Free Bible Commentary
“Romans 7:1-12”
Categories: Romans“Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband. So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man.
“Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.
“What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “YOU SHALL NOT COVET.” But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead. I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died; and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.”
---End of Scripture verses---
When we died to sin and embraced God’s grace, we died to law’s domination over us. The word for “jurisdiction” in verse 1 is the same word rendered “master” in Romans 6:14 used in reference to sin. When people come to Christ in obedient faith, they live no longer oppressed by the weight of their sins and in dread of the punishment required by God’s law. God forgives us through His grace and relieves us of the guilt and the punishment we deserve when we become “obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which” we have been committed (Romans 6:17).
Paul uses the example of a widowed woman who rightfully and legally marries another man to show us that we “were made to die to the law through the body of Christ” (verse 4). Notice now, Paul is not saying that the law died, but that we died to law. We do that when we crucify the old person of sin and bury him in the waters of baptism (Romans 6:3-6). When we arise to walk in newness of life we are then bound by covenant to another, namely, Christ.
But the concern might be raised by some, since Paul appears to be writing disparagingly about law, that the law is bad. “Is the Law sin?” (verse 7) Of course not! “May it never be! The law is God’s revealed will for us and it is good for us because it reveals what sin is, and what we need to do and avoid doing to please Him. Through law comes the knowledge of sin (Romans 3:20; 7:7). But, when we come to understand God’s law, and then break it by committing sin, the same law convicts us by our violation of it. Law pronounces us guilty and worthy of death, but is not designed to forgive us and bring us back to spiritual life. God only offers us new life by faith through His grace in the offering of His Son.
Paul used the specific example of his own life in verses 7 through 12, and the particular law that was complicit in bringing about his death spiritually speaking—The Law of Moses. By the way, I don’t necessarily believe Romans chapter 7 is teaching that God’s law with Israel is dead, even though Galatians 3:23-25; Ephesians 2:15, and a host of other Scriptures teach us that the Law of Moses is no longer in force today. These verses teach us that, at one time we were spiritually alive, then God’s law was an “accomplice” in killing us spiritually, and only through God’s grace can we be revived.
Paul said he “was once alive apart from the Law” (verse 9). When could this time have possibly been? There was no time in Paul’s life when God’s law was not in place and in force. The only good explanation is that Paul is referring to the time that he was a child and unable to understand God’s law and grasp the severity of his sin. At that time, he was “alive” apart from the Law. He was not held accountable to it, and therefore not condemned by it, and therefore spiritually alive, in a right relationship with God. Once again, we are shown in Paul’s letter to the Romans (and in many other places in the Bible) that children are born innocent, not under condemnation by God, but saved by His grace.
“When the commandment came, sin became alive,” (sin sprang to life) and Paul “died” (verse 8). For Paul, sin was once dead and he was once alive. But when he reached a certain point of mental maturity, he was accountable to it, sin came to life and Paul died. And the same is true for all of us. At some point in our lives (whenever that might be for each of us individually) we reach a point of “accountability” to the law of God. Then when we violate God’s law (knowingly or not—Ignorance is not an excuse), we die spiritually. That is to say, we lose our good standing with God; we are spiritually lost and condemned.
But please notice that it wasn’t the Law that killed Paul, it was his sin. “The Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good” (verse 12). But, as we said, it was a sort of accomplice in Paul’s undoing. Paul said in verse 11 that sin took “an opportunity through the commandment,” and “deceived him”, and “through it” killed him. Friends, sin is deceptive. It can cause us to look at something holy and righteous and good, and think that it is bad. Our wants and lusts can lead us to believe that God, through His righteous commandments, is somehow holding out on us. That He is keeping “the good stuff” from us. This is the exact scenario that played out in the Garden of Eden with mankind’s first sin. Satan deceived Eve into thinking that God was keeping something good from her, so she broke God’s commandment and died (Genesis 3:1-7; 2 Corinthians 11:3).
Sin is always wrong! Sin is always bad! No matter how good it looks or seems or feels! And sin always kills! Unless it is turned from. Unless we turn to God in faith, in obedience, in baptism, in repentance and ask His forgiveness, and purpose to not continue in it. Satan is powerful. Sin’s allurement is strong. But they are no comparison to and no match for our Almighty God and His amazing love and grace! Please purpose in your heart to not continue in sin but to commit your life to Him in obedient faith!
Please read Romans 7:13-25 for tomorrow.
Hope you all have a blessed Lord’s Day!
- Louie Taylor
