Romans 7:13-25

7:13 | Sin is responsible for death, not God’s holy law. Sin twists the goodness of the law so that it brings death – this is catastrophic for those who depend on the law for their life and salvation. The law reveals a person’s wretchedness, but it does not change it. Those who are bound by the law end up embracing death, not life.

7:14 | The law is spiritual because it originates from God and reflects His holy character. Carnal does not describe someone who is unsaved, but someone who is saved and still battles the flesh – a condition that will persist until the Savior returns.

7:16-18 | Born with a legacy from Adam that can do nothing right, believers retain the capacity to sin (Gal. 5:17). They are also gifted with a new capacity from God: the ability to do right (1 John 3:9). These two capacities are incompatible and irreconcilable.

7:17 | Sin that dwells in me uses a Greek expression that suggest “sets up house in me.” Paul is not talking about conflict with evil in the world but conflict with evil within himself.

7:18-20 | Because Paul failed to do only good, he could not completely fulfill the requirements of God’s holy law.

7:21-24 | The law of Sinai demands absolute perfection (James 2:10). The law of sin and death came into being when Adam fell and placed the whole human race under this law. It wars against the law of God. The law of Sinai pulls one heavenward; the law of sin pulls one towards hell.

7:25 | Just as eternal life is through Jesus Christ our Lord, escape from the flesh is through Him (1 Cor. 15:57). Jesus dealt effectively with the problems of sin, Satan, and self on the cross.