Title Page. Lesson Two Romans 7:18-21 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how

Title Page

Lesson Two

Romans 7:18-21

Romans 7:18-2118 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

Romans 7:22-25

Romans 7:22-2522 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Romans 8:1-4

Romans 8:1-41 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Focus Verse

Galatians 3:11But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for,

The just shall live by faith.

Focus Thought

Our carnal nature is not subject to the law of God and cannot be conquered by the

rituals of the Mosaic law, but the grace of God and His Spirit can set us free.

IntroductionIntroductionPaul’s Epistle to the Romans stands out as the most definitive explanation of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the doctrine of salvation. He clearly proclaimed the gospel to replace and transcend the Mosaic law. “If a person can master the concepts in the Book of Romans, he will have a solid foundation for all biblical study” (David K. Bernard, The Message of Romans, Word Aflame Press, 1987, 11).

IntroductionPaul defended the sovereignty of God to save whomsoever He wills, and he discussed the utter impossibility of gaining salvation by works. He dealt with the tension between the Jews, Christian Jews, and Christian Gentiles, confirming that only the grace of Jesus Christ can save us. Paul frankly admitted his struggles with his own fallen nature that warred against the Spirit, and he firmly established the fact that all people share this universal dilemma.

IntroductionPaul was hounded by Judaizers who followed him from place to place attempting to influence his converts away from their newly found liberty in the gospel into adherence to the Mosaic law. In his letter to the Galatians, he boldly responded to the Judaizers.

Galatians 2:16“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of

Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall

no flesh be justified” (Galatians 2:16).

Galatians 2:21

“I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law,

then Christ is dead in vain” (Galatians 2:21).

IntroductionThe Epistle to the Romans contributes greatly to the theology of salvation and makes certain the believer’s dependence on the grace of Jesus Christ. Obedience to the Mosaic law was insufficient to make one righteous, but appropriating the atoning work of the blood of Jesus Christ is enough. Paul declared, “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work” (Romans 11:6).

I. Bound by the Law of Sin (A)

Bound by the Law of Sin

Paul was an outstanding Christian who by his endurance and willingness to suffer for Jesus Christ put to shame most other people. He was used mightily to win sinners to the gospel and to witness to the miraculous power of God. He had supernatural visions, experiences, and revelations that most people never will experience. (See II Corinthians 12.)


Yet, with all of his spiritual victories, he confessed that there was an underlying element in his person that rose up in conflict to the will of God: “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.


O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:23-24). Certainly, the temptation to sin and his spiritual vulnerability to yield to temptation was always present in him.


A. Servants of Sin

Mankind’s fallen condition places everyone in a vulnerable place of yielding to perpetual temptation to commit sin. No human being escapes the innate propensity toward sin (Romans 3:23). Regardless of a person’s temperament or personality, ethnic or cultural background, or genetic lineage, he is flawed spiritually. The sin of Adam and his fall from grace extended to the entire human race like a hereditary disease (Romans 5:19).


Those who yield to their temptations and live in sin are servants to sin.

Romans 6:16

“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his

servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or

of obedience unto righteousness?” (Romans 6:16).


They become slaves to their habits and addictions. They forfeit their right to freedom and submit to the carnal cravings of the flesh. Sin is a cruel taskmaster that takes people down a road of pain and destruction (Romans 6:23). Sin breaks up homes, wrecks personal finances, destroys inner peace, and breaks down the health of its hapless servants.

I. Bound by the Law of Sin (B)

B. Internal Warfare

Since the law came from God, it was holy, just, good, and spiritual. It revealed God’s holiness, His thoughts, and His expectations in contrast to mankind’s fallen sinful nature. The new birth brings about a change of nature, but not a total death to the old nature. Either the old nature or the new nature can control a believer’s mind—it is a choice that each believer must make for himself.

I. Bound by the Law of Sin (B)

That struggle between two natures is exactly what Paul described so forcefully in Romans 7: “I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong” (Romans 7:21, NLT). Honest Christians can sympathize with Paul. Even though we want to do right in our spirit, we all have disappointed ourselves with our frequent failures to do the right thing.

