

        2. You have been joined to Messiah in His death, burial, and resurrection and are under the dynamic of grace

        3. Under the dynamics of the law, your deeds (fruit) were only sinful (motive)

        4. Under the dynamics of grace, your deeds (fruit) can and should be good works that please God (with the motives of glorifying and loving God)

   E. Paul’s explanation of the difference between a believer’s past and present vs. 5-6

        1. Before we were saved, the law incited the sinful passions of our sinful nature; we acted upon them and increased our sin, guilt, and criminal record, causing our punishment due (everlasting death) to increase

        2. At our conversion, we died to sin’s control and the law’s condemnation through our connection with Jesus the Messiah. The law’s authority to say, “Do this or die!” was removed at that moment

        3. Because the surrender of the sinner to be a slave of Jesus is a death to self and sin, we are now serving Jesus with the new (to us) power of the Holy Spirit, and we are not motivated by legalism, but by gratitude

   F. Paul’s explanation of the operations of the moral law and sin in a sinner vs. 7-13

        1. Q.: Is the law sinful since it stirs the natural person (lost, unsaved, pagan) up to sin? A.: Don’t even think such a thought!

        2. We do not know something is sinful until the law reveals that it is sinful

        3. Some things are revealed clearly by the natural law in our hearts; others only from special revelation (Bible)

        4. Illustration: The tenth commandment. “Do not covet what belongs to others.” Paul was lusting, but he did not know it was sin until he heard the law read to him. The moral law first shows my attitude or behavior to be sin, to be against God, and to be forbidden vs. 7

        5. When the knowledge comes to a natural person who is a rebel that God in His authority has forbidden what I am doing, then the sin nature, even more, longs and seeks ways to covet to further rebel against the holy standard vs. 8

        6. So, because of a person’s sin nature, the law’s revelation awakens more lustful longings, lust grows, and the condition of the sinner is worse because of the knowledge provided by the moral law vs. 8

        7. Paul the Pharisee discovered through the tenth commandment that he was spiritually dead and unable to have godly attitudes on his own vs. 9

        8. Paul realized the promise of everlasting life to all who completely keep the law was not good news. They all needed a deliverer because the law condemned their failure and sentenced them to everlasting death, not life. The law brings the knowledge that we are not able to obey God’s righteous demands in our own strength vs. 10-11

        9. The problem is not with the law; it is holy, righteous, and good. The real problem is the sinful heart (inner person), not the exposure of sin. The law shows the excessive wickedness of my sin vs. 12-13

        10. The more a person tries to keep the law, the more they sin. But they are the problem; they are the ones enslaved to sin; the problem is not the moral law. The truth is, I am a sinner; the law is not sinful; I am

        11. Thus, I must be separated from the law’s condemnation and authority and be married (a blood bought slave) to King Jesus—my Lord and Messiah—to enter heaven and to have everlasting life

        12. The moral law shows me my sin, pronounces my condemnation, and incites sin in my heart, proving that I am a rebel by nature and by choice. I am spiritually dead. I need a resurrection from the dead; I desperately need a deliverer

Romans 6:15-23: A Change of Masters and Destinies at Our Justification

Who is your Master? 

Anticipated Question: If what you are saying is true, Paul, should we not choose to enjoy the pleasures of sin since we are not under law but under grace? Answer: Never, no way, God forbid even thinking like this. This would make the Christian life going in two opposite directions at the same time. We are now slaves of righteousness; thus, we cannot go back under the mastery of sin. The fruit of our sanctification and God’s work in us will assure that we will be utterly miserable if we try this schizophrenic lifestyle.

