When the Law Came Alive: Understanding Romans 7:9

by Jamie Pantastico | Dec 5, 2025 | Verse-by-Verse Bible Studies | 0 comments

📖 Passage Breakdown — Romans 7:9

“I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.”

📬 Reader Request:

This Passage Breakdown was requested by Ann T. from Sherman, Texas, who recently asked about Romans 7:9. I’m grateful for every question that helps shape this series.

This series reaches thousands of people around the world daily. Praise God.

📜 Background, Setting & Purpose

✍️ Author

Paul the Apostle, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

👥 Written To

Believers in Rome—both Jew and Gentile—in the Body of Christ.

⏲️ When

~AD 57, during Paul’s three-month stay in Corinth.

🌍 Setting & Purpose of Romans (book-level)

Romans explains:

The universal problem of sin (Old Adam)
Justification by faith alone apart from works
Imputed righteousness
Sanctification through the Spirit
The contrast between Law and grace
God’s plan for Israel and the Body of Christ

Romans 7 drills deep into the believer’s struggle with indwelling sin and the purpose of the Law in revealing sin—not removing it.

📖 Chapter 7 Focus

Romans 7 shows:

The Law is holy—but it cannot produce righteousness
The Law exposes sin
The Law activates rebellion in the flesh
Only the Spirit (Romans 8) delivers the believer from the power of sin

Romans 7:9 is Paul’s personal testimony about how the Law exposed sin and condemned him.

✨ Phrase-by-Phrase Breakdown

“I was alive once without the law…”

This does not mean Paul was spiritually alive or saved.
Nor does it mean infants are born spiritually alive.

Paul is speaking experientially, looking back to a time before he understood the true spiritual demands of the Law.

As a child and young man, Paul did not yet grasp:

The Law’s inward requirements
Sin’s true nature
The weight of guilt before a holy God

He was “alive” in the sense that:

He felt secure
He believed himself righteous (cf. Phil 3:4–6)
He had no conscious sense of condemnation

In other words:

Ignorance of the Law made him feel alive.

“…but when the commandment came…”

This refers to the moment when Paul understood the full weight and spiritual meaning of the Law.

Not when Moses received the Law.
Not when Israel received it.
Not when Paul learned it academically as a Pharisee.

But when he realized:

The Law demands inward, perfect obedience
The Law measures thoughts, motives, desires
The Law exposes coveting and the hidden life of the heart (v. 7)

This is conviction—when the Law penetrated Paul’s conscience.

“…sin revived…”

Sin (Old Adam) was always present. But once the Law’s true meaning hit:

Sin “woke up,”
Sin “sprang to life,”
Sin “showed itself for what it was.”

The Greek word means to spring into action, to become active, or to be stirred up.

The Law didn’t create sin—but it activated Paul’s awareness of sin, and even stirred sinful desires (cf. v. 8).

The Law awakens sin—it never cures it.

“…and I died.”

This is not physical death.
And it is not the second death.
It is spiritual realization and condemnation.

Paul suddenly understood:

He was guilty
He was condemned
He had no righteousness of his own
The Law was a ministry of death (2 Cor 3:7)
The Law brought him under the sentence of wrath

“I died” =

“I realized I was condemned and spiritually dead before God.”

This was Paul’s awakening:

Self-righteous Pharisee → convicted sinner
Confidence → collapse
Pride → exposure
Law → death

It prepared him for the revelation of grace he would later receive.

❌ What This Verse Does Not Mean

Not that Paul was once spiritually alive apart from Christ.
Not that children are born spiritually alive.
Not that the Law failed—its purpose is to expose sin.
Not that salvation is found in the Law.

✅ What It Does Mean

Paul felt alive until he understood the Law’s true demands.
When the commandment revealed inward sin, he became aware of his guilt.
Sin “revived” in that he became conscious of its power and rebellion.
Paul realized he stood condemned—“I died.”
The Law did its job: it exposed sin so grace could be seen.

Romans 7 explains why grace is necessary and why Romans 8 is the solution.

🔗 Cross-References for Going Deeper

Rom 3:19–20 — The Law stops every mouth.
Rom 4:15 — The Law brings wrath.
Rom 5:20 — The Law entered that sin might abound.
Rom 7:5, 11–13 — The Law exposes sin and reveals death.
2 Cor 3:7–9 — The Law is a ministry of condemnation.
Phil 3:4–9 — Paul’s past self-righteousness undone by truth.

🙏 Devotional Summary

Romans 7:9 is the testimony of every person who has ever trusted in their own goodness. We all feel “alive” until God’s Law exposes our sin and destroys the illusion of self-righteousness. When Paul says, “I died,” he is describing the moment he realized he had nothing to offer God. That moment is not the end—it is the beginning of grace. Only those who see their sin clearly can embrace the righteousness of Christ freely offered in the gospel.