I. Bound by the Law of Sin (C)

C. Our Carnal Nature

Paul used four contrasts in Romans 8 to illustrate the difference between a Spirit-filled Christian and those who are still in sin.


1. The flesh versus the Spirit (verse 5). A person who is not filled with the Holy Spirit lives for his own flesh. His mind is focused on how to satisfy his fleshly passions. On the other hand, the born-again Christian has the Spirit of God within and lives with the Spirit-driven capacity to overcome sin. The Holy Spirit inspires and motivates his mind. Believers are not perfect and neither are sinners incapable of doing good things. However, the nature of their lives is different. One lives for the flesh, and the other lives for the Spirit.


2. Death versus life (verse 6). The unregenerated person is alive physically but dead to spiritual things. The heart of the sinner is dead toward God and does not respond to the moving of the Spirit. A sinner may be a good person, but he still needs to be born again in order to become alive spiritually.


3. War with God versus peace with God (verses 6-7). Those who are not saved are not passive or static, but they are at war with God. The old nature lives in perpetual rebellion against God and refuses to submit to God’s law. The great salvation experience brings a person to a place of “peace with God” (Romans 5:1), while the unsaved individual remains at war with God.


4. Pleasing self versus pleasing God (verse 8). The unsaved person rarely thinks about pleasing God. Selfishness is a consuming motivation—getting, accumulating, satisfying sensual desires, and so forth. Conversely, born-again believers will focus on pleasing God.


An Indian chief became a Christian and explained his struggle with this analogy. He said, “There are two dogs fighting within me—a white dog and a black dog.” Someone asked, “Which one is winning?” He replied, “The one I feed the most!”

II. Judged by the Law of GodJudged by the

Law of God

The law of God is eternal and universal, and it remains the final authority. It is pervasive—affecting all people for all time. God’s law will judge us whether or not we are cognizant of it.

II. Judged by the Law of GodPaul declared, “For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law” (Romans 2:12). The Jews were blessed to know God’s law and, consequently, they understood their sinfulness.

II. Judged by the Law of God (A)

A. Purposes of the Mosaic Law

Moses’ law was a revelation of God’s divine requirements and expectations of His chosen people. The law defined sin. This knowledge made them a special, enlightened people. At the same time, it condemned them. They became aware of their hopeless sinful nature and their inability to measure up to God’s expectations (Romans 3:23). They also were able to see the radical consequences of sin through the sacrificial system.


Their knowledge of the law made them aware of the separation that sin brought between God and mankind. “God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were” (Romans 5:20, NLT). Paul confirmed it further by writing, “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20, NKJV).


The Mosaic law defined sin. “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet” (Romans 7:7).

Romans 7:9-11

“For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment

came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For

sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it

slew me” (Romans 7:9-11).


In Romans 7:9-11, Paul could have been referring to his childhood since he was raised a Jew and would have learned the Jewish law early in life. As a child, he was not responsible due to his lack of spiritual knowledge and inability to grasp the significance of right and wrong. But as he grew older, he matured and became knowledgeable of God’s requirements and of his responsibility and accountability to God for his life. (See also I Corinthians 13:11.)


The Mosaic law was so extensive, complex, and demanding that it was impossible to obey completely. Then, not to obey only one part made one guilty of the whole law. (See James 2:10.) For fifteen hundred years, mankind’s attempt to obey the law resulted in universal failure.


This long period of time and mankind’s thousands of attempts to follow it made it clear that individuals needed empowerment from an outside source. Therefore, the law was a schoolmaster to bring us to Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:24-25), teaching us that we needed a Savior.

II. Judged by the Law of God (B)

B. Weaknesses of the Mosaic Law

The apostle Paul declared, “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith” (Galatians 3:11). The Mosaic law did not empower people to be obedient; it only demanded obedience. The law revealed God’s holiness and mankind’s sinful nature.

II. Judged by the Law of God (B)Paul explained the tension between the fleshly

desires and the demands of God. (See Romans 7:14-25.) Even though the law was good, fallen human nature was powerless to conform to its demands. The spirit of mankind wanted to obey, but the fallen nature ruled the day.


