Romans Chapter 7: Is God’s Law Bad?
Our chapter today clarifies a key misconception in the Christian world: how we ought to look at the law.
Some Christians go to the extent of describing the law as something Christians ought to avoid, justifying this with what Romans 6:14 instructs: “you are not under law but under grace”.
Given this current outcome of being “under grace”, some even think that God made a mistake in instituting His law in the Old Testament in the first place.
This misconception is particularly driven by the common phrase “law vs grace”, which pits them against each other.
When we take a closer look at Romans 7, we will see this is not to be so.
Knowing that he was writing “to those who knew the law” (Romans 7:1), Paul set out to correct misconceptions about the law.
What did Paul write about the law? How should we understand what the law is?
- The law is not sin.
“What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not!” (Romans 7:7a)
The law does not fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). It is not something God wishes to distance Himself away from.
- The law sets the righteous standards of God, so that through it we understand what sin is, and by contrast, what God’s holiness is.
‘I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”’ (Romans 7:7b)
Elsewhere the Bible states, “the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” (Galatians 3:24) The law helps us—and the Jews—to know Jesus Christ and His holiness, that we can believe in Him and follow Him.
- The law is not evil, wicked, or sinful. In fact, it is holy and good.
“Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.” (Romans 7:12) The law is “what is good” (Romans 7:13). And again, “the law is spiritual” (Romans 7:14).
Seeing how many times Paul reiterated this fact, it’s clear that he strongly believed in this.
- God intended the law to bring life, but our sinful nature causes us to die instead.
“Did that which is good [the law], 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.” (Romans 7:13 ESV)
“For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death.” (Romans 7:5)
The problem is sin.
- Without the law, sin cannot exist.
“For apart from the law sin was dead.” (Romans 7:8b)
Without the law, sin cannot exist, because there are no righteous standards for one to fall short from. Yet we cannot destroy the law just because we want to get rid of sin (Matthew 5:17-18). Without absolute standards of righteousness instituted by God, how then will we know if Christ is good, or if someone is evil?
All this might make us feel drab and hopeless, especially if we’re currently fighting against sin that we are struggling to overcome in our lives.
But Paul speaks to our struggle, especially through the narrative frame his chapter takes.
The chapter begins with the analogy of marriage. Through her husband’s death, a woman is free from the law of her husband. Likewise, through the death of Jesus Christ, we are free from the law, yet still called to be righteous, for we must “bear fruit to God” (Romans 7:4),
At the chapter’s end, Paul personalizes that analogy into his own statement of faith, where he sees his victory over sin: “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25)
Truly, Our God has a marvelous plan beyond our imagination.
He prepared the law to teach us God’s holiness and lead us to Jesus while executing just judgment on the wicked (1 Timothy 1:9). At the same time, knowing our weaknesses, He sent His own Son, Jesus Christ, to save us from a sinful nature we cannot flee on our own, so that we can still be saved (John 3:16).
What can we do next?
If you have not done so, repent and have your sins forgiven by being baptised in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38).
Allow Jesus to work in your heart and circumcise it. This journey of victory over sin is a lifelong one where we keep God’s commandments, love Him with all our hearts and souls, and walk by the power of His grace. (Romans 7:6; Romans 2:25-29; Deuteronomy 30:6)
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