In this episode, Ross O'Hair and Tom Price unpack Romans 7:1-6, offering a powerful and practical understanding of the freedom Christians have in Christ. They explain how striving to meet the law's impossible standards will lead us to frustration and failure while embracing grace allows us to grow in righteousness and live in the freedom God intends. Through a rich analogy comparing marriage to life under the law, they show how Christ's death releases us from the law and enables us to bear fruit for God. Listen today to gain valuable insights into overcoming the pressures of performance-based acceptance and find encouragement to live confidently in God's grace.
Key Verses:
Romans 7:1-6: “Or do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress. Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.”
Quotes:
“Grace is a safe place for us to practice our gift of righteousness that was gifted to us through Christ.”
“The law demands absolute perfection but does nothing to help us achieve that perfection.”
“We've been released from performance-based acceptance and are now joined to God in intimate relationship.”
Key Points:
- The law cannot produce righteousness; it only exposes our inability to meet its demands.
- Through Christ’s death, we are released from the law and free to live under grace.
- Grace provides the freedom to grow in righteousness without fear of condemnation.
Outline:
- Introduction (00:06)
- Scripture Reading (01:15)
- Why Paul repeatedly mentions the law (02:36)
- The Law’s Purpose (03:55)
- Marriage Analogy (05:39)
- How grace provides freedom to bear fruit (06:18)
- Living out freedom in everyday life (09:27)
- Working in a grace-based work environment (14:46)
- Major Takeaway (16:58)
- Conclusion (17:43)
Theme Music:
Here Forever by Adigold
Cinematic Strings by Cleanmindsounds
(all rights and licensing from Envato elements)
Hosted by: Ross O'Hair
Participating Staff: Tom Price
Edited by: Ross O’Hair and Ben Brezina
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In need of individual counseling? (00:06):
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Have you ever found yourself in thatfamiliar place where it seems like no matter
how hard you try, you just can't measure upto the standards set before you?
Maybe it's at work in your relationshipswith a sin, struggle, or even in your
personal goals.
It's that feeling of being caught in arelentless cycle of striving for perfection
(00:29):
or even adequacy, and just only fall shorttime and time again.
Now imagine a different scenario.
What if I told you that there's a way out ofthat exhausting cycle?
What if you could let go of the pressure toperform and instead embrace a life marked by
freedom and grace?
What would that look like for you?
How would it change the way you approachyour daily challenges and decisions?
(00:50):
These questions aren't just hypotheticals.
They're at the heart of our podcast today.
It's the very question Paul is addressing inRomans 7126.
My name is Ross O'Hare, and I'll be yourhost today.
And joining me on today's episode is Tomprice, and we're discussing that passage.
But before we delve into today's topic,let's take a moment and listen to the
Scripture.
Ben Brezina:
Romans chapter seven, verses one through six. (01:15):
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Or do you not know, brothers?
For I'm speaking to those who know the law,that the law is binding on a person only as
long as he lives for a married woman isbound by law to her husband while he lives.
(01:36):
But if her husband dies, she is releasedfrom the law of marriage.
Accordingly, she will be called anadulteress if she lives with another man
while her husband is alive.
But if her husband dies, she is free fromthat law, and if she marries another man,
she's not an adulteress.
Likewise, my brothers, you also have died tothe law through the body of Christ, so that
(01:58):
you may belong to another.
To him who's raised from the dead, in orderthat we may bear fruit for God.
For while we were living in the flesh, oursinful passions aroused by the law, were at
work in our members to bear fruit for death.
But now we're released from the law, havingdied to that which held us captive, so that
we may serve in the new way of the spirit,and not in the old way of the written code.
Ross O'Hair:
All right. Hey, Tom, how's it going today? (02:32):
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Tom Price:
Hey, Ross. I'm doing great. (02:34):
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Ross O'Hair:
Awesome. I'm really excited about diving into
Romans seven here. (02:36):
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We're covering the first six verses, and,you know, it really stands out to me is we're
starting to read chapter seven and gothrough this is how many times Paul at the
beginning mentions the word law, right?
I mean, he's doing it repeatedly in thisfirst six verses.
Why is he doing that?
Tom Price:
Well, it's funny, I went through and counted
how many times, and I got around 25 times in (02:55):
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the whole chapter. So he brings it in a lothere.
Now, remember from episode one of thispodcast, Ben talked about who the readers of
this letter were, and they were Gentile andJewish Christians who lived in Rome, and just
living in Rome alone they would understandwhat law is.
(03:18):
As Paul says here in verse one, but theJewish Christians, they're also bringing in
the Levitical law.
You know, they're trying to teach theseGentiles the Levitical law.
And the law is very demanding.
It's very strict, and there is no room forfailure.
In Romans 520.
Paul said that the law came in so that thetransgression would increase.
