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Set free for God (Romans 5-7)

Set free for God (Romans 5-8) Part 4

Published since 13. Dec. 2024
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Chapter 7 - 8,3

Introduction

We can divide this chapter as follows:

  • Verses 1-6: The doctrine of deliverance
  • Verses 7-13: Knowledge of sin comes through the law
  • Verses 14-25: Experiences of a converted person who comes to know the true nature of sin and thus feels the need for deliverance

In chapter 6, we see that we have been set free from sin. Here, we will learn how we are also set free from the law. Everyone can well understand that we need to be set free from the power of sin because sin came through man and was only evil. But the law came from God and was good. It is much more difficult to understand that you must be delivered from something good than evil. The law was good, and God gave it to reveal its demands and holiness. But we have no power to keep it. Nor does the law give us any power to keep it; it punishes us mercilessly when we transgress it. It does not bring us life and only makes us unhappy. That is why we need to be freed from this power of the law. And this happens in the same way as liberation from the power of sin: through death.

Under the law

On the one hand, God had given His people ceremonial laws with their many hundreds of regulations about the priests’ clothing, the sacrificial service, the animals that were to be eaten or not eaten, and so on. But He had also given moral commandments, particularly expressed in the Ten Commandments. These moral laws are timelessly valid. They still apply, even today (cf. 1 Tim 1:8-10). And yet we learned in chapter 6:14 that we are no longer under law. This led to questions, especially at the beginning of Christianity. When the nations came to faith, there was a great debate (cf. Acts 15): Should they be placed under law or not? The answer of the apostles and elders was unanimous: the nations should not be placed under the law. They were only to abstain from things strangled, from blood, from fornication, and things sacrificed to idols, but they were not to be placed under the law. That was clear to everyone. But what about the Jews who had become believers? It was not so clear to them because, in Acts 21, James says to Paul, who had just arrived in Jerusalem: "You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews who have become believers, and all of them are zealous for the law" (Acts 21:20). So we see that there was still a need to clarify this point. Since there were also Gentile and Jewish believers in the assembly in Rome, there was an urgent need to address this issue in this letter. Paul clarifies that no Christian, whether Jew or Gentile, is under the law (chap. 6:14).

Nevertheless, it is possible to be "under law" in practice. There are three possibilities. 

  1. A Jew living today places himself under the law because he believes that this is his duty before God. Anyone who has ever been to Jerusalem knows how strictly the Orthodox Jews observe the numerous legal regulations. 
  2. The law contains God's moral commandments, which are timelessly valid for all people. These include, for example, honoring one's father and mother. These instructions have outlasted the time of the law and can be regarded as a rule of life. 
  3. It is not uncommon for people to impose commandments on themselves that have no basis in the Bible. This is very common in monasticism, for example. These are usually laws that (supposedly) set a higher standard than the Law of Sinai. Why do people do this? Because they want to become holier and more pleasing to God.

Now, it makes no difference what form I apply or transfer one of these three possibilities to myself. In no case do I have the strength to keep the law. I will be unhappy because the law is not the Christian rule of life. For the law requires strength from man, which he does not have. We Christians have Christ as our rule of life. In Him, we not only see how we should live - through Him, we can also put it into practice. 

Liberation from the power of the law

In verse 1, the apostle addresses those "who know the law.” This is not about the law from Sinai but about a general knowledge of how laws work and their scope of application. It is clear to everyone that a law only applies to living people. If a murderer kills a person today and dies tomorrow, he can no longer be prosecuted under the law. The law no longer applies to a dead person. And this is now explained with the law of marriage. "The married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives" (v. 2). Incidentally, this was already well known in the Old Testament: When David wanted to take Abigail as his wife, he waited until Nabal was dead. Only then did he take her as his wife. This still applies on both sides: the man is also bound to the woman as long as she lives. Scripture knows nothing else; it condemns divorce in principle. This is also important for our day.

