11am On-line Service 07 March 2021
Handout and reflection questions for Romans 7:7-25.
Dear GCBC Parents:
The Bible passage for this week’s sermon, Romans 7:7-25, is one of my favourites. The struggle of our sin nature is answered in Jesus Christ (v. 25a).
Up to this point in Romans, Paul has explained how obeying the law cannot make us right with God (3:20). It is a changed heart (2:29) that comes from having faith in Jesus Christ (3:22, 28). Paul repeatedly states that God’s law was given so that people could see how sinful they are (3:20 and 5:20), and last week’s sermon passage spoke to how the law even arouses our sinful desires (7:5). So if the law is good, giving us wisdom in right living but is not enough, what then?
We find the answer in 7:6 where it states that we can now serve God in a new way by living in the Spirit. The rest of the verses in Romans 7 speak to the effect of the Spirit at work in us. We don’t obey the law to make us look like Christ (working by our actions), but we look to the Holy Spirit allowing Him to change our hearts for spiritual growth which then bears fruit for God.
A good way to explain this to your children would be to ask them: If a task is frustrating you, do you keep trying to do it in the same way, or do you try to find another way? What might that other way be? (Then relate this to continually working to obey the law compared with a new way of allowing the Holy Spirit to do the work in us.)
Other supporting verses for discussion would be Matthew 5:21-22. Ask your children what Jesus is saying in these verses in contrast to following the letter of the ten commandments.
Finally, turn to Galatians 5:17 if you’d like to talk with your children more about the work of the Spirit in our lives. Ask your children how they’ve seen or felt the Spirit change their desires from following their sinful nature to following the Spirit. Share a specific example from your own life, and then ask them if they can share their own example. (I know for me, I feel the Spirit working in me a lot when I am tempted to say unhelpful words!)
I pray you have good discussions with your children this week. May your love for Jesus and your family continue to grow.
God Bless,
Mandy
Links:
A great video from the Bible Project explaining the work of the Holy Spirit – https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/holy-spirit
Phil Vischer from “What’s In The Bible?” explaining to parents that we need to teach our children about the Holy Spirit from the beginning of the Bible and not just from Acts – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=regCqfUSMiI
“What’s In The Bible?” clip explaining the Holy Spirit to children – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7tWlAKld-4