Dead To The Law 

Scripture Reading: Romans 7:1-13.

Memory Verse: "The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law" (1 Corinthians 15:56).

Introduction: Lycurgus, although a great lawmaker, would allow none of his laws to be written. He believed the principles of government interwoven into the lives and manners of the people to be the most conducive to their happiness.
  Today a multitude of Bibles stand upon bookshelves or lie upon tables. To replicate Bibles is a relatively easy matter. To have them in our homes is pretty easy also, but to multiply copies of walking scriptures, in the form of holy men who can say, "Thy Word have I hid in my heart," is much, much more difficult.
  The true effect of the Law and grace on our lives is seen in our attitude and action. The fruit of the Holy Spirit in a believer's life is manifested internally in his attitudes and externally in his actions.
  In chapter 7, Paul reminds his readers of four things that characterized their old lives as unbelievers: 1) They were in the flesh; 2) Their lives were characterized by sinful passions; 3) Their lives were characterized by the sinful passions being aroused by the Law; and 4) The believer's old life was characterized by the unceasing work of his sinful passions in the members of his body to bear fruit for death. (Work is from a Greek verb meaning to operate with power. We get our word energy from it. The phrase members of our body sums up the whole person in all his components as being the victim of sinful passions energized to produce the fruit of ultimate and eternal divine judgment in death.--John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Romans 1-8, p. 359.
  It is important to note that apart from knowledge of the Law, a person would not know good from evil. In declaring what is wrong, the Law also arouses evil in the unregenerate person because of his naturally rebellious nature which makes him want to do the very things he has learned (through the Law) are forbidden.

Lesson Questions:

1. At what point does the Law of God no longer have jurisdiction over a person's life? Romans 7:1-3; Ruth 1:10-13.
It should be obvious that any law--whether Roman, Greek, or even God-given biblical law--has jurisdiction over a person only as long as he lives. If a criminal dies, he is no longer subject to prosecution.--Martin Luther, Commentary on Romans, p. 109.

2. What does  "dying in Christ" mean in our relationship to the Law? Romans 7:4,5; Galatians 2:16-21; 3:10,13; Ephesians 2:15.
Martin Luther said, "We are delivered from the Law in the sense that by faith in Christ we obey the Law, and by grace freely and willingly do what the Law demands of us."--Martin Luther, Commentary on Romans, p. 111.

3. Contrast serving God in newness of spirit to the oldness of the letter. Romans 7:6; John 4:24; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:21-24; Colossians 3:9,10; Psalm 51:16,17.

4. What awareness does God's Law give men? Romans 7:7; 3:20; 5:20; Galatians 3:19,24; 1 Timothy 1:8-11.

5. What is it that gives sin the opportunity to be aroused? Romans 7:8; 1 Corinthians 15:56; Romans 4:15.
"Lime contains heat. When water is poured on it, the heat manifests itself. The water does not create the heat, but it provides the occasion for it to show itself. Martin Luther said, "It is similar with the will of man and the Law. Sin is indeed in man, but no one knows it until man learns to know the Law. Then he burns all the more (with the fires of sin) though this is not the fault of the Law. But it is by grace that the fire of sin is extinguished."--The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible, Romans, Volume 7, p. 123.

6. How does the Law ruin and destroy the sinner? Romans 7:9,10,22-24.
It is the Law that causes man's spirit to die . . . It is the Law that shows him his true state and condition.--Paul Achtemeier, Romans Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching, p. 119.

7. What did sin use as the point of attack in Paul's own life? Romans 7:11; Titus 3:3; Hebrews 3:13.

8. What is Paul's summary analysis of the Law? Romans 7:12; Psalm 19:7,8; 119:142; 1 Timothy 1:8; 1 John 5:3.
"If sin corrupted the good law, does that make the law itself evil? Of course not; and that is why, for Paul, emphasis on what the law does when it is mastered by sin does not allow us to identify the two, sin and law. . . It is in fact precisely because the Law is good that it can show sin to be as evil as it really is . . ."--John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Romans 1-8, p. 381.

9. What then is the great benefit of the Law for man? Romans 7:13; 3:10-12,19.