(03:39):
So one of the main purposes of the law wasto show those under the law that their
righteousness does not measure up to thestrict standards of the law.
It's not able to. And the very act ofregulating your behavior by following laws or
rules or principles or precepts or whateveryou want to call it, it only leads to more
sinning. It doesn't lead to less sinning.
(04:01):
And Paul wants his readers to understandthat being under the law doesn't produce
righteousness.
Ross O'Hair:
Yeah, well, it's interesting when you say
that, like, obviously as believers, we all (04:06):
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want to live or act righteously in ourbehaviors and what we're doing.
But it's what Paul's saying and what you'resaying here is that the law or law keeping
doesn't or actually can't produce that.
Tom Price:
Oh, no. Absolutely not. (04:20):
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Paul knows that his audience is strugglingwith trying to marry the Law of Moses, with
living as a follower of Christ.
And Paul just said in Romans six, verse 14that we're no longer under law but under
grace. And in the same chapter in verse 18,Paul said that we became slaves of
righteousness. And that's great news.
(04:41):
Yeah it is. Our hearts are new and pure andteachable, and our new hearts desire what God
desires. So grace is a safe place for us topractice our gift of righteousness that was
gifted to us through Christ.
And we can't practice righteousness asslaves to sin living under the law.
We must be set free from sin and given newdesires.
Ross O'Hair:
Yeah, I love when you use the phrase "grace
is a safe place." I've heard you say that (05:02):
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before, and it's one of those things thatreally stands out to me because, you know,
grace can get lost in the christian-eselanguage sometimes where you're kind of like,
I've heard it a million times, but what doesit really mean?
You know, we've talked about what gracemeans, but it being a safe place for us to
learn what it looks like to liverighteously.
(05:22):
It's such a great picture for that.
Now, we're obviously in Romans seven.
We've gone through six chapters, or Paul haswritten six chapters so far, and he's in the
seventh year, and he's bringing in this likemarriage analogy or something.
And it's kind of a weird place to put it in.
But why is he why is he bringing in thismarriage analogy here?
Tom Price:
Well, what Paul is really doing is he's wants
to make a powerful point regarding our (05:39):
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freedom in Christ.
But freedom cannot be attained through lawliving.
And so Paul uses this marriage analogy inverses two and three to show that the only
legal way to be released from the obligationto law is death.
And so in this illustration, really whathe's doing, he's relating the husband to the
(06:03):
law and the wife to everyone who's born inAdam, okay.
And in Romans 5:19, Paul said that throughAdam's disobedience, everyone was made a
sinner and a sinner married to the lawcannot bear fruit for God.
It's impossible.
Ross O'Hair:
Yeah. (06:18):
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Tom Price:
So there's this problem in this marriage
between the law and fallen humanity. (06:18):
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In this marriage, the husband demandsabsolute perfection.
So that's what the law demands.
But it does nothing to help the wife achievethat perfection.
Ross O'Hair:
Not real helpful. Yeah. (06:33):
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Tom Price:
No. And the wife, no matter how hard she
tries, she will never come close to measuring (06:34):
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up to the husband's demands for thatperfection.
So all the self-effort on the part of thewife to measure up is really ultimately
futile. And in a marriage like this, there'sno peace, there's no joy, there's no
encouragement, and really no love.
(06:56):
You could say this is a fruitless marriage.
Ross O'Hair:
Well, I guess when you say fruitless
marriage, what do you mean? (06:58):
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What do you mean by that?
Tom Price:
Well, in theory, this marriage is supposed
to - this marriage between, you know, law and (07:02):
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and the people under it - it's supposed toproduce good works.
I mean, after all, the law tells you what todo and what not to do so that you can achieve
good works, right? Yeah.
I mean, what else do you need?
Well, you need the inner desire along withthe power to produce good works.
(07:25):
And the law provides neither of these.
So ultimately this marriage doesn't producegood fruit or good works.
The only way for anyone to bear fruit forGod is to have God's life within them.
Yeah, and God's life cannot be displayedthrough a lifeless sinner who is bound to the
law.
Ross O'Hair:
Well, you use the word lifeless sinner. (07:42):
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And earlier you used the word death as thequote unquote only legal way to be released
from the law. So obviously we're talkingabout lifelessness or death.
How does that play into this transformation?
Tom Price:
In verse four, Paul said that we as believers
were made to die to the law through Christ. (07:56):
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As Paul explained in his marriage analogy,the wife could only be free from the marriage
through death.
And so we were crucified with Christ.
We died with him.
So Paul makes this powerful point in Romans6:6 and in Romans 6:7 he said, our death
(08:18):
freed us from sin.
Now a person who is freed from sin doesn'tneed to be married to the law, but is free to
be married to Jesus. And around here we liketo call Jesus Mr.
Grace.