I. A proper understanding of grace does not lead to a life of sin or legalism vs. 15

II. All human beings have a master—all are slaves to someone or something vs.16

III. The Roman Christians formerly had sin as their master vs. 17-18

A. Whomever or whatever you yield to, that one is your master

B. You (pl) were slaves to sin in the past, but something changed that status

C. You (pl) obeyed and responded properly to the truth of the gospel

D. You (pl) are now saved from the control and love of sin and its everlasting punishment

E. You have changed masters; you are now slaves of Yeshu’a

IV. Just as you (pl) dedicated your body parts to sin, now you must dedicate them to Yeshu’a the Messiah vs. 19

A. It contradicts a believer’s position and new nature to go into slavery to sin

B. Every genuine believer is a slave of righteousness, so they are miserable when they give their body parts over to sinful practices

C. If one can give themselves over to a sinful lifestyle and be at peace and unafraid, they are not a genuine Christian no matter how many professions of faith they have made

V. The genuine believers’ past and present status vs. 20-22

A. Our past life as a pagan / unbeliever

1.    Continually slaves to sin

2.    Continually free from righteousness, thus, continually unrighteous

3.    Continually doing wrong and shameful things

4.    You are currently ashamed of your past and realize that path led to everlasting death, hell, and everlasting separation from God’s love and grace

B. Our current life as genuine believers

1.    We have been set free from slavery to sin

2.    We are no longer under the authority or condemnation and guilt of sin

3.    We were in the past enabled to be devoted to God and forever changed

4.    We have changed Master's and now are doing appropriate things that promote our sanctification (growth in holy living and Christlikeness) and everlasting life—all produced by grace

VI. A summary of the two ways to live vs. 23

A. The paycheck for a life lived under the authority of sin is spiritual, physical, and everlasting death and separation from God’s love, mercy, kindness, and grace

B. The paycheck for a life lived under the authority of Jesus the Messiah (second person of the Trinity, the God-Man) is everlasting, abundant, full, joyful life under God’s grace

VII. Every human being serves either King Sin or King Jesus vs. 15-23

A. Every person has a master vs. 15-16

B. The one we obey is our real master, not the one we say is our master vs. 16

C. Every genuine Christian was formerly a continual slave of sin vs. 17

D. Every genuine Christian surrendered to a new Master at conversion vs. 17

1.    We must obey to be saved

2.    We must obey a specific narrow teaching: the gospel

3.    We must obey from the inner person with full conviction; mere outward performance or a verbal profession is not enough

4.    We should be thankful to God for His enabling us to repent, believe, surrender, and obey by His sovereign power

E. Every genuine Christian has been set free from sin’s mastery vs. 18

F. Every genuine Christian has become a slave of the Messiah and of His righteousness vs. 18

G. Christians are to serve Jesus with the same dedication they formerly displayed in their service of sin vs. 19

H. Christians need to remember their past dedication to sin and their inability to live righteously before God intervened in their lives vs. 20-21

I. Christians need to value their present commitment to King Jesus and His kingdom of righteousness vs. 22

J. Christians need to understand that the fruit in their life reveals to others who their real master is and what is their real destiny vs. 20-23

1.     Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Gal 5:22-23)

2.    Fruit of good works (Col 1:10)

3.    Fruit of evangelism, others coming into the kingdom through our efforts (John 4:36; Rom 1:13; Col 1:6)

4.    Fruit = positive results, benefits (Rom 6:21)

5.    Sin’s slaves earn everlasting death but were promised a pleasurable life with no consequences. Jesus’ slaves are given true everlasting life

Romans 6:1-14: For the Believer, Sin’s Control and Rule Have Ended; Jesus’ Reign Has Begun

Who is Your Lord? 

Paul ends Roman’s chapter five with contrasting the super-abounding grace (unearned love and blessings) system of salvation that has existed since the fall into sin by Adam with an ineffective merit system created by man, namely, merit by legalism. He stated that where sin abounded, grace super-abounded even more and overcame sin. Paul anticipates even stronger objections at this point. Paul your gospel is too good and too easy. Paul, you are encouraging sinful living. Since there is no law in your system of salvation, then there can be no holy living. How can there be salvation and sanctification without a merit system based on law-keeping (legalism)? [Answer: Abraham modeled and Moses, David, and all the prophets taught the opposite of this view in the Hebrew Bible; salvation is by grace through faith. Ceremonial law is not the most important thing in scripture.] Thus, Paul’s view cannot be true. God is holy, and His salvation would promote holiness, and without a system of merit, men will never seek to earn their salvation and thus, behave properly. In Romans chapter 6, Paul answers this objection thoroughly.