The first husband mentioned here is a picture of the law from Sinai - and we are married to him, the law. So, we represent the woman. As long as both are alive, there is no separation. In the example, the man now dies so that the woman is no longer bound to him: "When ... the man has died, she is loosed from the law of the man" (v. 2). In reality, however, we die, the "woman," and not the "man,” the law. This is important. Although the result is the same, because the relationship is dissolved by death, the law has not died but “lives.” It "lives" even in the millennial kingdom (cf. Ezek 44-46; Heb 8). But we have died. When we were married to the first husband, the law, we were in a miserable, unhappy, and poor condition. But after we died, we could become another man, namely Christ. In this relationship, we are rich and happy; there is no more condemnation and divorce (chap. 8:1.35).

Died to the law

But what does the man described later in chapter 7 do? He voluntarily places himself under the first husband because he does not consider himself dead. But we have died: "So you also, my brothers, have been put to death to the law through the body of Christ" (v. 4). Basically, we cannot live to what we have died to. In chapter 6, it was shown that we have died to sin, and here, in chapter 7, we have been put to death to the law. However, the person described in Chapter 7 did not recognize this.

Thank God it does not say here that we have been killed "by the law.” For if the law had killed us directly, we would have been eternally lost. But now its judgment has befallen the Lord Jesus, and so in Him, we have been put to death by the law. This is also confirmed in Galatians: "I have died to the law through the law ... I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me" (Gal 2:19). We have died with Christ, who bore the consequences of sin for us, and now live with him who was "raised from the dead" (v. 4). So here again we have a perfect union with Christ, and that is what makes us happy. The following thought can greatly help us: Christ is now seated at the right hand of God and is, of course, not under law. So I am not under the law either because I am one with Him, have died with Him to the law, as it were, and have been removed from the effects of the law. The "marriage bond" with the law has now been broken, and we have remarried. We have received another husband: Christ.

This has happened "through the body of Christ.” This means nothing other than through his death. Colossians 1:22 also shows this: we are "reconciled in the body of his flesh through death.” The punishment of the law can no longer affect us because He allowed it to affect Him. This gives us peace. If I sin now, I can say: "The judgment of this has befallen my Savior. Since I died with Him, the law has lost its effect on me, even though it killed me in Christ, as it were. The law could not do more, nor did it want to do more than to kill me. But this death has struck me in the death of Christ." 

Fruit for God, not for death

Now, we live with the Risen One and have become someone else; we are in the realm of true life, and in this new life, we bear fruit for God. Under the law, it was impossible to bear fruit for God. But now - freed from its bonds - we are allowed to do more in a new way than the law ever demanded. This is also what Chapter 8:4 says: "... so that the legal requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." This is now confirmed in verses 5 and 6. First, the past is described: We were in the flesh. Being in the flesh means being "married" to the law and standing before God as sinners. The passions of sin caused by the law were at work in our members. Four words are significant here: flesh, passion, law, and death. The word flesh (which incidentally appears in this meaning for the first time in Romans) refers to the principle of sin in us. This principle of sin brought forth passions and sinful desires in us precisely because the law forbade it. So, who is to blame for the flesh becoming effective? It is not the law but the sin in us. But the law issued commandments and prohibitions that awakened sin to rebellion against God, leading to transgression. So, not the law but sin is the source of evil. The result of this is death: "to bear fruit unto death" (v. 5). Death is separation from God and ultimately eternal damnation. This is in contrast to bearing fruit to God (v. 4). 

Service in a new way

"But now we have been set free from the law" (v. 6). This is our present state. In Chapter 6, we saw that "the body of sin has been put away" and made ineffective; here, we read that we have been made free from the law. This means that we have died to the law, in which we were held and under whose judgment we were, in the body of Christ. Now we serve God in "the newness of the Spirit,” that is, in a completely new way (cf. chap. 6:4). We do not serve in the "old of the letter,” that is, in the letter of the law, to keep the commandments (as minimalists and servants) and thereby be pleasing to God. No, we now serve as sons who want to please their father. We have come "to the obedience ... of Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 1:2). Just as it was a great joy for the Lord to do only what pleased the Father, we now serve our God and Father. This was not possible under the law, which is why God freed us from it through the death of his Son.

