ROMANS Study Guide

(2) Sin will not dwell in the new creation (our spirit) where now

the Holy Spirit lives which is hidden in Christ (Col.3:3). It

can only reside in our soulish life of will, emotion and

reasoning and in our physical body (our lower

nature). This is why Paul prays for the

Thessalonians to be sancti fied “wholly” ( completely)

spirit, soul and body (1Thess.5:23). He rebukes the

Corinthian Church for acting out of their “carnal or

soulish nature” ( 1Cor.3:3)

(c) We must remember, we begin as spiritual babies - self

focused and distorted from years of being lead

and abused by our old sin nature. The sin distorted soul

must be converted and healed and spiritually transformed.

We cannot live out of this broken and unhealthy region of

our life. Such thinking and living must be crucified and

denied. There will be need for deliverance and spiritual

healing and cleansing as we grow up stronger in Jesus

Christ. Spiritual strongholds will need to be broken which

we deal with in our spiritual freedom course. We must put

to death the imprint of the old nature on the soul and its

ways.

Throughout chapter seven Paul is attempting to show that anyone, including a believer, who

attempts to control the temptation of sin by obeying the letter of the law will fail. Such efforts will

only lead the individual into either moral despair or hypocrisy.

3) The Law of the Mind : vs.22-23 (The new heart to please the Lord)

(a) Paul is observing a conflict of desires in himself…each

desire is fixed and regular as a law and each at war with

the other.