Wanna discover your freedom in Christ? Then listen in as Mike Stone and Kevin Smith talk about it today on Grace Coach. Alright. Welcome to Grace Coach. My name is Kevin Smith, and I've got my cohost with me, Mike Stone.
What's up, Mike? What's up, Kevin? Good to be with you. Great to be with you. Today, we are studying Romans chapter 7.
I'm gonna go through 1 through 11 or 12 or so, But we'd like to open up with in Galatians chapter 2 verse 19, which kinda emphasizes what we're looking at in Romans. It's kind of one of the main points, not the only main point, but it's a key verse in Galatians chapter 2 verse 19, which says, for through the law, I died to the law so that I might live for god. So, Mike, what do you think about Galatians 2/19? Yeah. Kevin, it's just unbelievable how all of these these books in the bible and here, Galatians and Romans Well, of course, Paul wrote both of the books, but how the the line of thinking is the same?
Because we've been reading for the last few weeks in Romans 6 how that sin is no longer your master because you're no longer under the law. And here, Paul writes in 2/19 in Galatians, through the law, I died to the law. He's saying the same thing. And he was the Pharisee of Pharisee, so nobody followed the law better than Paul. He says, I died to the law.
I'm no longer under the law. Yet, again, many, many pastors and Christians today still think that the law is for them, that the 10 Commandments are still for them as a born again Christian. And the thinking is that if I obey the law, that God would be pleased with me and he would bless me. And then if I didn't follow the law and be obedient to it, God would not be pleased with me, and he would curse me. It was the old covenant law that was given to Israel.
Yep. So it's interesting the way you just said it a second ago, you said you he died to the law. And we say that all the time, but the key thing in this verse is that he died through the law. When he started trying to live under the law, being the Pharisee of the Pharisees, and we don't know exactly how that journey was. But I mean, he lays it out here in this chapter if you read it with an eye to his life and what he was going through.
When he tried to live under the law, his covetousness came to life. It sprang to life and it killed him. So he realized that the purpose of the law, because he wrote this in Galatians 3 and then 324, is to lead you to Christ. Yes. That's the purpose of the law.
And once you're led to Christ, Galatians 325 says, you're no longer under the law. The law has done its work in your life. It showed you you had a big problem. You were spiritually dead, and you needed life. So Paul knew that, and he wants us as Christians to know that that we should die to the law because the law has done its work in our lives.
And so that kinda takes us to Romans 7. Paul uses the example in Romans 6 of the relationship between a slave and a master. And Yep. He he says in Romans 6 14, we've read this a few times, that sin is no longer your master because you are no longer under the law, because the power of sin is in the law. And when you take away the law in your life, the power of sin is removed.
If you're under the law and you're listening today, for you to know and experiment with this, realize that you're no longer under the law and see if this begins to change your thinking. So what let's take on that, Mike, for a little bit because this is, I think, the gold in these verses right here. How should our thinking change when we come to this understanding that we're no longer under the law? What what does that speak more to that. I mean, I know I have my thoughts and ideas, but what what do you think?
Well, you start to realize that the law ended at the cross. That's Romans 104. And so when I think about that, that is the love of God that says, Mike, you are born again, and you're no longer under the 10 commandments and the 613 commandments. The law has done its work in your life, and you came to Christ and you're saved. And now you he wants us to live in freedom, but he wants us to think through things now.
If you're gonna live under the law, you just live by rules, and there's no thinking involved. You just follow them or you don't follow them. When you're in Christ and you're no longer under the law, you actually have to start thinking for yourself and thinking through things. Should I do this? Should I not do this?
What's the result if I do this? Who am I gonna hurt if I do this or I don't do this? Right. So it it it forces you to now think because now we have the mind of Christ. We can do that.
Amen. And that who you're gonna hurt is on a horizontal level. You know, when you sin, you are hurting other people in your life, family members, the people you love. And then it's the ripple effect, like throwing a stone in a in a pond. I mean, the ripples go out and out and out, but the closer you are to the where the rock hit the water, the bigger the ripples are.
And so yeah. I mean, that's that's it too. I think for me, one of the biggest things, and we say this a lot on the podcast. I mean, I lived under law. I tried to live this law based Christianity for for many years.
And it was so burdensome. So you said it. I mean, it was one of the first things you said was love. I didn't really see God as a loving God. I saw him as a task master.
I saw him as a rule keeper. Mhmm. Because he because I was trying to follow the rules. And I knew that he was up there and I really believe he could see everything I was doing even back then. And I knew that I fell short.
Now, it's a totally different thing. God wants me to do right. He's my biggest cheerleader. He wants me to express love through the spirit. I mean, the the gifts of the fruit of the spirit.
He wants us to express that in our lives. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, long suffering. That's his goal for us. Yeah. The law can never bring on love in your life, can't bring on peace.
It just brings on pain, and you realize that you can't follow all of the law. And even if you don't do things, it's are you thinking about those things. Right? So so in Romans 7, he uses the example of marriage and the death of a spouse to explain that we're no longer under the law. So, Kevin, why don't you read Romans 7 1 through 3?
