Romans chapter 7, it's all about the issue that has been a source of confusion among Christians for many years.

The confusion is this. It's between the hypocrisy of performance and the freedom that we have in the risen Christ. This is a huge issue. So many people ended up

with going with one extreme or the other, of which the Bible is innocent of both extremes.

One extreme used grace as a license to sin. The other extreme is the legalism of performance.

Hear me right, please, this is important because I think both extremes not only erroneous,

not only wrong, but they cause a lot of frustration in the Christian life.

In Romans 7, Paul tells us about this more excellent way of living our Christian life away from

the agony of performance. It is a way of freedom. It's a way of liberty. It's a way of victory over sin.

In fact, there are two verses here. Let me get them out of the way, because I know, particularly those of you who are great Bible scholars, you said, I want to see what he's going to say about those verses.

You know the ones I'm talking about? 24 and 25. Oh, Richard, man, I am. Who should rescue me from this

body of death? Now, beloved, that's the performance crying. Verse 25, thanks be to God

through our Lord Jesus Christ. That's the liberty in Christ. This is the source of continuous victory.

Let's look at the chapter together.

But before I get to the outline which I worked out on for you, I need to tell you that

Romans chapter 7 goes more of it than any other chapter.

In fact, this division has been going on ever since the Apostle Paul wrote this.

Whole movements started dividing over the interpretation of Romans 7. Whole denominations even

started over that division. Some say, Paul was speaking about his life before Christ came into his life.

Others said, no, no, no, no, no.

This truly represents a growing, vibrant Christian life.

I'm going to tell you what I believe after 52 years of studying the scripture, trusting in the sovereign Lord.

And you've got to understand that seven comes after six. Chapter six is all about sanctification.

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