Experiences of a person under the law (chap. 7:7-25)

To further understand this chapter, it is necessary to first understand verses 7-13 well. To do this, we must first clarify what kind of person Paul is talking about here when he repeatedly (around 50 times) uses the words "I,” “me,” “mine," and "me" in verses 7-25.

First of all, there is a basic rule in the New Testament: when talking about our position, the first person plural is generally used (we, us), but when it comes to the personal realization of this position, the first person singular (I, me) is usually used. For example, Paul says: "... lest, after I have preached to others, I myself should become reprobate" (1 Cor 9:27). Paul never became reprobate, but he uses his own person to make clear what he wants to say in terms of doctrine. Incidentally, we also use this expression in common parlance. You describe a situation in the first person to make it clearer, even though you were not the person acting. Paul also uses this stylistic device here.

I would first like to mention four interpretations of this passage that are sometimes heard but which are not correct: 

  1. it is said that a sincere but unconverted soul is speaking here. However, verses 15, 18, 19, 22, and 23 prove the opposite. For example, an unconverted person cannot say: "For I delight in the law of God according to the inner man" (v. 22). He does not have a renewed inner man. We will see this clearly when we look at these verses.
  •  One might think that a "liberated Christian" is speaking here. But that is not true either. A "liberated Christian" no longer says: "I am sold under sin" (v. 14) but says: "Sin no longer has dominion over me" (cf. chap. 6:14).
  • Because it says "I" every time, we might think that Paul is actually talking about himself and describing his condition after his conversion. This cannot be the case either, because he says: "But I once lived without the law" (v. 9). Paul never lived without the law; on the contrary, he was a zealous advocate of the law (Phil 3:5-6).
  • It is said that anyone who has internalized chapter 5 must necessarily go through the experience of chapters 6-7 to understand chapter 8:1. But Romans 5:1 and Romans 8:1 can be applied to a believer at the same time. Anyone who can say: "I am justified by faith and have peace with God" (cf. chap. 5:1) can at the same time say: "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (chap. 8:1). No, chapters 6 and 7 are interpolations that deal with the two topics "Delivered from sin" and "Delivered from the law.” We are not presented with successive phases of our life of faith.

So, what is the correct interpretation? Paul speaks of a converted and born-again soul. This is clear from the verses I have just mentioned. He describes what happens when converted people place themselves under the law - in whatever form. This person learns that he has two natures, but he has not yet grasped by faith the righteousness of God revealed in the gospel and the scope of the Lord's work on the cross. That is why he is not yet sealed with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1:13 sheds much light on this question. It says that after we have believed the word of truth and the gospel of our salvation, we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. God puts his seal on the one who rests in the work of the Lord Jesus and knows that God is no longer against him and gives him the Holy Spirit. 

We must not confuse the battle in Romans 7 with the battle in Galatians 5:17. There, we also have a battle, but a completely different one: "Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, but the Spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary to one another, lest you should do the things that you would. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law" (Gal 5:16-18). Here, we have the normal struggle of a believer sealed with the Holy Spirit. This Spirit in him fights against the flesh in him - and He, the Holy Spirit, has the power to do so. But it is precisely this power of the Holy Spirit that the person in Romans 7 obviously lacks, from which I would conclude that he cannot be sealed with the Holy Spirit. He is still fighting against the flesh with his own strength.

The Holy Spirit does not seal a half-finished thing. And it is, to a certain extent, a half-finished matter if someone has converted to God but is not yet resting in the completed work of redemption of the Lord Jesus. I would like to illustrate this with the help of Luke 15. The so-called prodigal son was converted the moment he set out to return to his father. But when did he have "peace with God" (chapter 5:1)? When did he know that he had "no more condemnation" to expect (ch. 8:1)? When he was in the arms of the Father! Before that, when he set out, he was still thinking of becoming a day laborer for his father (Luke 15:19). He wanted to do something to please his father and win back his affection. In doing so, he placed himself under the law. But the father kissed this thought "away" and treated him like his son: he put sandals on his feet and a ring on his hand. We have the same thing in Romans 8: "For you have not received a spirit of slavery again to fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons, in which we cry out: Abba, Father! The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (chap. 8:15, 16). What the Son went through inwardly on his way back until he lay in the arms of the Father is described in Romans 7. This example from Luke 15 also shows that God will complete the work he has begun because the son does not stop halfway. Philippians 1:6 says: "... being confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ." 

