Romans 7: Dead to the Law, Married to Christ

This sermon treats Romans 7 as “life-and-death serious,” showing how our short earthly lives stand in stark contrast to eternity and why the gospel cannot be taken lightly. Building from Romans 6, Paul’s slavery and fruit imagery explains that grace does not give us permission to sin, but frees us from sin’s dominion to become slaves of righteousness. In Romans 7:1–6, Paul uses the picture of marriage to show that believers have died to the law in Christ so they can now belong to Him and bear fruit for God. Through the new covenant promise of God’s law written on our hearts, we move from the external poking of the written code to the internal power of the Holy Spirit, who produces grief over sin, love for others, and a growing desire to obey God.