Romans 7-9

Romans 7

Released from the Law

• Paul uses marriage as an illustration
• Death releases a person from legal obligation (like a wife from a husband) 
• Believers:
  • died to the Law through Christ
  • now belong to Christ
• Our purpose is to bear fruit for God
• Contrast captive to the old way of written code vs. new way of the Spirit

The Law Reveals Sin

• Paul asks “Is the Law sin?”
  • “By no means!”
• The Law reveals what sin is
  • For example coveting
• Sin uses the commandment to produce death (it can make sin seem more enticing by forbidding it?)
• The Law itself is:
  • holy
  • righteous
  • good

 Inner Struggle with Sin

• Paul describes conflict:
  • wanting to do good
  • failing to do it
  • “For I do not do the good I want but I do the very thing I hate”
• Sin dwells within fallen humanity

Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

• Paul here is not teaching that we have no free will, or that we can excuse our sin- more like “this isn’t who I want to be anymore” 
• two realities (renewed self vs sinful flesh):
  • delight in God’s law inwardly 
  • another law waging war within (the mind)
• “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me…?”
  • Jesus Christ our Lord

Romans 8

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” 

• Law of Spirit brings life
  • For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus
• Christ condemned sin in the flesh
  • By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh
• Believers fulfill righteous requirements through the Spirit
  • in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit

Two mindsets: Flesh vs Spirit

• Flesh:
  • death
  • hostility to God, cannot please Him
• Spirit:
  • life
  • peace
  • Belongs to God
• Holy Spirit dwells in believers
  • Same Spirit who raised Jesus gives us life

Children and Heirs of God

• Believers are
  • not debtors to flesh
  • Led by the Spirit as sons of God
  • Received Spirit of adoption
  • children and heirs with Christ

Future Glory

• Present suffering not worth comparing to future glory!!
• Creation itself groans under corruption
• Believers also groan awaiting:
  • resurrection
  • redemption of bodies
• Hope involves waiting patiently

Spirit Helps Believers

• Spirit helps weakness in prayer
• Spirit intercedes for believers

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

• “Golden chain of salvation” (I won’t get into predestination/Calvinist interpretations this round- come back next year). We should know for now that salvation comes through God alone.
  • foreknew
  • predestined
  • called
  • justified
  • glorified

Nothing Can Separate Us

• “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
• God did not spare His own Son
• Christ intercedes for believers
• Psalm 44:22 quoted
• Nothing can separate believers from God’s love:
  • death
  • life
  • angels
  • powers
  • anything in creation

Romans 9

We now see a shift to a focus on Israel. 

Paul expresses deep grief for unbelieving Israel

• He would wish himself accursed for them- by being separated from Christ (!)
  • Reminds me of Exodus 32 when Moses asks to be blotted out from the Book of Life for his people. 
  • Accursed here is ἀνάθεμα (anathema) 
• Israel possessed:
  • Adoption
  • Glory
  • covenants
  • Law
  • worship
  • promises
  • Patriarchs
• Christ came from Israel according to flesh

God’s Election

• Not all physical Israel belongs to true Israel
• Examples:
  • Isaac over Ishmael
  • Jacob over Esau
• God’s choosing is based on His purpose
• Paul asks then “Is there injustice with God?”
  • “By no means!”
• God says: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy.” (Exodus 33:19)
  • Example: Pharaoh and hardening of his heart
• Emphasis on God’s mercy

Potter and Clay

• Objection: “Why does God still find fault?”
• Paul uses potter/clay imagery
  • Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?
• God has authority over creation
• Vessels of wrath and vessels of mercy
  • God, like a potter, has authority over humanity – we can be vessels to display wrath or mercy 

Gentiles Included

• Paul quotes:
  • Hosea 2 and 1
    • “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people’
  • Isaiah 10 and 1
    • only a remnant of them will be saved.
• Gentiles become God’s people
• Only a remnant of Israel saved

Israel Stumbles

• Gentiles attained righteousness through faith
• Israel pursued righteousness through Law
• Israel stumbled over the “stumbling stone”
  • Christ is that stone
  • Isaiah 8 and 28 quoted

Application

God’s Law shows wee need rescue, as we cannot fully uphold it with our sinful nature. We are NOT condemned, because of Christ alone. These passages are difficult to understand in their fullest but God is sovereign even when I don’t understand His plans.