The problem with the person described here is that he does not stand before God based on what Christ was for God but what he himself is or wants to be for God. But all he sees is failure. This is the experience of many born-again people. Why? Because they still believe that there is something good in their flesh. It is reported that John Nelson Darby lived in this state for seven years. For example, he wanted to fast for 40 days like the Lord to become more pleasing to God. He finally gave it up because he realized: I am not under law, but under grace.

One question is whether people who are sealed with the Holy Spirit also need the teachings of chapter 7. The answer is clearly yes. Even if someone who has received the Holy Spirit and has been sealed with Him according to Ephesians 1:13 will never again fall back into the position of the person described here (because he can never again lose the Holy Spirit), the principles of this chapter are always applicable to our practical lives. Let us think, for example, of verse 18: "For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing.” Because we still trust our flesh, depending on the situation, we need this instruction again and again. God allows us to experience this because we simply don't want to believe how bad we are. This is particularly important for children of believing parents. You only learn how depraved you are when you try to be good. And the older we get, the clearer this becomes. Indifferent believers have no problem with this. Those who allow themselves everything and do not try to live according to God's thoughts naturally do not experience what is written in Chapter 7.

But who can describe such a state? Only someone who has experienced it but has since moved beyond it; someone who has already embraced the liberation described in chapter 8 and can look back to explain their previous struggles. This person does not necessarily have to be Paul. And if it was Paul, perhaps - with all due caution - we could assume that it was in the days when he was blind. Be that as it may, a person stuck in the mire cannot help another who is also there.

Through the law comes knowledge of sin

The following section begins with a question: "What shall we say then? Is the law sin?" (chap. 7:7). We could come to this question if we consider the effect of the law described in verse 5: that the passions of sin are through the law. Is the law itself perhaps sin if it has such effects? The answer, of course, is no. How could it be sin, since it comes from God! James says: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights" (James 1:17). The law is a "good gift." It is not sinful or evil in itself. But it shows what sin is. It shows - and this is the special thing - that sin is a power that dwells in us and fights against God. "Through the law comes knowledge of sin" (chapter 3:20). We have always known that murdering, stealing, and lying are evil. Man's conscience condemns these things. But this is not about guilt as in chapters 1:18 - 5:11, but about the nature and essence of sin, about sin as an evil power within us. And to make this clear, the last commandment, “You shall not covet," is cited. This commandment is directed at our inner desires, and I would have known nothing about this without the law. I only knew that I had practiced many evil things but not that an evil power was at work in me.

Sin is activated by the law

What does the expression "without the law, sin is dead" (v. 8) mean? Sin is there but does not become active as a rebellious force if there is no commandment. If a mother tells her child when she leaves the house, "You must not open that drawer there!" we can be sure that the child will open the drawer for that very reason. If the mother had not forbidden it, the child would not have even thought of opening the drawer. We see that without the law, sin is dead. The commandment comes and awakens the sin dwelling in me and provokes me to disobedience, to transgression. As long as I do nothing that my conscience has forbidden me to do, I lack the awareness of an evil power dwelling within me. But through the law - no matter what form it takes - I come to know that something in me wants to do what is forbidden.

"But I once lived without the law" (v. 9). As already mentioned, the apostle Paul is not referring to himself here, for he was "a Pharisee concerning the law" (Phil 3:5) - and therefore one of the strictest kind, one who kept the law as far as possible. No, he describes a person who lived indifferently, without worrying about the demands of God, but who was then confronted with the commandments of God in his conscience. "But when the commandment came, sin revived". The commandment comes and draws a line that must not be crossed. Sin comes to life; it becomes active, rises against it, and crosses this line. One becomes a transgressor of the law. The judgment that follows is merciless. It reads: You must die! Sin came to life - in contrast to before when it was dead - "but I died" (v. 9). Of course, this did not happen literally because I am still alive, but the final result of placing oneself under the law is death.