Sure. Do you not know brothers, for I am speaking to men who know the law, that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives. For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive. But if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an alterist.
But if her husband dies, she is released from the law and is not an adulteress even though she marries another man. Yeah. You can't be an adulteress if you're no longer married. So if your spouse dies, as in this case, the husband dies, she is no longer an adulteress under the law. She's now free.
She's only an adulteress when she's married. But the the example here is that the husband has died, and she's now released from the law of marriage because she's not married anymore. And so in 7 4, he goes on to explain that. He says, so my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ that you might belong to another, to him who is raised from the dead, Jesus, in order that we might bear fruit for God. So he says, just in in the same way that you are no longer bound to your husband, well, that's because he's died.
You're no longer bound to the law. Yes. And that you might belong to another, that is Jesus Christ. Verse 4 is the key verse in this whole first section of Romans 7 that we tied to the law, period, through the body of Christ. And just like we were talking about, what was the purpose in order that we might bear fruit for god?
Peace, patience Yes. Love, kindness. Those things will only come about in your life when you're released from the law and you're bound to Christ. It is a beautiful reminder of the truth that God has provided for us in Christ. I'll read Romans 7, 5, and 6 for when we were in the realm of the flesh, and that is lost.
The sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us so that we bore fruit for death. That was in the past. But now by dying to once bound us, that's the law, we have been released from the law so that we can serve in the new way of the spirit and not in the old way of the written code. So now we could serve one another in love because we've been released from the law in the old way of the written code. It's really fantastic.
It is total contrast. Written code, new way of the spirit, life in the spirit, life through the spirit, the spirit living in us. I mean, it's it's plain and simple contrast. Definitely even says not in the old way of the written code. Yeah.
I mean, he nailing it home. I mean, the law is it is done. If it's if you're in Christ, you're done with the law. Kevin, we don't wanna miss over in Romans 75, the importance of this verse. It says, for when we were in the realm of the flesh that is again spiritually dead, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us.
So Paul is saying that our sinful passions are actually aroused by the law, which is unbelievable again to even think about that. That's what the law does. It arouses our sinful nature, which is just like what he said in Romans 3 20. Yep. Where he said that no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law, but rather through the law, we become conscious of sin.
And, again, that's what Paul is wanting us to know. That's the purpose of the law, that these sinful passions and the fact that your sin spiritually dead, separated from God, that's aroused, and that comes to life. Yes. So the law is a good thing up until the point that you're saved. Law by itself is holy and perfect.
I mean, it's God's word. It's the 10 commandments. When when you as an unbeliever who have sin living in you and Andrew Farley calls it a parasite, that it's not you, but it's something living in you. And so when you combine that with the law, it produces death. Law plus sin equals death.
Yeah. So let's keep reading on, Kevin. 7 we'll read 7 7 to 7 12. You wanna read that? Sure.
What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not. Indeed, I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, do not covet.
But sin seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produce in me every kind of covetous desire for apart from law, sin is dead. Once I was alive apart from law. But when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceive me and through the commandment, put me to death.
So then the law is holy and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good. Here in Paul in 7:7 says, I wouldn't have known what coveting was if the law had not said, you shall not covet. He's like, I don't even know what coveting was until I saw that in the law. Now he's now he's probably looking back and says, now I couldn't stop coveting. Right.
He was probably coveting all along. It's just the law is that sign that says don't do something. And once you see that sign, it's like, okay. I've gotta do it. Don't steal a cookie out of the cookie jar.
He did not know what coveting was. That's what it says. For I would not have known what coveting was unless the law says do not covet. That is where he's like, oh, covet what? Oh, this is coveting.
So sin sees the opportunity afforded by the commandment, which is what it says. Yes. And it says that in verse 10, I love this, I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. They thought by studying the scriptures, this is John 53839, by studying the scriptures, they thought they would receive eternal life. And Jesus says, but these are the scriptures that are about me, yet you refuse to come to me.
Isn't that something? Yeah. Isn't that something? Alright. So, here's probably what they will probably hold not to.
There's a reference in my bible from Leviticus chapter 18 verse 5. Says, keep my decrees and laws for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the lord. Well, do we know anybody who can live by them? Yeah.
I actually know one person. His name was Jesus Christ, but he was god. Yes. That is the only guy who ever was able to do it. Yeah.
So So if we just would understand the purpose of the law, I hope these last few podcasts have helped you understand that you are no longer under the law if you're in Christ. The law has done this work, and you are free to love, to have peace, to to give. So it's a great thing to be in Christ and not be under the law anymore because the law again has done its work. Yes. And if you are not in Christ, we pray that the holy spirit will convict your heart of the truth of this incredible truth, this life giving truth, this transformational truth in your life, and just receive the gift.
Just say, god, I am hopeless without Jesus Christ. Thank you for listening to Grace Coach. If you want to connect with us, we would love to engage with you. Email us at the grace coach atgmail.com. Visit our Facebook page or visit our website gracecoach.org.