I. The doctrinal basis of Paul’s answer to the objection against his gospel message vs. 1-5

A.     A strong warning. God forbid, don’t even think like this vs. 1-2a

B.     A logical reply to the objection vs. 2b-5

1.      We have died to sin [We must ask, in what sense are we dead?]

2.      How then can we live in what we have died to? We cannot!

3.      We had a once - and - for-all break with sin—its authority, rule, control, and enslavement — at our conversion. Righteousness was applied to our account

4.      We died to sin positionally through our identification with the Messiah. Our public baptism pictured our union with Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection if it followed our regeneration, repentance, faith, surrender, and conversion. When the Messiah died, the believer died. When He was buried, the believer was buried. When He arose, the believer arose.

5.      Thus, the believer has died to the rule, control, and reign of sin in their lives and has been spiritually raised to a new kind of life under the authority of Jesus the Messiah, God the Son.

6.      At our conversion there was an instant change of rulership, authorities, masters—we are now under Jesus the Messiah’s authority and power and no longer under king sin’s authority. Now we can say no to sin. Jesus is our Lord. Yet, sin did not disappear, nor is perfection possible while we are still in these fallen bodies. We remain a slave, what changed was masters.

II. The doctrinal basis of Paul’s answer to the objections practically applied vs. 6-14

A.     Learn and understand the reality of your identity with Christ vs. 6-7

B.     Learn and understand the Messiah’s victory over sin and death vs.8-10

C.     Choose to believe that you are positionally dead to sin’s authority and spiritually alive in the Messiah to obey God’s Word vs. 11

D.     Choose not to surrender to sin’s lordship with your body or mind vs. 12

E.      Choose not to be continually yielding to sin’s enticements and lies, but rather surrender yourself to God’s authority and truth vs. 13

F.      Sin is not the believer’s master; thus, you must not obey its orders

1.      God does not approve of you based on a legalistic merit system, but through a grace system

2.      The believer is not under the condemnation and death penalty of the law. The moral law says to us only, “Do this.” It does not say to us, “do this or die” as it warned us before our conversion

3.      The believer does not function spiritually under the dynamic of a legal code or merit system, but under the dynamic of a grace system. But this grace system is not without the moral law as a guide, but the Governor is Grace.

III. The kingdoms have been changed for every genuine Christian vs. 5-11

A.     The dictator of death has been replaced by the president and congress of life vs. 5

1.      We are joined with the Messiah in his death positionally (at justification)

2.      We are united with the Messiah in his resurrection positionally

B.     Sin’s dominion has been broken vs. 6 [Not its presence or its enticements]

1.      Sin’s authority over us ended when we were crucified with Christ

2.      Sin’s rule was removed by the death of the Messiah

3.      Sin is no longer our slave master; now, the Messiah is our slave master

C.     Christ died once for all ages and removed sin’s dominion over His people vs. 7-8

D.     Death’s mastery was taken away by the Messiah vs. 9

E.      The Messiah victoriously and historically died for sinners vs. 10 (past event)

F.      The Messiah lives and glorifies the Father in his office as Lord vs. 10 (present)

G.     Everyone who is joined to the Messiah is free from sin’s dominion and rule vs. 11

IV. The responsibilities have changed for every genuine Christian vs. 12-14

A.     Sin must not be allowed to reign over us or be obeyed by us vs. 12

1.      Continue to reject sin’s claim of authority

2.      Continue to refuse to obey sin’s orders

B.     Stop surrendering your body parts as weapons of sin’s army as you did before

C.     Start surrendering your body parts as weapons of the Messiah’s army vs. 13

V. The authority and dominion of sin have ended for every genuine Christian vs. 14

A.     The law can no longer condemn us. The moral law only helps guide us

B.     The system of grace governs and empowers us to live pleasing to God. We do not lie in sin unafraid; grace gives us the power to get up and flee from sin

C.     The motivation and obligation are different under a legalistic dynamic (fear & performance) than under a grace dynamic (love & gratitude)

Romans 5:12-21: The Results of Sin and Redemption from Sin

 

Humanity and Sin

Paul’s point in this section is to display that just as the human race was condemned based on the transfer of Adam’s first sin to their moral record, in the same way, believers are declared righteous based on the transfer of Jesus the Messiah’s righteousness to their moral record. The main idea here is that humans are saved in precisely the same way that they were lost—through the act of another. “As Adam, by his one transgression, brought condemnation to all connected with him, so Christ, by His act of righteousness (His sinless life and substitutionary death) brought justification to all connected with Him” (Steele & Thomas 1967).

