Just a Note: Romans 7:1-13

In Romans 7:1-13 the apostle Paul speaks of the destructive power of sin. In verse 13 he concludes that sin was already in him, but that through the power of God’s law he could see it clearly. He would not have known how bad sin is except for God’s law teaching him that it is bad.

It is common for people to try to throw off the shackles of custom and tradition. We have a great desire to be our own people and live the way we think is right, regardless of what other ideas might be available to us. Using this justification, many will reject the Bible and any semblance of historic Christianity. They would rather go their own direction. The problem with this is exactly what Paul discusses in Romans 7. By rejecting God’s definition of sin we think we can be free from guilt and shame. However, we always seem to come back to it. The more we reject God’s Word, the more we seem to have a society dependent on antidepressants. The more we reject God’s Word, the less we seem to care for others. The more we reject God’s Word, the more trouble we have with a violent and lawless society.

When God’s Word comes, we can see what He defines as good and bad. We can look to him in hope for forgiveness and change. God’s law shows us our sin, but in doing so, it points us to the need for salvation. This we find abundantly, not in ourselves, but in Jesus.

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