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Romans 7:18 “You Are Not Good…Even a Little”
Kurt Steinbrueck
0

Romans 7:18 “You Are Not Good…Even a Little”

Romans Bible Study

Romans 7:18 "You Are Not Good…Even a Little."

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.

Video Notes:

  • There is no middle-ground. There is no freedom of the self. You are always either captive to sin or captive to God.
  • We are all fleshly from birth, born with a sinful nature that is always rebelling against God. Prior to being raise to new life in Christ through faith by your baptism, you only had this sinful nature. Now, after your baptism, you are a new creation and the Spirit of God dwells within you. The sinful nature, however, is still present as well.
  • What the passage indicates here is that our fleshly self with its sinful nature, is not only not good, but no good dwells within it. This contradicts the idea that we are all born with the capacity for good and evil and it’s up to us which we do in our actions, a common naturalist statement.
  • This passage also contradicts the idea that there was some spark of good in us that either led to God choosing us or which allowed us to chose God or that God’s grace is some kind of supernatural strength to do the righteous deeds (or avoid sin) which the body is too weak to do.
  • This leaves us in a bad situation. We are slaves, prisoners of sin.
  • Zechariah 9:11–12 – Prisoners of hope?
  • This is an act of God. He takes us spiritually dead, enemies, in which nothing good resides, and makes us alive in Christ, forgives our sins and makes us righteous, and He works in us to will and to do good works which He has prepared in advance for us to do.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Romans 7:17 “Sin Dwells Within You. Your Desire May Be Wrong.”
Kurt Steinbrueck
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Romans 7:17 “Sin Dwells Within You. Your Desire May Be Wrong.”

Romans Bible Study

Romans 7:17 "Sin Dwells Within You. Your Desire May Be Wrong."

So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

Video Notes:

  • This is an interesting concept. We typically think of our minds as being in control of all things.
  • This passage, however, treats sin as a power which resides in us.
  • This does not free us from the guilt of sin.
  • This isn’t some dual personality disorder, either. It’s not mental condition, it’s a spiritual reality that we are sinner and saint at the same time.
  • But ultimately, we hope in the true Word of God.
  • This is also helpful in understanding our sinful desires apart from what is good and how we are designed to be. Our culture today often equates desire with design.
  • This desire equals design concept closely related to another trend in our society, which is to equate our actions and desires with our identity. This is particularly harmful when our culture links our identity to our sin.
  • But think about how this affects us when someone points out our sin.
    • If someone says what you do is sinful or wrong, you don’t hear it as a warning against such behavior, but rather as an attack on you.
    • It also makes it seem as though the desire or behavior is unchangeable.
    • It makes repentance harder or gives you the means of defiantly denying repentance.
    • It makes you focus on yourself and your behavior rather than Christ.
  • Perhaps there’s truth to the claim when we don’t believe in Jesus.
  • But when you believe in Jesus, that old self is crucified with Christ. You are a new creation.
  • How does this affect us when someone points out our sin?
    • If someone says what you do is sinful or wrong, you can now hear it as a warning against such behavior and turn to God in repentance.
    • The desire and behavior are no longer unchangeable.
    • I can realize that this isn’t how God made me, but sin within me and can turn to God in repentance for forgiveness and help.
    • It makes you focus on Christ, who gives you your identity, rather than yourself.
  • In the end and right now, it matters what God says, not what our sinful self says or what our culture says. God says that when you believe and are baptized you have been saved and are a new creation.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Romans 7:14 “The Law Is Spiritual, But You Are Flesh”
Kurt Steinbrueck
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Romans 7:14 “The Law Is Spiritual, But You Are Flesh”

Romans Bible Study

Romans 7:14-25 (vs 14) "The Law Is Spiritual, But You Are Flesh"

For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

Video Notes:

  • The law is spiritual (of God). I am flesh (human and sinful)
  • Galatians 5:17
  • 1 Corinthians 2:12, 14
  • So, we do not understand nor desire the Law of God by our own flesh. It is only by the power of God’s Spirit that we understand and desire the things of the Spirit. It is God’s work in us fleshly and sinful beings that now allows us to desire to follow God’s Law and to do it.
  • Philippians 2:13
  • So, now we have the Spirit dwelling in us and we can desire to follow God’s ways, however, we also still have that old sinful self and there is a battle going on in us, a constant conflict. Tomorrow we will get into the way this plays out in the life of the believer which explains so much of what we, as Christians struggle with, in this life.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Romans 7:12-13 “God’s Law Is Good”
Kurt Steinbrueck
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Romans 7:12-13 “God’s Law Is Good”

Romans Bible Study

Romans 7:12-13 "God’s Law Is Good"

So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.

