STB117 | BSE | Romans 7: Flesh +/- Spirit | Cultivate Relationships

BIBLE SCHOOL EDITION - Nathan and Pastor Scott Frerking explore Romans 7, focusing on the tension of living under the law without the power of Jesus. They also discuss the hopeless cycle of striving to live good but without Christ and the freedom that comes only through living empowered by the Holy Spirit.

— EPISODE CHAPTERS —
(00:00) INTRODUCTION
(05:03) ROMANS 7.1-12
(36:46) ROMANS 7.13-25
(57:11) ACTIVATION STEPS

— EPISODE NOTES —
ROMANS 7.1-12: WE ARE FREE FROM THE LAW & SIN
Romans 7.1-3: The Marriage Example – if a woman joins herself with another man while her husband is alive, she is an adulterer. If the husband dies, she is free to marry another.
• Romans 7.4-6: The Explanation – a person who trusts Jesus (the new husband) has died to the law and sin (the former husband) and is free to live by the Spirit.

Romans 7.7-10: The Human Experience – Innocence/Ignorance (v.9: alive apart from the law) → Revelation (v.8, 9: “age of accountability”) moments of understanding consequences → Choosing Sin (v.10: self-reliance) → Rejection of a Dependence Upon God (v.10: Death).
• Romans 7.11-12: How Sin Overtakes A Person – Sin (an external force; i.e., our enemy) deceives us by tempting us to live by the Law apart from God; the Law points to our dependence upon God but it becomes the means to reject God — the result of living by the Law alone can only end in death.

APPLICATION QUESTION(S): What do you think Paul means when he says we are “dead to the Law” (Romans 7.4, 6)?

ROMANS 7.13-25: HOW SIN TRAPS US THROUGH THE LAW
Romans 7.13-25: Our design (the law of God in our mind [v.25], “what I want to do” [v.15]) is overcome by our habitual inclinations (the law of sin in my flesh [v.25], “I do what I hate” [v.15]).
• This is a picture of a person who has not chosen Jesus — they are continually in conflict with how God designed them to operate (i.e., dependent upon the Holy Spirit). It is contradictory to believe this is a believer’s battle in light of everything Paul has said in chapter 6; that is, Christians are dead to sin and the Law.

APPLICATION QUESTION(S): What’s the main difference you see between Romans 6 (v.6-7) and 7 (v.13-25)? What might this mean for both the Christian and the non-Christian?

ACTIVATION STEPS
From this study, prayerfully walk through the following steps:

STEP #1 - RECOGNIZE THE STRUGGLE (Romans 7.13-25):
Without the Holy Spirit, unbelievers are powerless to overcome sin. Their struggle is real and inescapable without Jesus. Ask the Holy Spirit: How have I been quick to judge __________ [insert the name of a non-Christian or someone uninterested or seemingly unworthy of Jesus] in light of their struggle?

STEP #2 - RESPOND WITH GRACE (Romans 7.24-25a):
The Law can only reveal sin and enslaves us to death, but only Jesus brings grace that frees us to life. Ask the Holy Spirit: How can I show __________ specific grace and compassion in light of their struggle?

STEP #3 - SHARE YOUR JESUS-STORY (Romans 7.4):
Rather than debating morality (good vs bad behaviors), we can share how Jesus freed us and why we trust him. Ask the Holy Spirit: How can I be appropriately vulnerable with __________ about how Jesus set me free and how I live victorious?

— EPISODE LINKS —
• Unseen Realm by Dr. Michael Heiser: https://a.co/d/22jvfVm
• Supernatural by Dr. Michael Heiser: https://a.co/d/hDeIZdJ
• Website & Resources: https://cultivaterelationships.com