Three Romans Chapters: 6, 7, and 8

by | Posted April 19th at 2:07pm

St. Paul’s three chapters in Romans 6–8 emphasize the believer’s union with Christ, the tension between justification and ongoing sanctification, and the transformative power of grace. His analysis integrates forensic justification with the practical reality of spiritual warfare, culminating in the assurance of victory through the Spirit. Below is a verse-by-verse breakdown of his theological framework:

Romans 6: Death to Sin, Life in Christ

This chapter establishes believers’ definitive break with sin through their union with Christ’s death and resurrection. Key elements include:

Romans 7: The Struggle with Indwelling Sin

This chapter as a spiritual autobiography of the believer’s tension between their justified status and the lingering presence of sin. Key insights:

Romans 8: Victory Through the Spirit

This chapter is the climactic resolution of the preceding struggles, centered on the Spirit’s work:

Theological Synthesis

Romans chapters 6 to 8 reflect St. Paul’s broader emphasis on grace-driven reformation, where doctrinal truth fuels personal holiness and societal transformation.

Transformation in Romans 6, 7, and 8

Sanctification in Romans 6–8 centers on the inseparable link between justification and sanctification, the believer’s union with Christ, and the transformative work of the Holy Spirit. The author Paul emphasizes that sanctification is a definitive reality and an ongoing process, rooted in grace rather than human effort. Below is a synthesis of his approach:

1. Sanctification as a Definitive Break with Sin (Romans 6)

Sanctification begins with the believer’s union with Christ’s death and resurrection (Rom 6:3–5). This union severs the power of sin’s dominion:

  • Freedom from slavery to sin: Justification liberates believers from sin’s penalty, while sanctification breaks its ruling power. The declaration “we died to sin” (Rom 6:2) is not merely positional but establishes a new identity, enabling believers to “walk in newness of life” (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:14–15)

  • Ethical imperative: Sanctification is not optional; grace compels holiness. Paul refutes antinomianism by showing that salvation by grace necessitates a life of obedience (Rom 6:15–16). 1

  • Fourfold responsibility: Most commentators stress the believer’s role in sanctification: knowing their union with Christ, reckoning themselves dead to sin, yielding to God, and obeying His Word (Rom 6:11–19).

2. The Tension of Indwelling Sin (Romans 7)

Romans 7 is a portrayal of the Christian’s ongoing struggle with sin, even after justification:

  • The law’s role: The law exposes sin’s persistence in the flesh (Rom 7:7–12), highlighting the inadequacy of human effort. The “wretched man” (Rom 7:24) exemplifies the tension between the redeemed spirit and the lingering sinful nature as noted by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ book “God the Holy Spirit,” published as Second Edition in 2002 with the first Edition in 1997. 2

  • Dependence on grace: Sanctification cannot be achieved through legalistic striving but through reliance on Christ’s finished work. The cry of despair in Rom 7:24 resolves in gratitude for deliverance through Jesus (Rom 7:25a), pointing to the Spirit’s victory in Romans 8. 3

3. Spirit-Empowered Transformation (Romans 8)

Romans 8 resolves the tension by emphasizing the Holy Spirit’s role in sanctification:

  • No condemnation: The believer’s standing in Christ (Rom 8:1) assures that sanctification flows from justification. The Spirit empowers obedience, fulfilling the law’s requirements (Rom 8:4). 4

  • Progressive renewal: The Spirit renews the mind (Rom 8:5–6), replacing a “fleshly mindset” with life and peace. This transformation is both individual and cosmic, as creation awaits final redemption (Rom 8:19–23).

  • Eschatological hope: The Spirit’s intercession (Rom 8:26–27) and God’s sovereign love (Rom 8:38–39) guarantee the believer’s perseverance, ensuring the completion of sanctification in glorification.

Key Themes in Romans Chapters 6-8

  • Union with Christ: Sanctification is grounded in participation in Christ’s death and resurrection, making holiness inseparable from gospel truth. This reveals the importance of studying true biblical doctrine and avoiding heresy.

  • Grace-driven effort: While sanctification requires active obedience, it is sustained by grace, not self-reliance. The imperative (“do not let sin reign”) flows from the indicative (“you are dead to sin”).

  • Integration of justification and sanctification: To separate them is to distort the gospel. Justification declares righteousness; Sanctification manifests it.

