Romans 16
We will begin this lesson in Romans 7:7, "What shall we say
then? [is] the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by
the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt
not covet."
The law is not sin. It just makes us aware of right from wrong.
When we know right from wrong and do wrong anyway, then we have
sinned. Galatians 3:24 "Therefore the law was our schoolmaster [to
bring us] unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." We would
not have even known we needed a Saviour had there been no law.
Galatians 2:16 "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of
the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in
Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and
not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no
flesh be justified." Moses' law guided the Israelites for hundreds of
years until Jesus. Jesus is the law of the Christians. The law of God
is placed in our heart, if we are a Christian.
Romans 7:8 "But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought
in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin [was]
dead."
Concupiscence means lust, or a desire for things that are
forbidden. Sometimes the forbidden is the very thing the flesh lusts
for. To mention that something is a sin sometimes causes certain
fleshly people to desire to do that very thing. Men did what was right
in their own sight until the law came.
Romans 7:9 "For I was alive without the law once: but when the
commandment came, sin revived, and I died."
We see in vrs. 9 above that until you are conscious of the law,
you cannot sin against the law. Once the law was given and we became
conscious of the law, then a guilty conscious of sins came. To sin in
full knowledge of the law of God brings death. We dwelled in death
until Jesus came and brought life.
Romans 7:10 And the commandment, which [was ordained] to life, I
found [to be] unto death.
The law was first given to help people understand what the will
of God was and show that it was possible to please God by keeping His
commandants. The same law that brought the opportunity for eternal
life if it was kept, brought death if it were not kept.
Romans 7:11 "For sin, taking occasion by the commandment,
deceived me, and by it slew [me]."
The old man was corrupt. The lust for sin in the flesh was
actually what slew him. Read Ephesians ch.4 vrs.22 to see this corrupt
spirit in mankind. Ephesians 4:22 "That ye put off concerning the
former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the
deceitful lusts;" Verse 23 & 24 tell what we must do. Ephesians
4:23 "And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;" Ephesians 4:24
"And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in
righteousness and true holiness."
Romans 7:12 "Wherefore the law [is] holy, and the commandment
holy, and just, and good."
We read in Psalms about the perfect law Psalms 19:7 " The law of
the LORD [is] perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD
[is] sure, making wise the simple." We also see a similar statement in
I Timothy 1:8 "But we know that the law [is] good, if a man use it
lawfully;"
Romans 7:13 "Was then that which is good made death unto me? God
forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that
which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding
sinful."
Until Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, there was no
knowledge of good and evil. Sin entered into the world through Adam.
Psalms 34:21 "Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the
righteous shall be desolate."
Romans 7:14 "For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am
carnal, sold under sin."
In I Timothy 1:8 "But we know that the law [is] good, if a man
use it lawfully;" I Timothy 1:9 "Knowing this, that the law is not
made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the
ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of
fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers," I Timothy 1:10
"For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for
menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any
other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;"
Romans 7:15 "For that which I do I allow not: for what I would,
that do I not; but what I hate, that do I."
We see in verse 15 above, the struggle that all mankind faces.
The struggle is truly between our flesh and spirit. Paul desires to
have his spirit in control at all times. He says that sometimes his
flesh wins out. It is a daily struggle for all of us. To live for
Jesus the spirit has to overcome the flesh. Galatians 5:17 "For the
flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh:
and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the
things that ye would."
Romans 7:16 "If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto
the law that [it is] good." Romans 7:17 "Now then it is no more I that
do it, but sin that dwelleth in me."
The quickest way to tell if we are following after the flesh is
if whatever you are doing feels good to the flesh. If the flesh is
enjoying your actions, it is probably displeasing to the spirit.
Romans 7:18 "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,)
dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but [how] to
perform that which is good I find not."
No man's flesh follows God. Man's flesh must be crucified for the
spirit to reign. Galatians 5:24 "And they that are Christ's have
crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." Galatians 5:25
"If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." Galatians
5:26 "Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another,
envying one another." Paul is trying to say that the flesh of man is
a hindrance to him. Even Jesus, when facing the cruel death of the
cross, said (my spirit is willing, but my flesh is weak). We must
somehow get our flesh and the lusts thereof under subjection to the
spirit of God within us.
Romans 7:19 "For the good that I would I do not: but the evil
which I would not, that I do."
We see that flesh does not desire to do good, only evil. I feel
Paul is making a point that we must stay away from the influence of
the flesh.
Romans 7:20 "Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that
do it, but sin that dwelleth in me."
Paul is making a point, again, about the flesh. This in the flesh
sin must be put to death.
Romans 7:21 "I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil
is present with me."
Hear the cry of a man who desires to please God. Psalms 19:12
"Who can understand [his] errors? cleanse thou me from secret
[faults]." Psalms 19:13 "Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous
[sins]; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright,
and I shall be innocent from the great transgression." Psalms 19:14
"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be
acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer."
Romans 7:22 "For I delight in the law of God after the inward
man:" Romans 7:23 "But I see another law in my members, warring
against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law
of sin which is in my members."
We see in 11 Corinthians a similar Scripture. II Corinthians 10:3
"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:" II
Corinthians 10:4 "(For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal,
but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) II
Corinthians 10:5 "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that
exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into
captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;"
Romans 7:24 "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from
the body of this death?"
Now we see Paul's point in all of this. There is no way within
ourselves that we can overcome the problems between our flesh wanting
to sin and our spirit knowing sin is wrong. The only solution is to
give ourselves over to Jesus Christ and no longer live our own lives,
but let Jesus live in us and through us.
Romans 7:25 "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then
with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the
law of sin."
The answer is to bury self into the watery grave with Jesus and
be risen from the grave to a new spirit life with Jesus Christ. Read
chapter 15 of 1st Corinthians. I will quote here verse 49 of that
chapter to show how we take on the image of Jesus Christ.
I Corinthians 15:49 "And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we
shall also bear the image of the heavenly."
Notes
Question 16
1. I had not known sin, but by the ____________.
2. Is the law sin?
3. In Galatians Chapter 3V-24 the law was our_____________.
4. How are we justified?
5. By the works of the law______ ______shall be justified.
6. What does concupiscence mean?
7. To mention something being a sin sometimes causes what?
8. When does a guilty conscience of sin come?
9. We dwelled in ______until Jesus Christ came and brought ________.
10. In V-11, what deceived him?
11. The old man (of sin) is corrupt according to what?
12. In V-12, we find the law is what?
13. In Psalms ch.19 v.7, we find what about the law of God?
14. When did sin enter into the world for our time?
15. In v-14, the law is described how?
16. Who was the law made for as mentioned in 1 Timothy chapter 1 v-8?
17. In V-15, what do we really see?
18. In Galatians chapter 5 V17, we find that the _______lusteth
against the ___________.
19. What is the quickest way to find, if we are following the flesh?
20. In Galatians chapter 5 V-24, we find that they that are Christ's
have done what to the flesh?
21. If we live in the spirit, we must ________in the spirit.
22. How was even Jesus' flesh a hindrance to him?
23. What point does the author think Paul is making in V -19?
24. In Psalms chapter 19 V-12, we see the prayer of a man who desires
to do what?
25. Quote Psalms chapter 19-V-14.
26. Who shall deliver me from this body of death?
27. In V-25, Paul says with his mind he serves whom?
28. What verse in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 shows how we take on the
image of Jesus Christ.?
Notes
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