Devotional: Pray—Don’t Lose Heart (Luke 18:1)

by Jamie Pantastico | Dec 5, 2025 | Devotionals | 0 comments

When Life Overwhelms, Jesus Says: Pray—Don’t Lose Heart

Luke 18:1 –
“Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.”

Context & Connection

Luke 18 opens with Jesus addressing something every believer battles: discouragement in prayer. Before He ever gives the parable of the persistent widow, the Holy Spirit gives us the purpose:

to teach us that we must keep praying, especially when we’re tempted to quit.

Jesus knows our frame. He knows how quickly the pressures of life, unanswered prayers, and spiritual warfare drain us. He knows the weight of waiting. And so He gives a parable designed to strengthen weary saints.

The message is not complicated, but it is profound:

When life pulls you to despair—pray. When hope feels thin—pray. When heaven seems silent—pray.

We don’t pray to get stronger.
We pray because God is strong.

Phrase by Phrase Breakdown

“Then He spoke a parable to them” –

Jesus isn’t correcting the crowds; He is teaching His disciples—those already walking with Him. This is instruction for believers who will face real trials, real delays, and real spiritual resistance.

“that men always ought to pray” –

Prayer is not optional for the believer; it is essential. “Always” does not mean nonstop talking—it means constant dependence. Continual fellowship. Turning every anxiety heavenward.

“and not lose heart” –

To “lose heart” means to grow weary, faint, or discouraged to the point of giving up. Jesus connects prayer with perseverance.

In other words—prayer is God’s antidote to spiritual exhaustion.

This is why the enemy works so hard to keep believers prayerless. A discouraged Christian is a silent Christian—but a praying Christian is a dangerous Christian.

Devotional Insight

There will be seasons when it feels like heaven is closed, your prayers fall to the floor, and nothing is changing. But God sees. God hears. God is working in ways unseen.

Jesus doesn’t say, “Pray, because you’ll get the answer immediately.”
He says, Pray—so you don’t lose heart.

Prayer anchors the soul.
Prayer fuels endurance.
Prayer keeps your eyes on Christ when circumstances scream otherwise.

Every time you pray—whether with tears, weakness, or only a whisper—you declare that God is faithful, even when life is not.

And this is the quiet miracle of Luke 18:1:

Prayer may not change your situation immediately—but it will change you immediately.

Encouragement for Today

If your heart is tired, pray.
If the battle feels long, pray.
If the answer hasn’t come, pray.
If discouragement presses heavy, pray.

You may feel weak today, but the God who invites you to pray is not weak.
Keep going. Keep praying. Don’t lose heart—He’s closer than you think.

📖 Reading Plan

Psalm 27:13–14 – Wait on the LORD; be of good courage.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 – Pray without ceasing.
Philippians 4:6–7 – In everything by prayer and supplication, let your requests be made known to God.

Devotional: Commit Your Way to the Lord — Psalm 37:5

by Jamie Pantastico | Dec 4, 2025 | Devotionals | 0 comments

When You Commit It to God, He Takes Over

Psalm 37:5 –

“Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.”

Context & Connection

Psalm 37 is David writing as an older man—someone who has walked with God through danger, injustice, enemies, failure, and restoration. He is not giving theory; he is giving testimony.

In a world filled with uncertainty, Psalm 37 does not call us to panic—but to place everything into God’s hands. David reminds us that the life of faith is not lived by striving, controlling, or fearing the future. It is lived by trusting the One who holds the future.

And here is the heart of the verse: When you roll your path onto (commit) the Lord, He takes responsibility for the outcome.

We don’t trust God to earn His help— We trust because He is faithful, and He cannot fail.

Phrase by Phrase Breakdown

“Commit your way to the LORD” –

The Hebrew word for “Commit” means to roll onto. Your plans, fears, uncertainties, relationships, finances, decisions—roll them from your shoulders onto His. What overwhelms you does not overwhelm Him.

“Trust also in Him” –

Commitment without trust (faith( is incomplete. “Trust” means to lean your full weight on God with confidence. Leave with Him what you rolled onto Him; don’t take it back.

“And He shall bring it to pass”

This is God’s promise. Not “might.” Not “could.”

He shall. He will act. He will guide. He will lead. He will accomplish His purpose in your life. The outcome belongs to Him.

Devotional Insight

When life feels unstable, our instinct is to tighten our grip—solve the problem, fix the future, control the path. But David teaches the opposite:

Release → Trust → Rest.

Committing your way to the Lord is not passive resignation; it is active reliance. It is saying:

“Lord, this burden is Yours now.”

And when you place what you cannot control into the hands of the One who controls all things, peace begins to return. Because God not only knows the path—you committed your path to Him—and He walks it with you.

