Romans 7

1-6

not much of interest here, the main idea is just that we have died to the law (7:4) and we now lives in Christ not in Law.. the apostle gave a good analogy here (7:2-3), place yourself as the wife, law as the first husband, Christ as the second husband.
the key points are:
1. you have died to the law thru Christ
2. now law is no more, you live in christ only

something comes up during discussion:

TIME SEQUENCE

+ Abraham
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+
+
+ Jewish community
+
+
+
o
o
o Christ
o
o
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.
. Christians
.
.
and on and on till the end of time

abraham:
faith
no law

jewish community:
some have faith, some just obeying the law but have no faith
definitely there's law of course

christ coming:
all ppl with faith are saved (salvation applies retro-actively -- Iben, 2007)
the law becomes more like a moral standard (because law by definition has to have consequences/penalty, and the consequence of the law has been taken care of).

7-12

- The law was intended to let you know what is wrong and right
- Sin fully perceived because because there's law
- Is the law sin? No.
- The law was good
- Side effect of law: human sinful nature brings us desire to sin against the law
- Law "that was intended to bring life actually brought death" (7:10)

- Law is just a law, it does not contain any provision of mercy or grace for relief.

13-25

We sin against our will, we want to abide by God's words but yet what comes out is sin all over again. This is why Law can't save us, it just points which is right and which is wrong. Human by nature will end up sin against it, we are doomed if there's only The Law without Christ.

pending questions:

1. mechanics of sinful nature, where did that come from? when did it start to exist?