Ross O'Hair:
Yeah. Well, it's interesting before you keep
going, you know, we're not this is not an (08:29):
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exposition on marriage or divorce.
It's like an it's an analogy of what?
He's strictly.
Tom Price:
An analogy. Yeah. (08:38):
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Ross O'Hair:
I think that's important to say too. (08:39):
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Tom Price:
Yeah. And so our, our new hearts are pure and
teachable. (08:40):
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And again, that's great news.
I didn't know that for years as a Christian.
And so our new heart's desire, what Goddesires and grace is that wonderful, safe
place for us to practice our gift ofrighteousness that was gift to us through
Christ. Um, Paul said in Romans 5:17 that wecan reign in life because of God's gift of
(09:05):
grace and righteousness lifeless, sinfulcreatures submitting to the lawful
requirements could never bear fruit for God.
But new creatures, which is who we are, areinfused with Christ's life, and we desire the
things of God. And now we can bear fruit forGod when we're operating out of his grace.
Ross O'Hair:
Yeah, that Romans 5:17 where we can reign in
life. (09:27):
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It's such a great verse.
I mean, I want to reign in life.
And it goes back to the questions we askedin the introduction of this episode.
It's like oftentimes we feel like we don'tmeasure up.
You know, we're struggling, we have issuesand we can't we can't measure up to that
perfect standard that God set.
And it's exhausting, right?
(09:47):
I mean, that's the opposite of reigning inlife is exhausting life.
And so, like, you know, we want to answerthat question.
And this begins to give us a little moreclarity of how we can begin to break free
from that cycle of law versus grace, butmaybe more of a practical example, give us
something that we can look for practicallyday-to-day.
How do we live this out of leaving Mr.
(10:09):
Law and going to Mr.
Grace.
Tom Price:
I have been in the work world for the last
well - let's say I'm 60 and so I've been (10:11):
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working basically since I was 18 years old.
Ross O'Hair:
Don't look a day over 40 man. (10:21):
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Tom Price:
Man I know, I know, yeah. (10:22):
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Good genetics.
Ross O'Hair:
There you go. (10:25):
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Tom Price:
And so I've had jobs where you go in and
you're expected certain things. (10:26):
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So just in a way of illustration, imaginegoing and working for someone who's very
strict, very regimented and they have highstandards.
And they say to you, listen, here's here'syour job description.
This is what I want you to do.
(10:48):
But here's the catch.
You're only allowed two mistakes.
You can't make any mistakes beyond the two.
If you make that third mistake, you're out.
Ross O'Hair:
Yeah, I just get this picture in my mind of
like an assembly line and you're putting (10:56):
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something together, and all of a sudden it'slike you've got two chances.
Yeah.
Tom Price:
And I bet a place like that goes through a
lot of employees, right? (11:03):
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Exactly. So if you were working for, youknow, someone like that.
What would you be thinking about each day asyou go to work?
Ross O'Hair:
Yeah, well, I mean, obviously there'd be so
much pressure every day and you'd be every (11:13):
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single whatever it is you're puttingtogether, you know, break apart for a car and
be like, you'd be your hands would beshaking kind of.
You'd be super nervous about it.
Yeah.
Tom Price:
All you'd be thinking about is, man, I can't
fail, I can't fail. (11:26):
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Ross O'Hair:
don't mess up, don't mess up. (11:29):
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Tom Price:
Right, right. But imagine going to work for
an employer who tells you you cannot fail. (11:30):
undefined
Now, what are you thinking about?
I mean, they're saying, listen, I want youto go and practice what you're being trained
to do here and and get good at it.
Yeah. And don't be afraid to fail.
Now, what would you be thinking?
Ross O'Hair:
Well, yeah, I mean, obviously, I'd be very
confident in the ability or the time that I (11:48):
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would have to make it work and get it rightto perfect in a way, whatever that job is.
I'd feel much more confident.
Tom Price:
Absolutely. And as I was thinking through
this illustration, I thought, oh, and you (11:59):
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know, another added benefit here is maybeyour employer says to you, hey, listen, as
you're practicing, I'm actually going towork alongside you.
Not to judge you, not to condemn everymistake you make.
But just because I want to work alongsideyou and be a part of your day and do this job
(12:22):
with you. Now that's I mean, to me, that'san added bonus.
This is somebody who wants you there, whowants to pour into you.
Ross O'Hair:
So just to understand the analogy, you're
saying that the Holy Spirit not only gives us (12:30):
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room for mistakes, but doesn't condemn us,works alongside us, works in us to help us
produce that part.
