THE POWER OF DEATH

Romans 7:1-6 – 1Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? 2For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. 3So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man. 4Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. 5For 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. 6But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.

I. Life Operates by Jurisdiction, Not Desire

Romans 7:1 – Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has DOMINION over a man as long as he lives?

• JURISDICTION – The invisible fence that determines what is legally possible in your life.

THE MARRIAGE LAW

Romans 7:2-3 – 2For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. 3So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man.

II. You Don’t Escape the Law — You Die to It

Romans 7:4 – Therefore, my brethren, you also have become DEAD TO THE LAW through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another— to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. (By Proxy = Jesus’ Body)

• Death is the intended outcome of God’s law.

Romans 3:19-21 – 19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets…

III. The Law Is the Operating System of Sin: Holy In Origin, Deadly in Operation

Romans 7:7 – What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not!

The Law does not originate sin; it administrates it.

• Sin existed before the Law, but it had no power to kill.

Genesis 6:5 – Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Romans 5:12-13 – 12Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—13For until the law sin was in the world, BUT SIN IS NOT IMPUTED WHEN THERE IS NO LAW.

Romans 4:13-15 – 13For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, 15because the law brings about wrath; FOR WHERE THERE IS NO LAW THERE IS NO TRANSGRESSION.• “When the Commandment Came,” the system activated.

Romans 7:8-9 – 8But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. FOR APART FROM THE LAW SIN WAS DEAD. 9I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.

System Truth: The commandment didn’t create sin; it activated it. Sin revived because the Law gave it Legal Leverage.

• The Law was a temporary protective system.

Galatians 3:19 – What purpose then does the law serve? It was ADDED because of transgressions, TILL THE SEED SHOULD COME to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.

Galatians 3:22-25 – 22But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ Might Be Given To Those Who Believe. 23But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, WE ARE NO LONGER UNDER A TUTOR.

• How the Law Operates as The Operating System of Sin

2 Corinthians 3:6-8 – 6Who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; FOR THE LETTER KILLS, but the Spirit gives life. 7But if THE MINISTRY OF DEATH, WRITTEN AND ENGRAVED ON STONES, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, 8how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?

1 Corinthians 15:56 – The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the Law.

IV. Why God Commands Us to Die to the Law• The new system God established doesn’t run on the Law.

Romans 7:6 – But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, SO THAT WE SHOULD SERVE IN THE NEWNESS OF THE SPIRIT and not in the oldness of the letter.

• We don’t die to God’s standards; only to the Law as a system.

Romans 8:4 – That the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Romans 7:4 – Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, THAT WE SHOULD BEAR FRUIT TO GOD.

Conclusion

Romans 8:1 – There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

- This week, stop measuring your life by RULES and start looking for LIFE.

- STOP CONDEMNING YOURSELF and start cooperating with the Christ in you.

- STOP LABELING people by their past and start SEEING THEIR POTENTIAL.

- Because the Kingdom doesn’t grow by regulation, it grows by LIFE.