Romans 7

Believers United to Christ

1Or do you not know, 1brothers and sisters (for I am speaking to those who know the 2Law), that the 3Law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? 2For 4the married woman is bound by law to her 5husband as long as he is alive; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law 6concerning the husband. 3So then, if while her husband is alive she 7gives herself to another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress if she 8gives herself to another man.

4Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you also were 9put to death 10in regard to the Law 11through the body of Christ, so that you might belong to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. 5For while we were 12in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were 13brought to light by the Law, were at work 14in 15the parts of our body to bear fruit for death. 6But now we have been 16released from the Law, having 17died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in 18newness of 19the 20Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

721What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? 2223Far from it! On the contrary, 24I would not have come to know sin except 25through the Law; for I would not have known about 26coveting if the Law had not said, “27You shall not 28covet.” 8But sin, 29taking an opportunity 30through the commandment, produced in me 31coveting of every kind; for 32apart 33from the Law sin is dead. 9I was once alive apart 34from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin came to life, and I died; 10and this commandment, which was 3536to result in life, proved 37to result in death for me; 11for sin, 38taking an opportunity 39through the commandment, 40deceived me, and through it, killed me. 1241So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

13Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? 4243Far from it! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by bringing about my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful.

The Conflict of Serving Two Masters

14For we know that the Law is 44spiritual, but I am 45fleshly, 46sold 4748into bondage to sin. 15For 49I do not understand what I am doing; for I am not practicing 50what I want to do, but I do the very thing I hate. 16However, if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with 51the Law, that the Law is good. 17But now, 52no longer am I the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me. 18For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my 53flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19For 54the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20But if I do the very thing I do not want, 55I am no longer the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me.

21I find then 56the 57principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22For I joyfully agree with the law of God 58in 59the inner person, 23but I see 60a different law in 61the parts of my body waging war against the 62law of my mind, and making me a prisoner 63of 64the law of sin, the law which is in 65my body’s parts. 24Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from 6667the body of this 68death? 2569Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh 70the law of sin.