Death instead of life

"And the commandment that was given for life turned out to be death for me" (v. 10). Another way to put it: although the law was given for life, there is no power to obey it. That is why it will kill me. The fact that the law was "given for life" is clear from various passages. Firstly, from the New Testament: "But the law is not of faith, but 'he who has done these things will live by them'" (Gal 3:12). This is a quote from the Old Testament, where it says: "And you shall keep my statutes and my judgments, by which, if a man does them, he shall live" (Lev 18:5). The law was therefore given for life, namely for a natural continuation of life on earth, but not in order to receive eternal life. This becomes clear from another passage: "And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, to do us good all the days, that he might preserve us alive as it is in this day" (Deut. 6:24). But we have not done his commandments, and we could not do them! We have done the opposite, and therefore, the law becomes a tool to punish the transgressor with death, even if he had only broken a single commandment. I would also like to quote a passage on this: "For whoever keeps any of the law but stumbles in one has become guilty of all the commandments" (James 2:10). 

"For sin, taking occasion by the commandment deceived me, and by it slew me" (v. 11). This verse shows that it is not the law that is to blame, but sin. It deceives and brings death. How does sin deceive? I think the deception is that it brings death, even though the law promised life.

Verses 12 and 13 contain further explanations of the main heading, “Through the law comes knowledge of sin." First, the apostle summarizes what has just been said with the words: "Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good" (v. 12). Holy means that it is perfectly pure; righteous means that it agrees with God's requirements; good means that it is useful for people. "Is that which is good therefore unto death?" (V. 13). Or, to put it another way: Is the law to blame for my death? The answer is No, “but sin, that it might appear as sin." Sin is to blame for my death; it should, therefore, appear as sin. This means that it should be revealed in all its hideousness. It is so evil that it even takes the good - namely the law - as an opportunity to kill me: "by causing my death through the good.” Here is an illustrative example: a father is walking with his young son on a narrow path in the mountains. He warns him: "Don't go so close to the abyss! Please stay far away from it!" That is certainly a good commandment. But what does the little boy do? He is testing how far he can go. He wants to show that he is not afraid. His father's commandment tempts him to venture closer and closer to the abyss. Suddenly, he falls and dies. Who was to blame? Was the father's good commandment to blame? No, it was the boy's self-will! That is an illustration of this verse.

Self-will in rebellion against God's commandment brings death. The sin was already there before, but when the commandment came, it became disobedience, rebellion, and transgression (cf. 5:20). In this way, it became "exceedingly sinful."

Own efforts

As already mentioned, in the last section of this chapter, we find the experiences of a soul that has been born again but has not yet been liberated. It has a need for deliverance but feels that it is completely powerless to fight against the sin that dwells within it.

First, the apostle describes the realization of all believing Christians: "We know that the law is spiritual" (v. 14). But then he changes the subject and says: "... but I am carnal, sold under sin". This is the personal experience of the individual person responsible. This is said by the person who knows that the law is spiritual and places himself under the law in the belief that he has the power to keep it. But he must realize that he is "carnal" or "fleshly." This is the same word in the basic text as in 1 Corinthians 3:2, where Paul says: "You are still carnal." He means there: You still act according to the "manner of the flesh,” and this can also be said of the person here.

So, how can we get out of this misery? How can God accept a person favorably, even though there is sin in him that he cannot overcome himself? The person described here initially tries to do so in a very wrong way. He wants to overcome the flesh in himself on the principle of the law through his own efforts. But in the end, he has to realize that this is a futile endeavor. He wants to please God by observing certain rules instead of trusting in the help of the Lord. This is precisely the principle of the law, which says: I want to gain victory over the flesh by fulfilling my responsibility to the law and not allowing desires to arise in me. So it all depends on my efforts. Verses 14 and 15 illustrate the opposite of what was previously taught: "Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace" (Romans 6:14). In this case, sin does control the person because, despite condemning evil, they continue to commit it. This results in significant disappointment and often leads to despair.

