Here’s the second half of my take on Romans 7. It helps dispel the lie that there’s no real victory on this side of Heaven. It also explains how we are truly free from the clutches of sin. This is such an important message, as it introduces a revolutionary perspective on a central passage in the New Testament.
Be encouraged!
Discussion Questions for Romans 7:14-25:
- Read verse 14. Why is “sold into bondage to sin” such an important expression in this passage?
- Read verses 15-16. What is his focus or goal? How does this speak into whether he’s referring to pre- or post-salvation?
- Read verses 17 and 20. What is the core issue? How is this also revealing to us as believers?
- Read verse 18. How should we interpret both “nothing good dwells in me” and “the willing is present in me”?
- Read verse 19. What is the “good” that he wants to do? Why is this important to factor into our view of the passage?
- Read verse 21. Imagine asking a devout Jewish person three questions: Do you want to do good? Do you always end up doing good? If not, why not? Now, how do you think they would answer those questions? And how does this help us interpret the passage?
- Read verses 22-23. What is the specific goal of this person? What do they want to accomplish? Do they accomplish it? If not, why not? What does this say about the body (housing sin) vs. willpower for the unbeliever?
- Read verse 24. What experience does this refer to? How does understanding this help?
- How does verse 25 return to summarize the problem (before salvation) and the true origin of the conflict?