Sometimes God’s timing feels slow, but it is never late. Sometimes His direction feels unclear, but it is never mistaken. And sometimes His answers look different than ours, but they are always perfect.

The promise stands:
He shall bring it to pass.

Encouragement for Today

Whatever is weighing on your heart this morning, roll it onto Him.
Speak it out loud if you need to.
Open your hands and release it to God.

He sees.
He knows.
He cares.
And He will act.

So, today:
Commit. Trust. Rest.
He will take care of the “bring it to pass.”

📖 Reading Plan

Proverbs 16:3 – Commit your works to the LORD, and your thoughts will be established.
Psalm 55:22 – Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you.
Isaiah 26:3–4 – Perfect peace belongs to the one whose mind is stayed on the LORD.

Matthew 1:1 — The Beginning of the King and His Kingdom

by Jamie Pantastico | Dec 4, 2025 | Israel and Bible Prophecy | 0 comments

Matthew 1:1 reveals Jesus as the Son of David and the Son of Abraham—the promised King of Israel.

“The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.”

Matthew doesn’t begin his Gospel the way Luke does.
He doesn’t trace Jesus’ lineage all the way back to Adam.
He doesn’t begin with the first man — he begins with the first covenant people.

Why?

Because Matthew writes from a Jewish perspective, to a Jewish audience, with a Jewish purpose:

To present Jesus as Israel’s promised King and the fulfillment of the covenants made specifically to Abraham and David.

And that is why Matthew 1:1 says everything.

1. “Jesus Christ, the Son of David” — The King Who Was Promised

Matthew opens with David because the moment you say “Son of David,” every Jewish mind knows exactly what that means:

👑 King
👑 Throne
👑 Royal authority
👑 The Messiah who would rule Israel

God promised David:

“Your house and your kingdom shall be established forever… your throne shall be established forever.”
— 2 Samuel 7:16

Israel’s Messiah had to come through David — not through Adam, not through Noah, not through Moses — but through David’s royal line.

By leading with “Son of David,” Matthew signals:

This is HIM. The One Israel has waited for.
The rightful heir to the throne.
The promised King.

2. “The Son of Abraham” — The Covenant Rooted in Promise

Why Abraham?

Because the Kingdom story does not begin with Adam — it begins with Abraham.

Adam is the father of humanity (Acts 17:26).

Abraham is the father of the nation through which the King would come.

God’s covenant with Abraham set in motion the entire prophetic program:

“…in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
— Genesis 12:3

Through Abraham came:

A new race of people, created for God Himself
The nation of Israel
The covenant promises
The land
The hope of blessing
The line through which Messiah would come

Everything related to the King and the Kingdom begins with Abraham, not Adam.

Adam concerns humanity. Abraham concerns Israel, the covenant people.

And Matthew is not writing a book about the origin of mankind — Matthew is writing the book about the origin of Israel’s King.

3. Matthew’s Opening Line Is a Declaration

Matthew 1:1 is not a genealogy introduction. It is a statement of identity, a theological declaration:

🔹 Jesus is the legal heir of David’s throne.

🔹 Jesus is the covenant Son promised through Abraham.

🔹 Jesus is the Messiah of Israel.

🔹 Jesus is the rightful King of the Kingdom.

This one verse anchors the entire Gospel of Matthew in the prophetic program — not mystery truth, not the Body of Christ, not the Church age — but the Jewish Kingdom promised for 2000 years.

4. Why It Matters

Because the moment Jesus is introduced as:

Son of David → King
Son of Abraham → Covenant fulfillment

…Matthew is making his case:

The long-promised King has come.
The Kingdom is at hand.
Israel’s Messiah has arrived.

This is not the gospel of grace revealed to Paul.
This is the Kingdom Gospel—“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Everything Matthew presents flows from this opening claim.

5. Devotional Reflection: The Faithfulness of God

What does Matthew 1:1 tell us today?

That God finishes what He starts.
That His promises stand.
That centuries cannot weaken His covenants.
That the King came exactly as foretold — through David, through Abraham, at the right time, in the right place, for the right purpose.

Matthew 1:1 is a reminder that the God who kept His promises to Abraham and David will keep His promises to us.

Jesus Christ is not only the Son of David and the Son of Abraham —He is the Savior who came to bring salvation to the world and reveal the gospel of grace through Paul.

But Matthew begins with Israel’s hope — the King and His Kingdom — and that hope will one day be fulfilled.

Because God cannot lie.
Because God keeps covenant.
Because the King is coming again.

Israel’s Future Glory Before the Nations (Part 2)

by Jamie Pantastico | Dec 3, 2025 | Israel and Bible Prophecy | 0 comments

📖 Passage Breakdown — Jeremiah 33:8–9

“I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me. Then it shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise, and an honor before all nations of the earth, who shall hear all the good that I do to them; they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and all the prosperity that I provide for it.”