Rom 7:4-6 | TNotes | STEP | 7:4 Christians have died to the power of the law (literally died to the law ) and so are no longer bound to it. Paul often refers to the law of Moses as representing the old regime of sin and death, but through union with Christ in his death, believers are set free.

g2 Cor 3:5-7►

‏ Romans 7:4-6

7:4 ^a Christians have died to the power of the law (literally died to the law) and so are no longer bound to it. Paul often refers to the law of Moses as representing the old regime of sin and death, but through union with Christ in his death, believers are set free.
7:5 ^b old nature (literally flesh): Although “flesh” can refer to the human body in a neutral sense (see 8:3 ^c, which speaks of Christ coming “in the flesh”), Paul more often uses the word negatively, to denote human existence apart from God. To be “in the flesh” is to be dominated by sin and its hostility to God.

• the law aroused these evil desires: The law of God is a good thing in itself (see 7:12 ^d), but it arouses sinful tendencies by provoking the rebellion that is in people’s hearts. When we are in rebellion against God, his commands spark in us a desire to do the exact opposite of what he commands.
7:6 ^e the letter of the law (literally the letter): Paul uses the word letter to refer to the law, which was engraved on tablets of stone and consisted of individual letters (see 2:29 ^f; 2 Cor 3:5-7 ^g).