In chapter 6:11, we’re told to consider ourselves “dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” That’s what I want to do—but I lack the strength. Why? Because it’s my own will driving this effort! That’s the problem. In verse 15, “I” appears six times: "For what I do, I do not realize; for I do not do what I want, but what I hate, that I practice.“ We find something similar twice more in this passage: "But if I practice what I do not want ..." (v. 16) and "For I do not practice the good that I want, but the evil that I do not want, that I do" (v. 19). Here is an example: I resolve to stop looking at erotic books or accessing certain sites on the Internet. And? I do it after all! Afterward, I am sad because a serious believer is sad about it and is disappointed in himself. "Why did I do it? I didn't want to!" The answer is that you did it precisely because you wanted to prevent it in your own strength. You haven't gotten to the point of thinking: I don't need this anymore because I have another object for my heart: Christ!

Born again but not yet saved

The person described here has been born again but is not yet saved. I would first like to show that he has new life: He hates evil (v. 15), he wants to do "what is right" (v. 18), and he wants "what is good" (v. 19). He is "well pleased with the law of God" and knows that he has an "inner man" (v. 22). These are all clear proofs that he is a born-again person, i.e. someone who has new life.

But he is not yet saved! We often use the word salvation in a much too one-sided sense. We speak of someone who has forgiveness of sins and new life as someone who is saved. The Bible does not usually do this. The Bible often speaks of salvation in a much broader sense, namely in the sense of deliverance. I would like to explain this using two examples, the first from the Old Testament and the second from the New Testament.

  1. In Exodus 14, we find the people of Israel seemingly helpless at the Red Sea. In front of them was the sea, behind them the enemy, and to the left and right, the high mountains. They were terrified and cried out. This is Romans 7, where we find the cry: "Who will rescue me from this body of death?" (V. 24). Although the Israelites had been protected from God's judgment on Passover night, they were still under the power of Pharaoh, a picture of the power of sin. They had not yet been freed from this power. And there was no chance of saving themselves. But then God intervened. "And Moses said to the people, 'Do not be afraid! Stand and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will provide for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today, you will see no more forever. The LORD will fight for you, and you will be quiet" (Ex 14:13). Here, for the first time in the Bible, we have the word salvation with a view to a present deliverance. God let the people of Israel pass through the Red Sea and destroyed the enemy. Only then, on the other side of the Red Sea, did they sing the song of deliverance: "By your goodness, you have led the people whom you have redeemed, by your strength you have brought them to your holy dwelling place" (Ex 15:13). Though they had been protected by the blood on Passover night, they had not yet been delivered from Pharaoh's power; but now they were—showing that it is not by my tactics or efforts, but by His strength that I am delivered! Incidentally, we have a parallel to the Israelites' song of praise in the letter to the Romans: "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" and "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death" (chap. 7:25; 8:1-2). This is salvation in the full sense, as the Bible shows.  
  •  Acts 10 is about the centurion Cornelius, who was "devout and God-fearing with his whole household" (Acts 10:2). He gave much alms to the people and prayed to God at all times. Later, it is said of him: "Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man, who also has a good report of the whole nation of the Jews" (v. 22). So this man was certainly converted, but he was not yet saved. Then Peter comes and preaches the gospel to him: "To this all the prophets bear witness, that everyone who believes in him [the Lord Jesus] receives forgiveness of sins through his name. While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word" (vv. 43.44). This corresponds to what Paul writes to the Ephesians, that after they had believed, they were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise (Eph 1:13). Only now were Cornelius and his household saved, as the angel had promised him beforehand: "This [Peter] will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household" (Acts 11:14). Christian salvation therefore takes place at the same time as the gift of the Holy Spirit. And man had not yet come to this point in Romans 7, as we will now clearly see.

The conflict between the two natures

In the further course of this section, we recognize a steady process of growth. The man described here comes ever closer to the truth. In verse 16 he says: "But if I practice what I do not want, I agree with the law that it is right." He actually wants exactly the same thing as the law, but he has no power to do it.