Tom Price:
Absolutely. It's just a it's a day full of
encouragement. (12:43):
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Ross O'Hair:
Yeah. And I mean, if you really think about
that with the situation that you may be (12:47):
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facing as you listen to this, like I feellike it's a it's an opportunity to sit back
and relax in the understanding that youcan't mess up God's work in you, that he's in
charge of that. And so you can really take adeep breath and, you know, remove yourself
from the exhausting cycle of trying to getit perfect as opposed to, okay, God, if I
(13:10):
don't get it right this time, I know you'reright there to help me and to show me and to
encourage me, as opposed to thiscondemnation that I may feel.
Tom Price:
Exactly. You know, because, you know, getting
back to the Scripture here, because we're (13:18):
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released from the strict obligations of thelaw where all the focus is on our
performance. Okay.
We've been released from that.
Now we're free to grow in God's grace andactually bear the fruit of his spirit in our
daily lives.
Ross O'Hair:
So we've talked about it like how to apply it
or this, you know, the example of this (13:38):
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assembly line. What about you personally?
How has this been real for you?
Tom Price:
Well, like I said, I've had a lot of jobs
over my life, and in the past I've worked (13:46):
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some jobs where there were yearlyevaluations and and they were based on
mutually agreed upon goals that were setreally to guide my performance.
And every year, I dreaded giving anaccounting of how I felt I did on meeting
(14:08):
those goals.
As I'd ramp up to the meeting, I think, ohmy gosh, what did I where did I go wrong?
Where did I go wrong?
And so I'd have to sit in those meetings andsay, you know, okay, this was the goal.
And here's how I think I did.
And then they would tell me how they thoughtI did.
Now, the funny thing is, is most of the timeit turned out to be encouraging, sure, but it
(14:29):
was not. They weren't the problem.
The problem was the system.
It was a system of performance.
That said, if you want to measure up, youhave to accomplish this.
Yep. And then when I came here to Christianfamilies today, I was really kind of caught
off guard because it was such a differentsystem of operating.
(14:49):
It is. Yeah. And I was here, uh, probablyabout three months, and I went and sat down
with Bo and kind of went to his office, youknow, and said, hey, I have a question for
you, Bo, because I'm still learning theropes here.
I said, so when do we do our yearlyevaluation meeting?
Ross O'Hair:
You're trying to prepare yourself for that
day already? (15:06):
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Tom Price:
Exactly. Because I don't remember. (15:08):
undefined
I didn't remember, you know, like sittingdown and charting my course.
Now, I had a job description.
Right. And he said to me, all right, Tom, this is what I want you to do whenever you
come to work. I want you to ask the HolySpirit, "Holy Spirit, what do you want me to
do today?" And then you just do that.
Now. Now, don't get me wrong.
(15:29):
We have goals here at CFT.
We have a direction that we're going.
But what Beau was doing, he was saying, I'mfreeing you up to operate in your gifts,
working in and through the Holy Spirit.
And what that really does is produce more,you know, there's more production out of my
life and not less.
(15:50):
I'm not sitting there every day worryingabout gam I good enough?
Am I good enough? It's like God saying, Tom,you're good enough.
Now just go be good enough.
Ross O'Hair:
Yeah, yeah, that's so amazing. (15:59):
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I can relate so much to that story.
Having worked in the business world for tenyears before coming here.
And yeah, there's such a expectation-driven,performance-driven standard out there again,
which we're not knocking that we're notsaying that that's bad, but what that
produces is that fear and that anxiety thatcome with it.
(16:21):
Whereas when you work in an environmentagain where it's like, hey, we trust the Holy
Spirit in you and your ability to the giftshe's given you to go produce those things and
his courage and strength in you.
There's such a freedom that comes with thatand a confidence that comes with that.
And and that's what we're talking about.
I think that's what goes back to with Paul.
It's like the marriage analogy is like, hey,you want to be married to someone that treats
(16:43):
you like that? Absolutely.
As opposed to someone that has just highexpectations for you and that's all that
matters to them. So as we wrap up here, whatwould be your major takeaway then for someone
listening? We've gone over Romans 7:1-6.
What's the major takeaway?
Tom Price:
Well, I know this is going to sound
theological, but I would say that through the (16:58):
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death of Christ, this is important, that ourcrucifixion with him, the fact that our old
self died with him.
And now we've been made new, that we havebeen released from performance-based
acceptance, and now we're joined to God inintimate relationship, and we can now enjoy
(17:20):
an intimate relationship with him andexpress his life through the avenue of Grace.
Ross O'Hair:
Man, that's so good. Yeah. When we removed
the strict standard of the law as a means to (17:26):
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a relationship with God, that intimacy cangrow so much.
Awesome. Well, Tom, thanks so much forworking through Romans 7:1-6 and I'm really
excited for the next section.
So thanks so much for your time.
Tom Price:
You're welcome. (17:43):
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Ross O'Hair:
We hope you guys enjoyed listening today. (17:43):
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Thank you so much for listening to theLiving in Jesus podcast, and we hope you join
us next week. Have a great day.