Romans 7

An Example from Marriage

1 Brothers and sisters, all of you understand the law of Moses. So surely you know that the law rules over people only while they are alive.2 For example, a woman must stay married to her husband as long as he is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from the law of marriage.

3 But if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, the law says she is guilty of adultery. But if her husband dies, she is free from the law of marriage. Then if she marries another man, she is not guilty of adultery.
4 In the same way, my brothers and sisters, your old selves died, and you became free from the law through the body of Christ. This happened so that you might belong to someone else—the One who was raised from the dead—and so that we might be used in service to God.5 In the past, we were ruled by our sinful selves. The law made us want to do sinful things that controlled our bodies, so the things we did were bringing us death.

6 In the past, the law held us like prisoners, but our old selves died, and we were made free from the law. So now we serve God in a new way with the Spirit, and not in the old way with written rules.

Our Fight Against Sin

7 You might think I am saying that sin and the law are the same thing. That is not true. But the law was the only way I could learn what sin meant. I would never have known what it means to want to take something belonging to someone else if the law had not said, “You must not want to take your neighbor’s things.” 8 And sin found a way to use that command and cause me to want all kinds of things I should not want. But without the law, sin has no power.9 I was alive before I knew the law. But when the law’s command came to me, then sin began to live,10 and I died. The command was meant to bring life, but for me it brought death.

11 Sin found a way to fool me by using the command to make me die.
12 So the law is holy, and the command is holy and right and good.

13 Does this mean that something that is good brought death to me? No! Sin used something that is good to bring death to me. This happened so that I could see what sin is really like; the command was used to show that sin is very evil.

The War Within Us

14 We know that the law is spiritual, but I am not spiritual since sin rules me as if I were its slave.15 I do not understand the things I do. I do not do what I want to do, and I do the things I hate.16 And if I do not want to do the hated things I do, that means I agree that the law is good.17 But I am not really the one who is doing these hated things; it is sin living in me that does them.18 Yes, I know that nothing good lives in me—I mean nothing good lives in the part of me that is earthly and sinful. I want to do the things that are good, but I do not do them.19 I do not do the good things I want to do, but I do the bad things I do not want to do.

20 So if I do things I do not want to do, then I am not the one doing them. It is sin living in me that does those things.
21 So I have learned this rule: When I want to do good, evil is there with me.22 In my mind, I am happy with God’s law.23 But I see another law working in my body, which makes war against the law that my mind accepts. That other law working in my body is the law of sin, and it makes me its prisoner.24 What a miserable man I am! Who will save me from this body that brings me death?

25 I thank God for saving me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So in my mind I am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful self I am a slave to the law of sin.

Romans 7

1 Or are ye ignorant, brethren (for I speak to men who know the law), that the law hath dominion over a man for so long time as he liveth?2 For the woman that hath a husband is bound by law to the husband while he liveth; but if the husband die, she is discharged from the law of the husband.3 So then if, while the husband liveth, she be joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if the husband die, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress, though she be joined to another man.4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ; that ye should be joined to another, even to him who was raised from the dead, that we might bring forth fruit unto God.5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were through the law, wrought in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.6 But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that wherein we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter.7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Howbeit, I had not known sin, except through the law: for I had not known coveting, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet:8 but sin, finding occasion, wrought in me through the commandment all manner of coveting: for apart from the law sin is dead.9 And I was alive apart from the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died;10 and the commandment, which was unto life, this I found to be unto death:11 for sin, finding occasion, through the commandment beguiled me, and through it slew me.12 So that the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and righteous, and good.13 Did then that which is good become death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, by working death to me through that which is good; --that through the commandment sin might become exceeding sinful.14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.15 For that which I do I know not: for not what I would, that do I practise; but what I hate, that I do.16 But if what I would not, that I do, I consent unto the law that it is good.17 So now it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwelleth in me.18 For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me, but to do that which is good is not.19 For the good which I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I practise.20 But if what I would not, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwelleth in me.21 I find then the law, that, to me who would do good, evil is present.22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:23 but I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members.24 Wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me out of the body of this death?25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then I of myself with the mind, indeed, serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.