Video Notes:

  • Now we get to the direct answer to the question, is the Law sin?
  • The Law is now declared to be completely innocent in regards to the accusation. It is not only good, but righteous, and not only righteous, but holy (of God). (3 attributes reminiscent of “holy, holy, holy, or the Trinity)
    • Holy – of God and demanding conduct obedient to God.
    • Righteous – It makes righteous demands (not unjust) and demonstrate the righteousness of God.
    • Good – It is intended for the benefit of the follower of the Law and those they interact with (all mankind) as well as demonstrates God’s love toward us.
  • So, does the Law bring death? No, only sin brings death.
    • In order that sin might be shown to be sin – sin was unmasked. The person is shown to be a sinner.
    • Might become sinful beyond measure – The sin of the individual is shown to be so great that it can only lead to death. There is no hope in attaining righteousness through the Law. One can only turn to the death of Jesus and His gift of salvation through faith.
    • Illustration of the mechanic before a trip.
  • These passages serve as a hinge between 7:1-11 and 7:14-25

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Romans 7:10-11 “Commandments Promise Life but Prove to Be Death?”
Kurt Steinbrueck
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Romans 7:10-11 “Commandments Promise Life but Prove to Be Death?”

Romans Bible Study

Romans 7:10-11 "Commandments Promise Life but Prove to Be Death?"

The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. 11 For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.

Video Notes:

  • How do the commandments promise life?
    • A generally held belief by the Jews that they receive life by following God’s commands (John 5:39)
    • That God’s chosen and redeemed people were to live out the new and blessed life given to them in the commands of God. I.E. the commandments are “for the blessed life” of God’s redeemed.
  • The Law was always meant to be lived in the grace of God.
    • Deuteronomy 30:15-18 (live in God’s commands)
    • Deuteronomy 30:1-3, 6-8 (Repentance)
  • Sin deceived me and killed me, how? The sinful nature took the opportunity of the Commands of God to convince the person (Paul and anyone else) that sin hasn’t enslaved him and he could become righteous by following the Law. In that deception, Paul (and anyone else) are tricked into turning away from God’s grace (or not receiving it in the first place) and putting themselves under the Law which always leads to death because we are all sinners.
  • Which is why we don’t want to leave people with only the Law. The Law should always lead to the Gospel because it is in the Gospel that we find forgiveness and life.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Romans 7:9 “Alive Before the Law?”
Kurt Steinbrueck
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Romans 7:9 “Alive Before the Law?”

Romans Bible Study

Romans 7:9 "Alive Before the Law?"

I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died.

Video Notes:

  • Is this all about Adam?
  • Alive before the Law – Living apart from the heightened awareness of the nature of sin and its consequences. Sin was there and active, but not in the fullness of its rebellion against the Law.
  • Sin rose up, seizing on the opportunity of the Law (vs 8). Now working in its full rebellion.
  • I died – Rather, this is dying in the sense that the person now realizes both consequence of their sin and the utter futility of finding life through the Law. He thought he was living, and living a pretty good life, and that has been shattered.
  • The Law kills us in that sense, though ultimately it’s actually sin which leads to death, the Law is just revealing it, but none-the-less, there we are dead, without the Law to help. Leaving on the Gospel to raise us up again to new life. That’s why our salvation is had to be a gift. It had to come from God and only received passively by us. Thank the Lord He did just that. He gave us the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Romans 7:5-8 “The Law Causes Sin?”
Kurt Steinbrueck
0

Romans 7:5-8 “The Law Causes Sin?”

Romans Bible Study

Romans 7:5-8 "The Law Causes Sin?"

For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.

7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead.

Video Notes:

  • This question is asked because some of the things said about the Law previously in Romans could cause someone to ask the question (7:5, 3:19-20, 5:20, etc.)
  • The Law is not sin or sinful, but there is a connection between the Law and sin.
  • I did not know sin except by the Law denotes both an knowledge of and an experience (to “know” a thing) of that sin.
  • This use of the Law is command, not the Torah.
  • The passage uses the last command of the Pentateuch (10 Commandments), the command against sinful desire. This command is directly related to the First Commandment to have no other Gods. It’s the idea that when we desire things outside of what God allows or what God has given, this is sin. This use of the last commandment is a representative of all God’s commands.
  • The Law causes or is used by the sinful nature to cause a few things related to sin, but God is careful to keep the Law and sin separate.
    • The sinful nature is enflamed by the Law to do what is contrary to the Law (desire and experience)
    • The Law reveals to the person both their sinful inclination and their sinful actions.
  • The Law doesn’t cause the sin per se, but the sinful nature uses the Law to cause sin.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Romans 7:2-3 “Marriage, Death, Divorce, Remarriage and Adultery”
Kurt Steinbrueck
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Romans 7:2-3 “Marriage, Death, Divorce, Remarriage and Adultery”

Romans Bible Study

Romans 7:2-3 "Marriage, Death, Divorce, Remarriage, and Adultery"

For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. 3 Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.

