Romans 7: No Longer Under the Law

Romans 7: No Longer Under the Law. Paul tells Christians they are no longer under the Law, which exposes sin. They are now under God's grace.

Chapter Summary

Romans 7 opens with this statement: "Do you not know, brothers (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives?" After that opening, Paul tells his audience that because they have died to sin (as discussed in Romans 6), they have also died to the law's authority. Believers in Jesus have died to the law's authority because the law's purpose is to point out sin, and God's grace has freed us from sin.

Chapter Highlights

Paul's example of marriage in verses 2-3 is poignant because, in verse 4, he says we belong to Christ "in order that we might bear fruit to God" (BSB). Other passages also teach that believers are married to Christ, such as 2 Corinthians 11:2, Ephesians 5:31–32, and Revelation 19:7–9. As vessels of the Holy Spirit, believers should "bear fruit to God" because their focus is no longer on their sinful nature, but on the holiness of the Holy Spirit who lives in their hearts.

In verse 12, Paul states, "the law is holy," clarifying that the law's purpose is to show our need to be saved from sin. Once we understand that we are saved from sin because of our acceptance of God's grace through Jesus, we can focus our minds on bearing fruit that pleases God.

Paul ends the chapter by using himself as an example of how sin will still play a role in the life of someone saved from sin. In verses 15-24, he explains that even though he knows God's Spirit is alive in his heart, his flesh continually wants to rebel against God's will. His admission should uplift us because when Paul wrote his letter to the Christian community in Rome, he was at the tail end of his third missionary journey; he had clearly displayed the power of God's Spirit in his life. He concludes the chapter with this truth: "With my mind I serve the law of God, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin."

As believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, we can take comfort in Romans 7, which tells us not to focus on meeting the Mosaic or Natural Law, but on doing God's will. Like Paul, when we give in to the temptation of sin, we need to remember that we have already been declared righteous. Knowing that, we need to stand back up and get back to serving God.