Romans 7:1-13 – The Law Of Sin And Death

Harry McSween • April 14, 2025

Day 7 – Romans 7:1-13

[1] Or do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? [2] For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. [3] Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.

[4] Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. [5] For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. [6] But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.

[7] What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” [8] But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. [9] I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. [10] The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. [11] For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. [12] So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

[13] Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.

What’s The Point?

This passage is not an easy one to follow. Paul seems to be making contradictory points. Is the law good or is it bad? This passage is a good example of something we see frequently in Scripture and a principle we must affirm: The Word of God is always good and true, even when it seems like there is a contradiction.

For a few chapters now we have been reading about the law and grace. It is easy to assume that the law is bad and grace is good. Paul, knowing this is how we would think, addresses the issue. “Is the law sin? By no means!” (v. 7). This is the same emphatic response he gave in Romans 6:1 when he asked if we should keep sinning so that grace would increase. By no means! Never! No way! Not a chance!

Paul is so passionate about the law because of what it reveals to us about ourselves. The law shows us our need for a savior. We would not have understood our need for Jesus if we did not know we were guilty of breaking the law. And Paul has shown us over and over that we are guilty concerning the law (Romans 1:18, 2:12, 3:10-18, 3:23, 4:15, 5:12).

So is the law good? Yes, because it shows us our guilt and sin. The law cannot save us; it has never saved anyone. Everyone throughout human history has either been guilty under the law or declared righteous because of the finished work of Jesus! But it is not the law that brings death, it is our sin.

Our human tendency is to blame someone or something else for our shortcomings. I don’t know if you’re old enough to drive, but anyone who has driven a car has probably broken the speed limit. And when the speed limit is 25 and you’re driving 35, what is your thought? “25 is too slow!” We try to blame the law for the reality of our sinful nature.

Our sin, our wickedness, our flesh is looking for any opportunity to satisfy itself. We must recognize this. We must understand that we are guilty according to the law and according to God’s standard. And we must believe in Jesus Christ, his life, death, and resurrection, for the forgiveness of our sins and the removal of our guilt. Christ has accomplished for us what the law could never do!

Scripture Memorization

Psalm 112:1

“Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments!”

Prayer

Thank you for revealing my sin to me. Thank you for your righteous law. Thank you for the conviction you have put in my heart. Thank you that you love me too much to let me be comfortable in my sin. Please continue to grow me and change me into the image of your Son. Grant me the grace I need to fight sin and pursue after you. Thank you for revealing yourself to me; help me to daily live in the light Christ and the Word.

Reflection

Ask the Lord to reveal your sin to you, forgive you, and give you the strength to live by his Spirit.
The Psalms constantly speak of delighting in the laws and commandments of the Lord. What does this look like for a believer whose righteousness comes from Christ?
Your flesh is always seeking to satisfy itself. What sins do you need to be aware of and how can you set yourself up now to fight against them when the temptation comes?

Discussion Questions

What passage of Scripture from Romans 1-7 has been the most encouraging or convicting to you so far? Why?
Confess your sins and share your temptations with each other. It may seem awkward if you haven’t done this before, but honesty, humility, and vulnerability are essential parts of the Christian life.

What Next?

We can’t wait to see you at SWO25. If you have completed this study, don’t stop. Keep reading the Bible. Continue reading through Romans in preparation for the teaching on Romans 8 this summer. Chapter 7 (where we ended) has some hard truths and shows the battle we have with sin, but Romans 8 shows that Christ has overwhelmingly conquered sin. If you read Romans 8 every day from now until summer I guarantee God will grow you and change you.

You can also check out one of our other Bible studies on our website, or join in our daily Bible reading plan on the SWO app. Follow us on Facebook or Instagram, and join our email newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest happenings at SWO.

We pray that God has used this study to grow you more into the likeness of Christ, and we are excited to see you this summer.

– The SWO family

If you have any questions feel free to reach out: harry@swoutfitters.com. All of the Scripture referenced in this study is from the English Standard Version (ESV) unless otherwise noted.