Romans 7
7
Believers United to Christ
1Or do you not know, brothers and sisters (for I am speaking to those who know the #7:1 Or lawLaw), that the #7:1 Or lawLaw has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? 2For the married woman is bound by law to her #7:2 Lit living husband; but ifhusband as long as he is alive; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law #7:2 Lit ofconcerning the husband. 3So then, if while her husband is alive she #7:3 Lit becomes another man’sgives herself to another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress if she #7:3 I.e., in marriage; lit becomes another man’sgives herself to another man.
4Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you also were put to death in regard to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might belong to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. 5For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were brought to light by the Law, were at work in #7:5 Lit our parts to bearthe parts of our body to bear fruit for death. 6But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the #7:6 Or spiritSpirit and not in oldness of the letter.
7What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? #7:7 Lit May it never happen!Far from it! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except #7:7 Or through lawthrough the Law; for I would not have known about #7:7 Or lustcoveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not #7:7 Or lustcovet.” 8But sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me #7:8 Or lustcoveting of every kind; for apart #7:8 Or from lawfrom the Law sin is dead. 9I was once alive apart #7:9 Or from lawfrom the Law; but when the commandment came, sin came to life, and I died; 10and this commandment, which was #7:10 Lit to lifeto result in life, proved #7:10 Lit to deathto result in death for me; 11for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me, and through it, killed me. 12So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
13Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? #7:13 Lit May it never happen!Far from it! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by bringing about my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful.
The Conflict of Serving Two Masters
14For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold #7:14 Lit under sininto bondage to sin. 15For I do not understand what I am doing; for I am not practicing what I want to do, but I do the very thing I hate. 16However, if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, that the Law is good. 17But now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me. 18For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20But if I do the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me.
21I find then the #7:21 Lit lawprinciple that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22For I joyfully agree with the law of God #7:22 Or with respect toin the inner person, 23but I see a different law in #7:23 Lit my parts wagingthe parts of my body waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner #7:23 Lit inof the law of sin, the law which is in #7:23 Lit my partsmy body’s parts. 24Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from #7:24 Or this body of deaththe body of this death? 25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.
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Romans 7: NASB2020
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Romans 7
7
No Longer Bound to the Law
1Now, dear brothers and sisters#7:1 Greek brothers; also in 7:4.—you who are familiar with the law—don’t you know that the law applies only while a person is living? 2For example, when a woman marries, the law binds her to her husband as long as he is alive. But if he dies, the laws of marriage no longer apply to her. 3So while her husband is alive, she would be committing adultery if she married another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law and does not commit adultery when she remarries.
4So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God. 5When we were controlled by our old nature,#7:5 Greek When we were in the flesh. sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. 6But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.
God’s Law Reveals Our Sin
7Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.”#7:7 Exod 20:17; Deut 5:21. 8But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power. 9At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, 10and I died. So I discovered that the law’s commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead. 11Sin took advantage of those commands and deceived me; it used the commands to kill me. 12But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good.
13But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God’s good commands for its own evil purposes.
Struggling with Sin
14So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. 15I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. 16But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 17So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
18And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.#7:18 Greek my flesh; also in 7:25. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
21I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22I love God’s law with all my heart. 23But there is another power#7:23 Greek law; also in 7:23b. within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
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