Just as the sacrificial system was only a temporary measure until something better came (Hebrews 7:19), so was the impossible ceremonial and moral demands of the Mosaic law. The blood of bulls and goats could not take away the sins of mankind; it only atoned for sin until a perfect sacrifice could be provided (Hebrews 7:19; 10:4). The law was only a shadow of better things to come—Jesus Christ, the perfect Lamb of sacrifice (I Peter 1:19).


Concerning the lack of perfection in the law, the writer of Hebrews explained it this way: “Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure” (Hebrews 10:5-6).


Paul summed it up, “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin” (Romans 7:25, NLT).

III. Delivered by Grace (A)Delivered by Grace

Grace through Jesus Christ delivered the human race—not only from the Mosaic law but from the law of sin and death. “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2). (See also Romans 6:23.) His grace truly is amazing!

III. Delivered by Grace (A)A. Victorious over Sin

“For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the

likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that

the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not

after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:3-4).

III. Delivered by Grace (A)The law was powerless to free mankind from sin due to the fallen nature of the human race. God accomplished deliverance from sin by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful mankind (likeness of the flesh of sin). Jesus did not come into the world in sinful flesh but “in the likeness of” it.

III. Delivered by Grace (A)His supernatural conception made the nature of Jesus free from the indwelling principle of sin that has plagued all other human beings since Adam (Luke 1:35). Although He possessed the ability to sin through His human flesh, He also possessed the greater power to resist and overcome sin through His deity!

III. Delivered by Grace (A)Paul clearly stated that the law brings life or death depending on whether the Spirit has written it in one’s heart. The prophet recorded the words of the Lord: “And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them” (Ezekiel 36:27).

III. Delivered by Grace (A)If one attempts to follow the statutes of God only as an external standard of righteousness, he will discover that conforming to them perfectly is unattainable by human effort alone. (See Romans 3:27; 9:31-32; 10:6-8.) If, on the other hand, he serves the Lord Jesus Christ from a heart of love and commitment, he will produce many good works that will honor and glorify Him. The Spirit within empowers the believer to live righteously.

III. Delivered by Grace (B)B. Born Again

“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the

Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if

Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness”

(Romans 8:9-10).

III. Delivered by Grace (B)It is imperative that a believer be filled with the Holy Spirit. There are not two kinds of Christians—those who are Spirit-filled and those who are not. A person cannot be related to or belong to Christ without the Holy Spirit. Paul wrote of the Spirit’s leading all Christian believers.

III. Delivered by Grace (B)To consider a few analogies, the Holy Spirit is like the fuel that drives an engine. It is like the electricity that lights the bulb. It is like the blood that keeps our bodies alive. Without the Holy Spirit there is no spiritual life. Only by God’s imputed righteousness through the Holy Ghost is a believer alive spiritually. Even though a believer’s body is mortal, the eternal, spiritual life of God is deposited by the indwelling Spirit now and for eternity.

III. Delivered by Grace (B)The phrase born again originated from an analogy that Jesus used to emphasize to Nicodemus the transformation that the Christian conversion experience brings to a person. (See John 3.) To be reborn indicates a radical change. Becoming a Christian is not merely an objective, unemotional, mental acceptance of the gospel.

III. Delivered by Grace (B)Some people come to God progressively through an incremental process, first believing in Jesus and later repenting of their sins. They may be baptized in water. Nevertheless, there must be that moment of Spirit baptism that marks the beginning of a new life in Christ.

III. Delivered by Grace (B)Although repentance, baptism in Jesus’ name, salvation, sanctification, justification, and the Holy Spirit baptism all are distinctive elements of Christian conversion, we should not dissect them into ascending phases of becoming a Christian. There are not Christians at various levels of the process of salvation. To be born again is to experience a transformation through the Holy Spirit and to embrace all aspects of the salvation experience! Furthermore, it is the Holy Spirit that will resurrect believers in the future (Romans 8:11).

III. Delivered by Grace (C)C. Led by the Spirit

Not only should every believer have the Holy Ghost, but the Spirit also should have every believer. In order for the Spirit to have influence in us, we must yield to the Spirit’s direction. We do not owe the flesh anything, but we owe the Spirit everything. (See Romans 8:12-13.)

