In Romans 7, Paul highlights a major problem for the Jewish people. On the one hand, they have this very good thing known as the Law (they called it “Torah”). However, something crept in and sabotaged what was meant to bring life. Sin – with a capital “S” – entered the picture and now death would be the result for God’s people. What to do? Who will deliver them from such a plight? The good news is that God has provided a glorious remedy!

In chapter 6, Paul urged the church to live in light of their new life in Christ - to count themselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. As he moves forward in his letter, Paul is going to ask God’s people to consider another very important reality. In belonging to Christ, we are now released from the law to serve in the new way of the Spirit.

Last week, we talked about how Christians are dead to sin and alive to God in Christ. God has declared this to be so, so it is true whether we feel this way or not. This week, we will see how this should impact our daily lives.

After Paul has spent time reminding God's people of both their current standing and future hope in Christ, he now retells the tragic story of one person in the beginning. Through this one man, Adam, sin burst onto the scene and death was now in charge. But Paul has a purpose behind recounting this – he wants to draw us in to the story of another man whose one great act would surpass that of the one man's sin. Sin and death may have been unleashed through Adam, but "how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!"