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FROM THE PASTOR'S STUDY

Topic: Message Outlines: Chapter 7 (Include Audio)

Romans 7:13-25 (3)

by Darrel Cline
(darrelcline biblical-thinking.org)

Chapter # 7 Paragraph # 3 Study # 3
March 27, 2007
Lincolnton, N.C.
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Thesis:   There is a fundamental mismatch between men and the Law.

Introduction:   As Paul moved into chapter seven, he gradually stripped the layers from the "problem" so that he could finally expose its core. The first layer was his contention that those who knew the Law were supposed to know that it was limited in its impact to those who were alive. It ceases to have any ability to dominate a person once that person dies. This meant, on the surface level, that those who would live effectively were to understand clearly that the only way to do that was to "die".

The second layer was his contention that the "problem" is not a flaw in the Law. The Law is a most holy, righteous, and good reality. It was only by deception that Sin was able to snuff out the life that Paul had. This "deception" has, fundamentally, to do with the attitude one takes toward the revelation of our sin. Most people react to the revelation of their sins in angry rejection because they are committed to seeing themselves as "right" -- without guilt. God did not give the Law to pound us for being "sinners", but to make sure that we know we are so that we might seek His solution.

The third layer is the focus of our present study. This layer actually reaches the core. The essence of this core is that Sin is the dominating reality of our present makeup. There is no escaping this reality. No matter where we turn we see a problem that is so great that it cannot be solved apart from the destruction of our physical makeup. When the Bible tells us that a man who was filled by the Spirit from his mother's womb was so "unworthy" in the presence of Jesus that he felt that he could not even untie the thongs of His sandals, we are being told that, apart from the message of the Law, there is no solution to our condition.

That raises this question:what is the message of the Law? Tonight we are going to turn our attention to this question.


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This is article #301.
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