Jesus, help me understand that when I was controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in my body, so that I bore fruit for death (Rom 7:5). Help me see that I am not only moving into a new life, I am moving into new laws, rules, and commandments for living that life. Just like I wouldn’t be able to apply the same rules to a married life that I would use in a single life, I can’t use the same ones for living the Christian life that I used in my old life. Different sports have different rules; different professions must use different systems; and, different cultures use different customs.

Jesus, but now, by dying to what once bound me, I have been released from the law so that I serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code (Rom 7:6). By still living as a human WHILE living as a child of God, I am finding that there is some confusion as to which rules, laws, and requirements to apply to each situation. So, help me take a look at each part of this verse and see if You can teach me a new way of living.

Now, by dying to what once bound us: Jesus, teach me that when I did something wrong, bad, or evil to myself, other people, or to God’s plan, I sinned against the LAWS of God. But, when I was too young to know the difference between right and wrong, there was no awareness of any laws. However, when my conscience became aware of right and wrong, if I did it anyway, which everyone has, I sinned. Show me that the moment I committed my first sin, was the moment I died in my relationship with God. Teach me that death means separation not ceasing to exist. Rom 6:23 (NIV) For the wages of sin is DEATH, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law: Jesus, teach me that the first thing that had to happen to me at salvation, justification, and being born again was, I had to be released from a law that made me responsible for carrying it out. I had to be brought under a law that allowed me to look to You to empower me to carry it out. Help me understand that salvation, justification, and the new birth made me like I was before I knew the difference between right and wrong.

Now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law SO THAT we serve in the new way of the Spirit: Jesus, what am I going to do; shall I feel free to break the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17); am I now free to go murder someone (Exodus 20:13)? Teach me that the old laws still apply; but, through an entirely different system. The new way of the Spirit gives me power to obey the old laws for a completely different reason.

Help me see that the penalty for breaking ANY PART of the old law was death or separation from God. This was because I had just contracted the spiritual disease of sin. I became contagious and had to be quarantined from God’s family and Kingdom; show me that, that is death or separation from God.

Now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code: Jesus, teach me the difference between reading something, memorizing something, learning something, understanding something and BEING something. I BECAME a child of God; I didn’t just learn about being a child of God. I AM a citizen in God’s Kingdom; I didn’t just learn information about His Kingdom. Teach me that the new way of the Spirit is all about GETTING, BECOMING, and LIVING the laws, rules, and commandments of God. They aren’t being forced on me; I am learning all of their benefits and then allowing them to flow through my life.

So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good (Rom 7:12). Jesus, teach me that there never was a problem with the laws, rules, and commandments of God. They were pointing me in the direction of wonderful things; but, they didn’t have the power to help me see how wonderful they were; and, they didn’t have the ability to empower me to live them. So, You came and produced a new way of the Spirit by dying and raising from the dead. I may not understand all the spiritual implications of that, but, help me see that I can take advantage of them anyway.

Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful (Rom 7:13). Jesus, if a doctor points out to me that I have a deadly disease, they are serving an important purpose. If they can prescribe a cure, they are serving a wonderful purpose. Even if they can’t administer that cure but have to recommend another doctor, they are still serving a vital purpose. He me appreciate this same thing about Your laws, rules, and commandments.

Jesus, even though the laws of God can’t cure me, help me understand that they can make sin utterly sinful, if I will allow them to. Since God can’t and won’t allow me into His family or Kingdom if I am doing wrong, bad, or evil, I need to know it. But, if He didn’t provide me with laws, rules, and commandments that pointed out what was keeping me out, I would be separated and quarantined with no way of finding out why. However, since God DID give me those laws, rules, and commandments and they made me guilty when I didn’t obey them, I would still be kept out of God’s family and Kingdom even though I knew why; I just couldn’t do anything about it.

Jesus, You produced a cure for all of my breaking these laws, rules, and commandments. All I had to do was pray Matthew 6:9-13 and obey Romans 10:8-10 and I got saved, justified, and born again. But, I still have a God-given free will; so, I have the right to decide whether or not I want to remain cured. Each decision decides whether or not I want to be contaminated with the very contagious, deadly spiritual disease of sin. It is all dependent on whether I do it on purpose. And, that condition decides whether or not God will allow me into His family and Kingdom. If I EVER do anything wrong on purpose, help me to immediately turn to You and repent.

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets (Mat 7:12). Jesus, teach me that through You, God gave me a clean record so I would be able to have a relationship with Him. This record isn’t clean just because He removed all the wrong, bad, and evil deeds I did, am doing, and will do; it is also clean because He has credited me with all right, good, and righteous deeds; God has credited me with perfection. Show me that He did this so I could be trained and empowered by Him. He did it so I could start doing those things that are being credited on my record with Him, and so I could stop doing those things that were cleansed off of it. BUT, I am not doing all those good things; and, I haven’t stopped doing all those bad things to myself and others.

I do not understand what I do. For what I WANT to do I do not do, but what I HATE I do (Rom 7:15). Jesus, teach me what this new or untrained Christian is doing that he hates; and, what are they not doing that they want to be doing. Show me that they have a clean record with God so they can have access to Him; but, they haven’t learned how to do right, good, and righteous things to themselves, others, and God’s plan. NOW, I must learn how to do right, good, and righteous things to myself, others, and God’s plan. And, I must learn how to stop doing wrong, bad, and evil things to myself, others, and God’s plan.