1. There may be those who read Paul’s letter who think that the Law and Christianity mix. Paul says they do not and offers an illustration comparing mixing the Law and Christianity to marriage, that is marriage vows last as long as both parties are alive and to have more than one mate at a time involves adultery, or in our country the charge would be bigamy (7:1-3). Likewise, for Christians there was a death to the Law of Moses “through the body of ________________” that is through the cross (7:4; see Colossians 2:14) thus freeing Christians from the Law. Christians can no more serve both the Law and Christ than a woman can serve two husbands! Christ nailed the Law to the cross and since we have been “baptized into his death” (6:3) and “united with him in a death like his” (6:5) we, having died to it, “are ________________ from the law” (7:6). Thus the old written code is done away and we now live a new life in the _____________ (7:6).

2. The next question that might be asked would be, “Then the Law itself is sin isn’t it?” The answer is an emphatic: “By no means!” (7:7; see notes on Romans 6:2). He tells of several things the Law is: “The Law is _____________” (7:12). The Law is “____________________” (7:14). Its commandments are “________________ and _____________________ and ____________________” (7:12). The Law allowed individuals to know what sin really is (7:7) because sin took advantage by “seizing an opportunity through the commandment” and “_________________ me” (7:11). The Law worked something like a mirror: it could help you see sin in the same way as a mirror can help you see a smudge on your face. However, it could not remove sin any more than a mirror can remove a smudge. Thus, what was supposed to bring life actually brought death. This is how covetousness or murder or breaking any other commandment brings sin to life (7:7-10).

3. Since the results were bad (i.e. death), does that mean that bad was a result of good? (7:13). The correct answer is that sin is the culprit. When you are in the flesh, you are sold into bondage to _________ (7:14). Paul describes the plight of most of us in 7:15 when he says, “I do not understand my own actions.” He demonstrates this with several examples:

* I do not do what I __________, but I do the very thing I _____________ (15)

* It is no longer _____ who do it, but ___________ that dwells in me (17)

* Nothing ____________ dwells in me (18)

* I have the _____________ to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out (18)

* I do not do the ___________ I want, but the ___________ I do not want I keep doing (19)

* It is no longer _____ that do it, but ____________ that dwells in me (20)

* When I want to do right, ________________ lies close at hand (21)

* I delight in the law of _________, but there is another law, the law of ____________ that dwells in my members (22-23)

* I am a __________________ of the law of sin that dwells within me (23)

4. So, the result of this war that is raging within Paul is that the Paul considers himself to be a “_______________ man” who will be delivered to death (7:24). Remember what he said in 6:23! His question is, “Who will deliver me from this body of ____________?” (7:24). His answer comes in the form of praise, “Thanks be to God through ____________ ____________ our Lord!” (7:25). In spite of all he has done he can and will be delivered through Jesus Christ. So then, just as with Paul, while we are in the flesh the battle will constantly go on between serving “the law of __________” with our minds and serving “the law of _________” with our flesh! (7:25).

5. The lesson to keep in mind is that within each one of us a battle is raging: knowing what God wants and being pulled by the power of sin. This battle will go on until the day we die and we need to understand it. God’s way is holy, righteous and good and that is what we should be striving for in our lives. But sin will enter and we will say with Paul, “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (7:15). However, in the midst of these failures we must realize that, although we may be wretched in some of the things we do, we can thank God that he has paid the price to deliver us through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.