Lesson 4
Trapped by God’s Holiness (Romans 5:12-7:25)
Lesson Theme: We are unable to live a righteous life in our flesh
Lesson Objective: To understand the tension between the obligation to live a righteous life and the inability to do so in our sinful nature.
Question: What should our response be to what we’ve learned so far: that God has given us His righteousness?
Answer: To live a life of righteousness
Read Deuteronomy 30:15-20
LIFE=Obedience
DEATH=Disobedience
Read Romans 5:12-18
After Paul points out that all men are condemned, he goes back and rebuilds the doctrines of life and death from the beginning… and he does it through the life of two men – Adam and Jesus
I. The Impact of Two Men
A. Our inheritance from Adam - Death
Adam’s Disobedience was one sin
We are all children of Adam, so we have inherited his sin nature – and as a result, have inherited death.
1. One sin led to many transgressions
a. Imposed by force of nature
b. No choice in the matter
c. We all receive a Sin Nature because of his disobedience
2. Many Transgressions led to Judgment for all
3. Judgment for all results in Condemnation for all
4. Condemnation for all means Death for all
Adam’s Life=Disobedience=Death
B. Our gift from Jesus - Life Eternal
Christ’s Obedience was one righteous act
1. One righteous act led to a Gift available to all
a. The gift is freely offered, not imposed by force
b. It is our choice to receive or reject that gift
c. We receive a Spirit Nature because of his obedience
2. Those who accept the gift are granted Grace
1. Grace from the wrath of God
3. Grace results in Justification to those who believe(Romans 5:18)
Question: What is justification?
Answer: Justification is a declaration of innocence in a court of law
4. Justification means Life Eternal
Jesus’s Life = Obedience=Life
Romans 5:19
One Man’s Disobedience – Death
One Man’s Obedience – Life Eternal
Both of these principles (Sin Nature and Spirit Nature) are now active and working in our lives at the same time and will continue to do so until we receive our glorified bodies.
Think of it this way:
Sin Nature = Death
Spirit Nature = Life
II. Promises and Warnings
A. A Beautiful Promise - God’s grace is sufficient (Romans 5:20-21)
No matter how great our transgression, the Grace of God is sufficient – the greater the transgression, the greater the grace.
B. A Stern Warning - God’s grace is no excuse to sin (Romans 6:1-11)
The warning is expressed in the form of a rhetorical question…
Question: “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?”
Answer: “By no means”
Paul gives us 3 reasons why God’s grace is no excuse to sin…
1. We are dead to sin (Romans 6:2)
2. We are baptized into Christ(Romans 6:3-5)
a. Buried with him in death
b. Raised to walk in newness of life
3. We are crucified with Christ (Romans 6:6-11)
a. Like him in his death – old self has died
b. Like him in his resurrection – freed from sin and death
C. An Urgent Plea (Romans 6:12-22)
The plea is also expressed in the form of a rhetorical question…
Question: “Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?”
Answer: “By no means”
Question: What determines whether the Sin Nature or Spirit nature will have mastery in our lives?
Answer: The one we submit ourselves to for obedience.
1. Do not be mastered by sin
a. Do not present your bodies to sin
OR… do not present your bodies to the flesh to satisfy its desires
The consequence of being a slave to sin is death
2. Be mastered by Righteousness
a. Present your bodies to God
The consequence of being a slave to righteousness is life
This requires total devotion to God
Plea Restated: Don’t be a slave to sin, be a slave to righteousness.
Romans 6:23 summarizes this entire section on life and death…
However, we are still living with two natures – the Sin Nature and the Spirit Nature.
The sin nature requires us to be wicked.
The spirit nature requires us to be Holy like God.
Both wish to be our master.
The problem is that we choose to live as if both are our master.
Question: In what way do we choose to live as if both the sin nature and the spirit nature are our master?
Answer: By choosing to submit ourselves to the constraints of the law.
Read Romans 7:1-6
The biggest mistake that we make as Christians is to make the Christian lifestyle a religious substitute for the law.
Christianity is not a list of dos and don’ts
Christianity is a relationship with a God who empowers us to live according to his spirit
When we try to live according to a set of legalistic rules, we fall into the trap of God’s Holiness
We have to understand the purpose of the law
Read Romans 7:7-14
IV. The purpose of the Law
A. To teach me the ways of righteousness
B. To enslave me in my own sinfulness
C. To bring me to a realization that I am hopelessly lost
We are not under law; we are under grace
Jeremiah 31:31-34
· When the law says do not steal, we are drawn to covet what our neighbor has
o Grace says that we love our neighbor and would never take from him what belongs to him
· When the law says do not lie, we find every reason why we need to bend the truth
o Grace says that the truth will set us free
· When the law says do not murder, I ask for exceptions such as self defense, capital punishment, and war
o Grace says pray for your enemy and be reconciled
· When the law says an eye for an eye, we demand our right to retribution
o Grace says turn the other cheek
· When the law condemns me as a lawbreaker because I fail, I feel hopeless
o Grace says “I forgive you”
Read Romans 7:15-24
V. The Demand of Two Masters
A. We are slaves to God in our hearts and minds
1. We desire to do right (Romans 7:18-19)
2. We delight in the laws of God (Romans 7:22 )
B. We are still slaves to sin in our bodies
1. We cannot carry out our desire to do good (Romans 7:18)
2. We do what we do not wish to do (Romans 7:19)
3. Our flesh is waging war against our minds (Romans 7:23)
The Law of Two Masters: When I desire to do good, evil is with me
Romans 7:21
Conclusion: WE ARE WRETCHED
Romans 7:24
WE ARE TRAPPED BY GOD’S HOLINESS
Question: Who can help us?
Romans 7:25
Fret Not! God has given us the key to the trap door.
What is that key? Life in the Spirit
