“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. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.” Romans 7:13-25 

Paul used the word “good.” It is often an overused, basic, underwhelming, easy, and circumventing word. On a daily basis, it can be used at three different times of the day: good morning, good afternoon, and good night. Whenever you find yourself having to make small talk, and you do not want to go deep or be fully honest about what is happening in your life, the easiest response for how you are doing is, “I am good.” Ironically, this word also has the power through sarcasm to be encouraging or demeaning: good job. 

1. In what ways do you find yourself using the word “good”? 

2. Have you found yourself using this word as an easy escape or a way to cover up true feelings? 

In Romans 7:13-25, Paul continues his letter, and he begins in verse 13 by posing a rhetorical question. He writes, “Did that which is good, then, bring death to me?” The answer to this question is, of course, no, or as Paul declares, “By no means!” However, to fully understand what will unfold in the verses to follow, we must first understand the “good” that Paul is speaking of. In simple terms, this “good” is the Law of Moses, which all the Jewish people lived under and held to.  

Paul is continuing this discourse, helping us understand the reality and weight of sin. If we remember Romans 3:23, Paul declares the truth that we are all sinners and totally depraved. Again, simply put, there is nothing redeeming within us as sinners, nothing that can save us from our sin. Paul continued in Romans 6:23 to share the hard reality that because of our sin and depravity, our penalty is death. It is this equation of sin + righteous punishment = death and eternal separation from God. Paul continues this theme in Romans chapter 7. He talks of walking out the need for the true good and how sanctification unfolds in our lives as followers of Christ, but we must begin with the brokenness and separation of sin. 

3. What comes to mind when you hear the word “sin”? 

4. What does it mean when Paul writes that, “the wages of sin is death”? 

Paul continues on in this passage with verses 14-17, “For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.” Paul’s honesty, in the reality of the struggle with our broken human nature, is comforting. This passage is comforting; first, as humans, we will never be able to escape the brokenness of our flesh. Paul declares that no matter how hard we try, how many good things we do or say, at the end of the day, we are of the flesh and sold under sin. Secondly, this can be a reminder of our reaction to those in this world who do not know the Lord. As followers of Christ, Paul is teaching us here how we will always be broken and susceptible to sin; it is an unfortunate foundational truth to the brokenness of humanity. Therefore, we must remember that as we have interactions with the world, those who do not know Jesus, we cannot expect anything else from them. Until they come to a relationship with Jesus, we cannot expect them to do anything except be chained and under the oppression of sin in all they do.  

5. Have you ever had a situation or experience with someone who did not know the Lord, and you reacted poorly to how they acted toward you? 

6. How do we keep a mindset of grace and love toward a broken world whose foundation for all they do is sin and brokenness? 

Paul gives an understanding that the Law is the standard for what is good; it is what one ought to strive for. However, the Law by itself is not what saves us as followers of Christ; it is our faith in Jesus and His glorious resurrection by which we are saved. Paul writes in verses 21-25, “So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.” When we talk about sanctification, the process of becoming more like Jesus, this passage is such a clear image of the reality of this process. Sanctification is not something that is achieved, perfected, or completed. On the contrary, it is the daily process of being obedient to the Lord. It is the daily process of being mindful that we are battling our fleshly desires versus serving and following the Lord instead. Sin will always be in this world. It will never be completely eradicated until Jesus returns. So, as followers of Christ, we must be on guard. We must not ignore the reality that as we press forward in our walks with Christ, sin and evil lie close at hand. As we strive to obey the Law of God, we will face temptation. Yet, as Paul exclaims in verse 25, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Thank God for Jesus that we can break the chains of sin and run from the desires of our flesh through Jesus! 

7. How do you run from sin? 

8. What are some of the most difficult obstacles in your life that you have had to put safeguards against in order to serve the Law of God, not the law of sin? 

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, the great philosopher Yoda once said, “Do or do not; there is no try.” I love this statement because, as followers of Christ, it is truly that black and white. We either choose to serve, obey, and follow Jesus Christ, or we choose to serve sin and give way to the desires of our flesh. As Luke was about to make the greatest shot ever, placing two proton torpedoes into the reactor core of the Death Star, he heard the voice of Obi-Wan guiding him to his goal. In the same way, we, as followers of Christ, are never alone, and we have something far greater than Hollywood sci-fi; we have the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of the living God resides in each and every one of us who call upon the name of Jesus. It is His Spirit that leads and guides us in this sanctification process. Meanwhile, we battle the desires of the flesh, the law of sin. However, we can be confident not in ourselves but in Jesus. Confident that we can overcome our flesh, we can overcome sin, and we can stand firm on the Law of God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!