NGH BIBLE STUDY – ROMANS – OUTLINE #15

Outline #15: The Product of the Law – Rm 7:14-25

In this passage, Paul brings his teaching on the Law to its climax by showing that, although the Law is holy, spiritual, and good, it cannot produce the righteousness it demands because of the weakness of the flesh. In the first half of the chapter, the Law revealed and exposed the exceeding sinfulness of sin; here it reveals the helplessness of the sinner to overcome sin by determination or self-effort. The result is an inward conflict that culminates in a desperate cry for deliverance. That cry finds its answer not in the Law but in the Lord Jesus Christ, preparing the way for chapter 8, where the Holy Spirit provides the power for the holy living that the Law itself could never produce.

Outline of Romans 7:14-25

Rm 7:14-17 – A conflicted person – “what I am doing, I do not understand”

Rm 7:18-20 – A captive power – “how to perform what is good I do not find”

Rm 7:21-23 – A competing principle – “I see another law…warring against the law of my mind”

Rm 7:24-25 – A compelling plea – “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me..?”

Themes to think about

● The spirituality of the Law vs the weakness of the flesh

● The distinction between willing and doing

● The nature of indwelling sin

● The purpose of frustration with sin

Questions for discussion

1. What contrast is Paul seeking to draw in Rm 7:14?

2. Should we abandon all will-power and self-determination in the struggle against sin?

3. Is Paul excusing his sin in Rm 7:17 when he says “it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.” ? What is he trying to communicate?

4. What dangers arise when we either underestimate or overestimate our own strength in the battle against sin?

5. If the product of the Law is not holy living, then what is its intended product according to this passage?