Page 48 - Romans Student Textbook.doc

law; for the desire I would not have known except the law said, “Do not covet.” But taking the opportunity
sin through the command worked in me all covetousness; for without law sin is dead. But I was living
without law once, but when the law came the sin came to life, but I died and the command found me
which is unto life, this was unto death; for the sin an opening receiving through the command deceived me
and by it killed me. So that the law is holy and the command is holy and righteous and good.

God’s holy, righteous and good law showed us the deadly reality of our own sin without being sinful itself.

Therefore, did what was good for me become death? May it never be! But the sin, so that it might appear
as sin, through that which is good for me produced death, so that it might become beyond measure sinful
— the sin through the command. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am fleshly sold under sin. For
what I do, I do not know, for not what I will this I practice, but what I hate, this I do. Now if that which I do
not will, this I do; I agree with the law that it is good. But now no longer am I doing it, but the sin which is
living in me. For I know that there is not dwelling in me, that is in my flesh, good; for to will is present in
me, but to work the good, not; for not that good which I will do I do, but that evil which I do not will this I
practice. Now if what I do no wish this I do, no longer am I doing it but sin which dwells in me. Then I find a
law, the wishing is in me to do the good, but to me the evil is present; for I delight in the law of God
according to the inner man, but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and
making me a prisoner to the law of sin which is in my members. I am a miserable man; who will rescue me
out of the body of this death? But thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Therefore then, I myself
in the mind serve the law of God but the flesh the law of sin.

The law shows the sinfulness of the flesh and reveals our incapacity to resist sin apart from the redeeming
work of Christ and the empowerment of God’s Spirit.

Know the Wonder of Your Salvation in Christ. (Foundation for the Instructions that follow.)
(1:18-11:39)

Salvation expounded and explained. (1:18-8:39)

The Context for Christ’s Redeeming Ministry. (1:18-4:24)

Man’s sin deserves God’s wrathful, impartial judgment. (1:18-2:16)
God’s law to Israel revealed sin but did not save from sin. (2:17-3:31)
Abraham as the example of faith in God’s promises. (4:1-24)

The Explanation of Christ’s Redeeming Ministry. (5:1-8:39)

The big picture of what Jesus has done. (5:1-12)
How Jesus compares to Adam. (5:13-21)
Questions about the relationship between sin and grace. (6:1-23)
Questions about the relationship between sin and law. (7:1-25)
How the Holy Spirit works with Christ in the word of salvation. (8:1-30)
A Concluding Doxological Homily. (8:31-39)

8.4 Chapter 7 – The Relationship between Sin and the Law

Paul began discussing the relationship between law and sin as he taught about the relationship
between grace and sin. The reason for this is that law was given by God to Israel as a way to
control sin and to reveal sin. This means that talking about sin naturally leads to discussing law

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