I. Adam, the first representative of humanity, by his one sin brought sin and death upon the whole human race vs. 12-14

A.    Paul’s view of original sin is stated in vs. 12-14

1.      Sin entered the world through one man (Genitive of agency)

2.      Death came because of the original human sin (spiritual, physical, and everlasting death in the lake of fire)

3.      Adam’s one sin was transferred to the account of all humans yet to be born. We come into the world with legal guilt because we all sinned when Adam sinned

4.      How do we know Adam’s original sin was placed on our moral account as legal guilt? Because all humans die, only those with legal guilt die. We were born spiritually dead; we start dying physically at least after maturity, and we all are born under the sentence of everlasting death. This proves Adam’s one sin affected us all

5.      Anticipated question: Since sin is violating the law, and the law did not come until Moses, how did all those people sin or have guilt without breaking a law?

a)     Sin was in the world before Mount Sinai, Exodus 20 and the Mosaic law

b)     The law given to Adam was not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the middle of the garden

c)     Since death, which results from sin, came to every human from Adam to Moses (including children), then all those humans must have had legal guilt on their record for violating some law

d)     Universal death cannot be explained by a violation of the law of Moses (people died before it was given), or the moral law written on the heart (Rom 2:12-16), for infants and toddlers cannot understand or obey this law, nor are they accountable for suppressing the rational knowledge of design around them (Rom 1:19-25) which many pre-teens are not even capable of understanding and then suppressing (this is a teenager/adult sin), but children of all ages are subject to death

e)     Thus, since death is universal among humans, they must have legal guilt and be designated as sinners because of Adam’s one sin. His rebellious act and its consequences were transferred to all human beings’ moral record

f)      Many humans have died who did not knowingly sin and rebel against the Creator and His clear special revelation by a direct command, nor were they representatives of the human race

g)     Adam was a representative man just like Jesus the Messiah is also

h)     Paul’s view has implications for acceptable interpretations of Genesis 1-3. It rules out the gap theory, day-age, and theistic evolution because there was no death until the original sin in Gen 3. Only dead animals can become fossils

B.    Pelagius’s view contradicts Paul’s view. His followers say that every person must have their own personal fall into sin; humans are born sinless and without legal guilt. Adam’s sin was not transferred to their moral record. If they continue to choose not to sin, they can merit heaven on their own

1.      Humans are born neutral towards sin; therefore, the doctrine of original sin is false (Pelagius)

2.      Humans voluntarily choose to sin of their own free will; they do not have a sin nature until they fall like Adam (Pelagius)

3.      The Council of Orange in 529 AD declared Pelagianism as heresy

C.    The Generic or Semi-Pelagian view that men are born spiritually alive and only die because of genetic heredity and just have a slight lean towards sin, but by their free will they can choose not to sin, also contradicts the Apostle Paul here 

II. The representative actions of Adam and Jesus have a significant difference vs. 15-17

A.    Jesus did much more for His people than remove legal guilt from their record. He also satisfied God’s wrath against all their personal and willful sins against God

B.    Jesus transfers his perfect righteousness to His people as a free gift of grace

C.    Justification results in the person now reigning in abundant life both currently and in the future glory through the continual work of Jesus in heaven on their behalf 

III.  The representative actions of Adam and Jesus and our legal status vs. 18-19

A.    Adam’s sin resulted in the condemnation of all he represented by a transfer

B.    Jesus’ cross-work resulted in the justification of all He represented by a transfer 

IV. Law and Grace for those connected to Adam and Jesus vs. 20-21

A.    The revealed law of God increased every human’s guilt before God and everlasting punishment (death) under the reign of Adam (and thus sin)

B.    The revealed grace of God super-abounded by transferred righteousness, bringing loving favor and everlasting life to all those under the reign of Jesus the Messiah and Lord—the believer/slave’s Master