Romans 7 is a study on the differences between the man of sin under the law vs the man in Christ under the new covenant in union with Christ. This condition could be described as oldness vs newness.

Romans 7:2 If you are bound by a civil marriage ovenant, it is for as long as you live. Only death severs the covenant.

Romans 7:4 Legally the living spouse is free to marry again. It's similar to the relationship a person had with the law of Moses. The person was bound by the law until death. But then, the law became dead by the body of Christ which was raised from the dead. So, this person which was bound by the law is now bound with Christ.

Romans 7:5-6 When they (Israel) were in the flesh (past tense), sin worked in them. But now, they are delivered! The sin that worked in them is dead and they walk in newness of spirit, not the oldness of the letter. Oldness is the letter from which they were delivered. Newness in Spirit from which we serve and walk in Christ. Under the old law they struggled in the flesh to keep the commandments. The fruit they brought forth under the law was guilt, shame, sin, and death. To keep the law! was their task- but they couldn't keep it. Sin piled up. So to remedy the problem, all the sins of Israel were laden on a scapegoat by the high priest on the day of atonement, and the goat was left to wander the desert. This had to suffice for the sins of Israel each year until Christ came to atone. Leviticus 16:26

Romans 7:7-9 The Law did not sanctify the soul. Its influence on the heart produced guilt instead. With this guilt, the question Paul asks is: Is the law sin? Was the law like the goat, laden with sin? No it was not.

Romans 7:12-14: 'wherefore, the law was holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal.'

In the church we live a hybrid of the old law. We don't rejoice in deliverance from sin. We are still plugging along trying to keep the commandments on our own and suffering on our own, beating ourselves up. Rather than strive to find a relationship in Christ by which we are made righteous, we are still performing and falling short and feeling guilt and shame for our inability to keep the commandments, not recognizing all we have to do is put off the old man and walk in newness of spirit- and in that new relationship or new covenant we are born again. To be born again does not mean we double down and work harder. It means we receive. Christ who dwells in us has already answered for our sins. The big problem in the church is people refuse to receive what he has already done for them. They think it is something, they have to do and keep doing in the future. They never rest. They have forgotten that Jesus paid the price for our past, present, and future sins. If you are carrying the burden of sin. Stop it! That's unbelief. Christ covered your sin. If you are walking around feeling guilty all the time that's old covenant theology. Stop it! Paul said our old self was crucified with Him that that old body of sin might be done away that we would no longer be slaves to sin. Romans 6:6 If you are carrying the burden of worry and stress. Stop it! That's unbelief. Walk in newness of spirit. If you are carrying the burden of poor health. Stop it! He himself bore our sins in his own body on the cross. By his wounds or stripes you were healed. He is waiting for you to receive healing. You were healed on the cross of Jesus 2000 years ago. Pray gratitude that you are born again in the spirit, that you already walk in newness, that you are already healed. Romans 6:4.

Romans 7:15-20 This is a scenario. We don't want to try to explain Paul's reasoning. Let's just trust the answer. The law was just and good. But guess what? The law is done away. It is annulled. It vanished when Christ conquered death. Paul goes into this play on words, 'that which I do, I allow not, for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.' We get the idea. It's like Jack who said, 'but I wanted to be good!' It all comes down to the flesh and because of the flesh, sin dwells in us. But again, today we live under the new covenant. Sin need not dwell in us because a union with Christ as explained in the first 4 verses remedies that situation. We are not bound by sin, but bound to Christ.

Romans 7:22-25 Paul delights in the law of God after the inward man. The new covenant law. This is those who are born again. The inward man or our spirits can keep the law of God because it is the spirit of the law, not the letter and we can keep it in spirit, though we cannot keep it in the flesh. When Christ dwells in us we are judged by him not by our flesh. That is why in the last verse Paul says, I thank God through Jesus Christ that with the mind I keep the law of God! Even though in the flesh I keep the law of sin.

Repentance from sin is an old covenant principle. It is a pre-baptismal principle. Peter said plainly, "Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.' (Acts 2:38).

Things changed at the council of Jerusalem when Paul explained the revelation of the Gospel of the Law of Grace to Peter and James and the rest of the disciples.

When you pray, thank God he has forgiven you. You may slip up, but you know that your sins are covered and you know also that you 'are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.' Hebrews 10:10 'Jesus sacrifice for our sins is already an accomplished work. It's a done deal if you stay in belief. Paul didn’t tell the Philippian jailor to ask Jesus to forgive him; Paul told him to believe on what Jesus had already done and he would be saved (Acts 16:31).' Andrew Wommack

After the Council in Jerusalem, the repentance Paul talks about is repentance from dead works-meaning repent from trying to keep the old law after Christ has come. In other words repent from hanging onto the law, and not receiving Christ. Be born again under the new covenant. Graduate from the old laws and the hybrid laws religion has manufactured, and graduate to the law of God which is the new covenant law. Live in the balance of grace and faith.