Video Notes:

  • The passage here uses a truth about marriage, death, and adultery as an illustration. So, the point of the passage isn’t to teach on marriage. It’s to teach on our relationship as Christians to the Law, which we talked about in yesterday’s sermon.
  • That said, it is using a truth about marriage so I wanted to take this opportunity to talk a little about marriage, death, divorce, and adultery.
    • Marriage (Genesis 2:24)
      • Should not invite anyone else into the marriage (Hebrews 13:4)
      • The husband and wife should have an active sex life (1 Corinthians 7:1-5)
      • Marriage and sex are related, but not the same. When an unmarried couple has sex, they are not marrying each other, they are fornicating which is sin. There would be no such thing as fornication if the sex just started the marriage.
      • Lifelong (Matthew 19:2-9, 1 Corinthians 7:39)
    • When does a marriage end?
      • Death (Romans 7:2-3)
      • Divorce
        • Is divorce legitimate? Yes, but not all reasons are legitimate. (Matthew 19:9, 1 Corinthians 7:10-11)
        • Possibly Adultery (Matthew 19:2-9) – Not required, but allowed.
        • Abandonment (1 Corinthians 7:12-15)
        • Abuse?? (1 Corinthians 7:12-15 maybe) I do think that at a minimum, you are allowed and even encouraged to get help and get out of the dangerous situation. Part of the help you get should be godly wise council and pastoral counselling. Each situation is different. I don’t think there is a Biblical principle that tells you to remain in or return to a life-threatening situation, however, there can also be situations where the abusive spouse is repentant and willing to seek help. That may leave opportunities for the marriage to be restored.
        • We should strive not to get divorced, not look for reasons to get divorce. (1 Corinthians 7:10-11)
          • Additionally, if with wisdom and outside counseling you feel like you need to separate or divorce for a reason other than the given legitimate reasons, you should only do this temporarily and with the intent of reconciling. 
    • Can you remarry after divorce?
      • Yes, when the reason is legitimate (Adultery – Matthew 19-2-9; Abandonment – 1 Corinthians 7:12-15)
      • No, when the reason is not legitimate (Matthew 19:9, 1 Corinthians 7:10-11)
      • I know this isn’t divorce, but to clear, when your spouse dies, you are free to remarry if you choose.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Romans 7:1 “The Law Is Binding Only as Long as You Live”
Kurt Steinbrueck
0

Romans 7:1 “The Law Is Binding Only as Long as You Live”

Romans Bible Study

Romans 7:1-13 "The Law Is Binding Only as Long as You Live"

Or do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? 2 For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. 3 Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.

4 Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. 5 For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.

7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. 9 I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. 10 The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. 11 For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. 12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.

Video Notes:

  • Paul is speaking to those who know the law. This could be Jews, but it doesn’t have to be and we should resist limiting the phrase.
  • We get this general truth; the law is only binding as long as we live. This is something all understand.
  • So, why does this passage bring this up? You and I, it would seem, are still alive.
  • While we are physically alive, we also have died. Romans 6:4, 6
  • The death we experience in our baptism frees us from being bound to the Law. Romans 6:14
  • So, what is our relationship to the Law. It is dismissed completely? Do we still try to follow it? If so, how and why? We’ll talk about that in tomorrow’s worship service. (Join us for worship tomorrow at 11am)

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Romans 6:23 “Wages vs Gifts?”
Kurt Steinbrueck
0

Romans 6:23 “Wages vs Gifts?”

Romans Bible Study

Romans 6:23 "Wages vs Gifts?"

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Video Notes:

  • Wagers/payment, especially for a soldier or slave.
  • This is what we bargained for.
  • What we have from God is a gift.
  • This is what Jesus bargained for. This is why He came. He would take our wages and give us His inheritance.
  • This all happens in Jesus Christ our Lord. This happens no where else. That’s not an intolerant statement against other religions. It’s a fact. It’s reality. Just like it isn’t intolerant and mean to say that we don’t get apples from banana trees.
  • In verses 21 and 22 it talked about two kinds of fruit. The fruit of sin is death. The fruit of the gift of God in Jesus Christ is life. Just like we don’t expect to get apples from a banana tree, we shouldn’t expect to get life from anywhere but it’s true source, Jesus Christ.
  • As we finish up Romans 6 with this great conclusion statement, we have been told not to submit ourselves to sin, but to serve God and His righteousness. We have encouraged by the fact that we are under grace and all this is a gift. Now, chapter seven gives us another reality check. What is the life of a Christian who wants to serve righteousness really like. Stay with us.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

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