6/26/26
Romans 7:5-6 NASB95 For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.
I have heard people say, "If we are free in Christ and held in the security of salvation, then I will just live like Hell." Their thought is, if I don't have to earn salvation then why live righteously? The problem with their thinking is this: if a saved person lives like hell, they will feel like hell.
Salvation means you live in the Spirit. You are dead to the confinement of earning salvation by living completely in the law. Being confined to the law means, one failure and you are hell-bound.
Our text says, But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.
It says now we SERVE in newness of the SPIRIT.
To serve means to be a slave figuratively. We are no longer slaves literally, being held involuntarily in bondage. Now we voluntarily hold ourselves accountable to fulfilling the desires of our Lord. According to the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, this means that our relation to God takes precedence over the mutual relations of slaves and masters.
Because our Spirit of new life draws, convicts, and guides us, we feel the need to serve the Lord with our lives. Thus if we refuse and instead live like hell, the conviction and the pulling the Spirit of New life causes you to feel like hell. In other words, you will be miserable in life.
Freedom in Christ means you are not going to lose your salvation if you don't follow the Law of God, but if you don't your freedom will feel worse than prison cells, chains, or shackles.
As our text says, while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.
We have all been there. Bound for death due to our sin, means we have earned eternal imprisonment in Hell. Some are still heading to the sentencing.
So what can we do? The end of this chapter asks this question. Romans 7:24 NASB95 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?
The answer is found in the first half of the next verse. Romans 7:25a NASB95 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Repent and accept Jesus as your Lord.
He will save you.
When Jesus kept the woman caught in adultery from being stoned, He told her "I do not condemn you either. Go. From now on sin no more.”
This is in essence what the Spirit says to the new creation in Christ. I do not condemn you either. Go. From now on sin no more.”
In your freedom, your relationship to God takes precedence over the mutual relations of slaves and masters.
Serve Him and you will feel the freedom.
Love Bro. Scott