Single lesson
Romans 7: Release from the Law
Romans 7:1–6; Romans 7:7–12; Romans 7:13–25
Romans 7 moves through three connected ideas in order. Children will hear that believers are joined to Christ, that God’s law is good, and that people can want to do right yet still need help through Jesus Christ.
Before you teach
Paul speaks to people who know the law and starts with an example about how law rules while a person lives. He then says believers were made dead to the law through the body of Christ, explains that the law shows sin, and describes the struggle of wanting to do good while sin is still present.
Students will be able to explain that Romans 7 teaches release from the law through Christ, that God’s law is holy and good, and that our struggle with sin shows our need for help through Jesus Christ.
Welcome: three parts of Romans 7
4 minWrite three simple headings where everyone can see them: joined to Christ, God’s law is good, and needing help with sin. Tell the children they will follow the chapter in that order. First comes Romans 7:1–6, then Romans 7:7–12, then Romans 7:13–25. Ask them to listen for one important sentence in each part.
Romans 7:4, Romans 7:6, Romans 7:12, Romans 7:24, Romans 7:25
Read and explain: from law to belonging to Christ
7 minRead Romans 7:1–6. Explain that Paul gives an example to show that a law’s rule ends at death. Then show Paul’s main point in verse 4: believers were made dead to the law through the body of Christ so they would be joined to the risen Christ. Verse 6 says they now serve in a new way.
Romans 7:1, Romans 7:2, Romans 7:3, Romans 7:4, Romans 7:6
Discuss: God’s law is holy and good
6 minNow move to Romans 7:7–12. Tell the children this next part answers an important question: if sin is a problem, is the law bad? Paul says no. The law helps show what sin is, as in the command, “You shall not covet.” Paul finishes by saying the law is holy, righteous, and good.
Romans 7:7, Romans 7:8, Romans 7:11, Romans 7:12
Make and respond: when I want to do right
9 minNext read Romans 7:13–25, choosing key verses such as 15, 18, 19, 24, and 25. Explain in child-friendly words that Paul describes wanting to do what is right but still doing wrong. That struggle shows how strong sin is. Then point clearly to the hope: “I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!” Children make a reminder card from one verse.
Romans 7:15, Romans 7:18, Romans 7:19, Romans 7:24, Romans 7:25
Closing: retell the chapter in order
4 minReview the chapter with three short summaries. First, through Christ believers are made dead to the law and joined to him. Second, God’s law is holy and good. Third, people can feel a real struggle with sin and need deliverance. Explain Romans 7:6 simply: because of Christ, God’s people serve him in a new way, not only by hearing written commands.
Romans 7:4, Romans 7:6, Romans 7:12, Romans 7:24, Romans 7:25
Questions to explore
According to Romans 7:4 and Romans 7:6, what does Paul say believers are now able to do because of Christ?
Look for the words about being joined to another, producing fruit to God, and serving in newness of the spirit.
Romans 7:4, Romans 7:6
In Romans 7:7–12, why does Paul say the law is not sin?
Use the example of coveting and Paul’s final words that the law is holy, righteous, and good.
Romans 7:7, Romans 7:8, Romans 7:12
What problem and what hope do you hear in Romans 7:15–25?
Listen for the struggle of wanting to do good but doing wrong, then include Paul’s cry in verse 24 and his thanks in verse 25.
Romans 7:15, Romans 7:19, Romans 7:24, Romans 7:25
Make, think or respond
Romans 7 Reminder Card
What you’ll need
- plain paper or card
- pencils or pens
- crayons or coloured pencils
- Bible text
Try it together
- Show three short verse choices: Romans 7:4, Romans 7:12, or Romans 7:25.
- Ask each child to pick one verse and copy a short phrase from it onto a folded card.
- Give a simple model phrase they can write inside, such as “produce fruit to God” from Romans 7:4, “holy, righteous, and good” from Romans 7:12, or “I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!” from Romans 7:25.
- Let children draw a small symbol to match the verse, such as fruit, a heart, or the word “thanks”.
- Invite volunteers to read their card and say which part of Romans 7 it comes from.
The card helps children remember the order of Romans 7 and keep one clear phrase from the passage in view.
Adapt for your group
- For younger children, read each verse option aloud and let them trace a teacher-written phrase before adding a simple drawing.
- For more confident children, ask them to add a second line telling whether their verse fits Romans 7:1–6, Romans 7:7–12, or Romans 7:13–25.
An optional closing prayer
“Lord God, thank you that your law is holy and good. Thank you for Jesus Christ our Lord. Please help us serve you in a new way and turn to you when we feel the struggle with sin.”
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
Romans 7
1 Or don’t you know, brothers (for I speak to men who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man for as long as he lives?
2 For the woman that has a husband is bound by law to the husband while he lives, but if the husband dies, she is discharged from the law of the husband.
3 So then if, while the husband lives, she is joined to another man, she would be called an adulteress. But if the husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress, though she is joined to another man.
4 Therefore, my brothers, you also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you would be joined to another, to him who was raised from the dead, that we might produce fruit to God.
5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were through the law worked in our members to bring out fruit to death.
6 But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that in which we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter.
7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? May it never be! However, I wouldn’t have known sin except through the law. For I wouldn’t have known coveting unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”
8 But sin, finding occasion through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of coveting. For apart from the law, sin is dead.
9 I was alive apart from the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.
10 The commandment which was for life, this I found to be for death;
11 for sin, finding occasion through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me.
12 Therefore the law indeed is holy, and the commandment holy, righteous, and good.
13 Did then that which is good become death to me? May it never be! But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, was producing death in me through that which is good; that through the commandment sin might become exceedingly sinful.
14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold under sin.
15 For I don’t understand what I am doing. For I don’t practice what I desire to do; but what I hate, that I do.
16 But if what I don’t desire, that I do, I consent to the law that it is good.
17 So now it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me.
18 For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing. For desire is present with me, but I don’t find it doing that which is good.
19 For the good which I desire, I don’t do; but the evil which I don’t desire, that I practice.
20 But if what I don’t desire, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me.
21 I find then the law that, while I desire to do good, evil is present.
22 For I delight in God’s law after the inward person,
23 but I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members.
24 What a wretched man I am! Who will deliver me out of the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! So then with the mind, I myself serve God’s law, but with the flesh, sin’s law.
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.