“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Rom. 8:1). What does “no condemnation” mean? No condemnation from what? And why is this such good news? “In Christ Jesus” is a common phrase in the Pauline writings. For a person to be … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Rom. 8:1-17. Memory Text: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:1). Romans chapter 8 is Paul’s answer to Romans chapter 7. In Romans chapter 7 Paul speaks of frustration, failure, and condemnation. In Romans chapter … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: “There is no safety nor repose nor justification in transgression of the law. Man cannot hope to stand innocent before God, and at peace with Him through the merits of Christ, while he continues in sin.” – Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, book 1, p. 213. “Paul desires his brethren to see that the great glory … Continue reading –>
Read Romans 7:21-23. How have you experienced this same struggle in your own life, even as a Christian? In this passage, Paul equates the law in his members (his body) with the law of sin. “With the flesh,” Paul says, he served “the law of sin” (Rom. 7:25). But serving sin and obeying its law means death (see Rom. … Continue reading –>
“If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me” (Rom. 7:16-17). What struggle is presented here? Using the law as a mirror, the Holy Spirit convicts a person that he or she … Continue reading –>
Read Romans 7:12. How do we understand this text in the context of what Paul has been discussing? Because the Jews revered the law, Paul exalts it in every way possible. The law is good for what it does, but it can’t do what it was never meant to do, to save us from sin. For … Continue reading –>
If Paul is talking about the whole law system at Sinai, what about Romans 7:7, in which he specifically mentions one of the Ten Commandments? Doesn’t that refute the position taken yesterday that Paul was not talking about the abolition of the Ten Commandments? The answer is “No.” We must keep in mind, again, that the word law for … Continue reading –>
Read Romans 7:1-6. What illustration does Paul use here in order to show his readers their relationship to the law, and what point is he making with that illustration? Paul’s illustration in Romans 7:1-6 is somewhat involved, but a careful analysis of the passage will help us to follow his reasoning. In the overall context of the letter, … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Romans 7. Memory Text: “Now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter” (Romans 7:6). Few chapters in the Bible have created more controversy than has Romans 7. Concerning the issues involved, The SDA … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “Victory Appropriated,” pages 105, 106, in Messages to Young People; “The True Motive in Service,” pages 93-95, in Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing; “Appeal to the Young,” p. 365, in Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3; pages 1074, 1075, in The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6. “He [Jesus] did not consent to sin. Not even by a thought … Continue reading –>
