Romans 7 & 8 Part 1

By: Fred Reid

Yes ladies and gents you are witnessing the first series in the history of Fred Reid ministries lol nah but in all seriousness there is SO much to be pointed out from these great chapters that I have to smart parts cuz I know ya’ll would read it all at once lol. As I’ve already said I LOVE the realness of Christianity and Christians that are truly honest about their walk, not only their victories but their struggles (not failures because we cant fail with an eternally winning God on the inside of us) and in Chapter 7 Paul gets really real! I am SO thankful for these Chapters because on many occasion they have acted not only as my comfort and hope that I could do better but also my challenge and motivation to actually be bout that life! But enough about me…let’s get biblical! Lol

7: 1-6

Paul points out that this message is to be addressed to Jews who know the law and that work hard to keep it. Not necessarily those that don’t practice religion or kind of back and forth with, this is for the people that really thought they were on it. He begins to point out the separation from living for the law that we can experience once we get saved and start a relationship with Christ. The example of the wife whose husband dies is an allusion to how the law is our master or husband until we accept Jesus sacrificial death by dying as well to our ways and the law to be resurrected under a new covenant presented by Christ. The wife can get a new husband without punishment from God because her old husband is dead. We can get a second chance at life and freedom from sin because we are dead with Christ.

7-14

Paul explains the law and what is means to be free from it. Just to be clear the law is the old Jewish standards for holy living. These include but are not limited to the 10 commandments. A lot of the law and its STRICT principles can be found in the old testament especially in books like Deuteronomy, and Leviticus. But as Paul points out THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE LAW! THE LAW IS HOLY AND FROM GOD! The problem is with us! We CANT keep the law. There are generations of people in the old testament that prove it! The law simply shows you how sinful you really are.

15-21

This is my favorite part! Paul personalizes the struggle to keep the law and even explains that he wants to do what is good but cant. This will of God and that which is pleasing to God Paul REALLY wants to do but instead gives way to sin over and over again!! My God the frustration!! This was me for a long time ya’ll!!!!!! I’ve known the bible and what was right basically my whole life, and while I didn’t always want to keep the commandments (shameful I know lol) even when I did wanna be right I kept doing what was wrong! I think this can apply to all of us though. It’s not that we aren’t saved or don’t have a heart for God but we often times find ourselves doing things that don’t convey that. Paul put it best saying “for to will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not” and “I find then a law that when I would do good evil is present with me”. I felt so good knowing that the holy, anointed, New Testament writing Paul had some of the same struggles that I had! But we’ll get more into this in one of the other parts.

22- 8:1

Paul explains that he finds his members is warring against his mind. Basically this is his fleshy desires warring against that that he KNOWS he should be doing. Not disagreeing not arguing…WARRING! War is serious ya’ll!! But anyways, Paul admits to feeling like a wretched man, pointing to an idea of losing the hope that he is a saint like God is proclaiming him to be. But he doesn’t stop there. He thanks God for Jesus (they say that a lot at my Fayetteville church lol) because Jesus has presented us with an opportunity to be free. Bringing us to Chapter 8 with the sweet sweet words “There is therefore NOW no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit” I could expound on the bold points…but that’s for another day.

Over and Out J