Romans Chapter 7

Chapter 1: I Want to Share the Gospel

Chapter 2: A Warning for Those Who Know

Chapter 3: No Reason to Boast

Chapter 4: The Promiser Is Powerful to Act

A review of chapter 5

We Have Peace before God

— Boast because of hope

— God made his enemies friends

— Grace rules

A review of chapter 6

Recognize Your New Relationship

— You died to sin

— Serve your new master

— Rejoice in your new future

A CHRISTIAN AND GOD’S LAW

A rambunctious five-year-old child took permanent markers and drew on the bathroom wall. While the child is at school, the mother repaints that part of the wall. The paint is wet when the child gets home. Does the mother tell the child this? Why or why not?

YOU DIED TO THE LAW

Romans 7:1-6

Set free from slavery to the law’s threats

Read Romans 7:1-6

In Romans 6 Paul rejoices that in Christ we have died to sin. In our baptisms a relationship that would have brought us only guilt and death has been broken. The law is what reveals our sin. Paul now explains that in Christ our relationship to the law is also changed. For how long does law have authority over a person?

Explain how marriage proves Paul’s point.

Death can change things that otherwise can’t be changed. Give other examples of this.

If Jesus hadn’t died, all people would have remained “married” to the law, stuck to its threats and curse. Because we died to the law through Christ’s death, to whom are we now “married?”

In the life of an unbeliever, sinful ideas are aroused by the law. Explain how this can be seen in an unbelieving teenager.

When someone does not trust in Jesus as their Savior, they may still try to be a good person. What reasons might they have for trying to do this? What makes a Christian’s life of good works different?

SIN WORKS DEATH THROUGH THE LAW

Romans 7:7-13

Law magnifies a sinner’s sin

Read Romans 7:7-8

After being told that in Christ we broke off our former relationship with the law and after hearing that in unbelievers sinful ideas are aroused by the law, one might think that the law is bad. What good purpose does the law have for a sinner?

Explain how sinful flesh completely twists the law’s good purpose.

Agree or Disagree and Explain The best way to keep people from sinning is to make more rules.

Read Romans 7:9-13

In what way does sin “puts us to death” through the commandment?

Agree or Disagree and Explain. It’s a good thing that sin brings death to me through the law.

I AGREE WITH, YET I DISOBEY. THE LAW

Romans 7:14-25

The battle in a Christian

Read Romans 7:14-20

God’s law is not the problem. __________ is the problem.

Give an example of a time when you didn’t want to sin, but you did anyway.

Agree or Disagree and Explain In verse 20 Paul is saying that God has no right to punish him for the bad things he does.

What phrases describe the true heart of a Christian?

Which phrases describe the enemy that remains in a Christian?

Read Romans 7:21-25

Paul finds himself wanting very much to do good, but he sees another controlling force at work inside his body. This force is fighting against the controlling force of his mind. What is often the result of this battle?

What a terrible situation. Our worst enemy is inside our own body. What conclusion does Paul come to first? What conclusion does Paul come to next? Explain why both are so important.

Evaluate Rich gets to the end of his day, every day he feels very badly about something he thought, said or did. Sometimes Rich wonders whether he’s really a Christian.

A CHRISTIAN AND THE LAW

You died to the law

Sin works death through the law

I agree with, yet I disobey, the law

Passport to Rome