What does Paul lay out in the first seven chapters of Romans?
In Romans 1–7, Paul lays the groundwork showing how we ended up in sin and under condemnation, and how Christ died so we might be justified and forgiven. Chapter 7 then presents the dilemma of overcoming the old Adam and defeat, which Romans 8 answers through the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Les explains that in those first seven chapters Paul lays all the groundwork of how we ended up in sin and under condemnation, and how Christ died that we might be justified from all that and forgiven. Through chapter 7 Paul deals with the dilemma of how to overcome the old Adam and how to keep it in defeat. The answer comes in Romans chapter 8: the Holy Spirit, the indwelling Spirit now becomes our Law, if you want to put it that way. Les also notes the context is not merely an everyday law like gravity, but the Mosaic Law, the Ten Commandments, which was weak through the flesh.