    1. When we believe in Christ, we do not give that glory to another, which is due only to God (Ps. 146:3-5). The confidence we place in the Redeemer is not alienated from God. Our justification is through faith in Christ, as Paul shows at great length in Romans. Yet, in the same epistle he sometimes speaks of that faith by which we are justified as if it were placed in God the Father: “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom. 10:9; 4:24). To believe in Christ as an exalted Saviour is to believe in God, who raised Him from the dead.
      • One thing is sure: our faith, if genuine, must be in exact accordance with the Word of the truth of the gospel. Hence, in Scripture, it is called obedience to the gospel or the “obedience of faith.”  As our study has indicated, faith in the Gospel of God means the Father calls us to His Son Jesus Christ to receive an inheritance of eternal salvation by the work of the Holy Spirit.
      • This exposition aligns with Reformed emphases on monergism and the Spirit’s transformative power, rejecting legalism and license. Monergerism underscores that sanctification is God’s work from start to finish, accomplished through the Word and Spirit and anchored in the believer’s union with Christ.

The Purpose of the Law in a Christian’s life

The perspective on the role of the Law in the believer’s life, as reflected in Romans 6–8, emphasizes its diagnostic purpose, its limitations in sanctification, and its fulfillment through union with Christ and the Spirit’s empowerment. Pauline theology, given to Paul by the revelation of the risen Jesus, integrates Reformed emphases on the Law’s holiness, its inability to justify or sanctify, and its enduring value in exposing sin and directing believers to grace.

1. The Law’s Diagnostic Role: Exposing Sin (Romans 7:7–12)

Paul’s assertion that the Law is “holy, righteous, and good” (Rom 7:12) reveals sin’s nature and human inability to meet God’s standards. Key points:

  • Mirror of sin: The Law acts as a spiritual mirror, exposing the “utter sinfulness of sin” (cf. Rom 7:7; 3:20). For example, the commandment against coveting (Exod 20:17) unveils the heart’s corruption, showing that sin is not merely external but rooted in desires.

  • Conviction without remedy: While the Law diagnoses sin’s presence, it offers no power to overcome it. It leaves humanity “shut up” under its condemnation until faith in Christ arrives (Gal 3:23–24).

2. The Law’s Limitations: Inability to Sanctify (Romans 7:14–25)

The Law, though good, cannot produce holiness in believers:

  • Stimulates rebellion: The Law’s prohibitions paradoxically incite sinful desires (Rom 7:5, 8), highlighting the flesh’s resistance to divine commands.

  • No power to transform: The Law commands righteousness but provides no enablement. Paul’s cry of despair—“Wretched man that I am!” (Rom 7:24)—illustrates the futility of legalistic striving. This aligns this with the believer’s need to rely on grace, not self-effort, for sanctification. 5

The Law’s Fulfillment: Life in the Spirit (Romans 8:1–4)

Romans 8 resolves the tension by showing how the Spirit fulfills the Law’s righteous requirements:

  • Freedom from condemnation: Justification secures believers’ standing (“no condemnation,” Rom 8:1), liberating them from the Law’s curse.

  • Spirit-empowered obedience: The Spirit enables believers to live out the Law’s moral essence (e.g., love, holiness) through inward renewal (Rom 8:4–6).6 This transcends external compliance, fulfilling the Law’s intent (cf. Matt 5:17).

  • Eschatological hope: The Spirit’s work guarantees final victory over sin, assuring believers of their ultimate conformity to Christ (Rom 8:29–30).

Synthesis: The Law’s Role in the Believer’s Life

Three key principles:

  1. Pedagogical function: The Law serves as a “tutor” (Gal 3:24) to drive sinners to Christ by exposing their need for grace.

  2. Moral guide: While believers are not “under the Law” (Rom 6:14), its moral principles reflect God’s character and inform ethical living. The Spirit empowers obedience, fulfilling the Law’s demands.

  3. Anti-legalism: Sanctification flows from union with Christ, not Law-keeping—the believer’s focus shifts from rule-based striving to Spirit-led transformation.

The Law remains strong in its aim of presenting a “holy” standard (Rom 7:12) but finds its telos in Christ, who liberates believers from their condemnation and empowers them to live in the “newness of the Spirit” (Rom 7:6). Thus, the Law’s role is diagnostic, not prescriptive, in progressive sanctification.

Other studies in Romans:

Romans 6: Finding Freedom from Sin

Romans 7: Defines law versus grace.

Romans 8: Defines law versus New Covenant grace.

1. Antinominalism: the view that Christians are released by grace from the obligation of observing the moral law.

2 D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ book “God the Holy Spirit,” published as Second Edition in 2002 with the first Edition in 1997.

3 Bible.org

4 D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

5 Dr. George Grant

6 Desiring God, Dr. John Piper

Article posted by Glen R. Jackman, founder of GraceProclaimed.org

Glen has optimized his eldership role to teach the full scope of the New Covenant of Jesus Christ without boundaries.
You can read his testimony.