III. Delivered by Grace (C)If we live after the passions and cravings of the fleshly man, we will reap death; but if we live after the Spirit, we will reap eternal life. Tension is created between the flesh and Spirit, causing them to be at odds most of the time. Therefore, spiritual obedience requires a crucifixion of fleshly desires. The challenge for the Christian is to mortify the flesh and nurture the Spirit.

III. Delivered by Grace (D)D. Children of God

Paul stated that when we are led by the Spirit, we receive the “Spirit of adoption,” whereby we as the children of God cry, “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15). Abba is the Aramaic word for “father” (Mark 14:36; Galatians 4:6).

III. Delivered by Grace (D)Aramaic was the commonly spoken language in Israel during New Testament times. The purpose of the double use of “father” is not clear, but most Bible scholars agree that it was an expression of endearment. The Aramaic term is less formal than the Greek word for father, pater, and would have been the term a child would use for “father.” A close English word might be the endearing term “papa,” or “daddy.”

III. Delivered by Grace (D)Adoption was a common practice in the Roman Empire, and a person could adopt a child of any age. The adoption canceled all previous obligations, and it provided a new life with new parents. It also entitled the child to all the benefits of a natural child, including the inheritance.

Romans 8:17

“And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with

Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified

together” (Romans 8:17).

III. Delivered by Grace (D)Paul stated that the Spirit would bear witness with our spirit that we indeed are the children of God (Romans 8:16).

III. Delivered by Grace (D)Making provision for the Spirit to rule in our lives requires sacrifice. Paul assured the Christian believer that the sacrifices one makes are not comparable to the reward that awaits overcomers in the future: “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).

III. Delivered by Grace (D)Paul described a cosmic anticipation throughout the world—a waiting for liberation. All of nature and the people in the world were cursed, causing a perpetual struggle throughout creation: “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now” (Romans 8:22). This expectancy will be fulfilled when the church is called out and identified. Indeed, the Holy Spirit within us is the foretaste of the future glory that will be revealed in us.

ReflectionsThe Mosaic law was given to the people of Israel as God’s self-revelation. The law gave Israel a clear picture of God’s holiness and His hatred for sin, revealing His expectations of the human race. The law created a contrast between God’s perfection and mankind’s imperfection. Without the Mosaic law, mankind did not know he was a sinner; with the law, he was knowledgeable of his sins and condemned by them.

ReflectionsMankind’s many failed attempts to be obedient to the law was proof that he needed God’s help, which is why Paul called the law a “schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.” Living in a fallen state, humanity was a slave to sin and his corrupted nature. The Fall in the Garden of Eden brought a sinful nature upon the entire human race.

ReflectionsCertainly, the path of least resistance will lead a person down a road to destruction; it is our nature. However, the law brought this realization forcefully into the human consciousness. Furthermore, to disobey only one portion of the law made the sinner guilty of violating the entire law.

ReflectionsSince the law was from God, it was good, but it was weak in that it did nothing to empower believers to overcome the flesh. The law could not change human nature; it only drew attention to the weakness within mankind.

ReflectionsAttempting to live according to the law only ended in frustration and disappointment, for the Old Testament sacrificial system was a temporary procedure for atoning for sin until a better way appeared. In fact, animal sacrifices did not deal fully with the sins for which sacrifice was made; it only postponed dealing with the sins until a perfect sacrifice was made.

ReflectionsJesus Christ came into the world without a corrupted nature, perfect and without sin. He condemned sin as the Savior of the world, and His death on the cross bridged the impossible breach of separation between God and mankind.

ReflectionsBecause of Jesus, we have access to the new-birth experience—repentance, baptism in water in Jesus’ name for the remission of sins, and receiving the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). Thus, we become new creations in Christ Jesus—our old person dies to sinful behavior and we receive new life in the Spirit.

ReflectionsAlthough we are not totally delivered from the fleshly nature, we have been born of the Spirit and empowered to live victoriously over sin. If we yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit within, we become slaves of God rather than slaves to the flesh. Through the new birth, we are adopted into the kingdom of God to become joint-heirs with Jesus, whereby we inherit eternal life.

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Title Page. Lesson Two Romans 7:18-21 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how