On further reflection, he realizes: "But now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me" (v. 17). Why can he say: "Not I?" Is he not a responsible person? Yes, but he is aware that he has new life, which has now become his "I". As a consolation for young people, I would like to say that you don't have to be afraid that evil thoughts will come. They come to me, too - again and again. Such thoughts, if we feed them, eventually lead to sin. But then there is always the path of confession and forgiveness from God for believers. Nevertheless, it happens again and again. We allow ourselves to be dominated by sin against our own will. And the more we - in sincerity - want to fight it, the more despondent we become. But then we have to come to the point of saying: "This is not coming from me. It comes from the sin that dwells in me." 

However, we can only really grasp verse 17 once we have come to the realization of the following two verses, which are introduced with the word "for.” "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.” The flesh is the incorrigible, fallen, old nature, of which it is said in chapter 8:7 that it is "enmity against God" and "not subject to the law of God" because it is not able to do so either. So why seek good things when there are none? And yet, we are always looking for something good in ourselves. But it is pointless because there is absolutely nothing good there! So it's not just that I don't do anything good, but that there is nothing good in me either. It is about what I am, and that is absolutely useless for God. The Lord Jesus says something similar to his disciples: "The flesh profits nothing" (John 6:63).

Furthermore, it is not a question of will but of power. And I lack this completely. "For the willing is present with me, but the doing of what is right I do not find" (v. 18). But why does the soul have no power, even though the will is present? Because it is either not yet sealed with the Holy Spirit or - although sealed - does not make use of his power. This is the most difficult lesson we have to learn. The man in Romans 7 learns it by seeing his futile efforts to overcome the flesh. This is a painful path, but in the end it leads to liberation when one recognizes the futility of one’s efforts. The futile efforts can be of various kinds: I want to conquer my flesh by praying more, by reading the Word of God for hours on end, or perhaps by fasting (as in monasticism). Some people resolve to love the Lord Jesus more from today onwards. They impose rules on themselves in order to achieve this goal - but it is absolutely hopeless! The result is the same as squeezing a dry sponge: Nothing comes out at all. Even with the old water pumps that used to stand in the garden, you often pumped and pumped, but no water came out. Why? The sleeve was dry. You first had to pour in water from above, and then it worked. This is also the solution in the spiritual realm: pour in water - bring in Christ! The heart needs an object other than itself. It doesn't need the law; it needs Christ.

Then follows an abstract description of the situation in which the unhappy soul finds itself. "For I do not practice the good that I want, but the evil that I do not want, that I do" (v. 19). This is abstract because no born-again person only does evil. There is no such thing. But it is a description of the condition from which we must be delivered in this chapter, which is why it is formulated in this way.

Now comes the conclusion: "But if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but the sin that dwells in me" (v. 20). This proves the assertion made in verse 17. Through the realization that, firstly, nothing good dwells in me (v. 18) and that, secondly, I have no power (vv. 18.19) to do what is good, I have understood that I have two natures - an old "I" ("if I do") and a new "I" ("what I do not want"). This is, on the one hand, the carnal "I" of the old nature and, on the other, the "I" of the new nature, the new man who hates sin and loves what is good. This realization is already a further step forward, but something is still missing. What is missing is the realization that the first "I,” the old nature, received its judgment in the death of Christ. Those who remain in this state and do not acknowledge the judgment of sin but only constantly condemn themselves ultimately do not come to worship in spirit and truth.

The inner man

The new "I" is called "the inner man" in verse 22. Two scriptures show us that this is the meaning of the term: Firstly, Ephesians 3:16: "... that he may give you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power according to the inner man". Here "the inner man" can only mean the new life, the new nature within us. The same applies to the second passage in 2 Corinthians 4:16: "Therefore we do not grow weary, but though our outer man is wasting away, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day."

Contradictory laws

The word law is now frequently used in the following, but it does not always have the same meaning. When the apostle previously spoke of the law, he always meant the law of Sinai (verses 4-9, 12, 14, 16) (except in verses 1-3, where the term law is used in general).

But now he speaks of the law "for me, ... that evil is present with me" (v. 21). This is the "law in my members" (v. 23), the "law of sin" (v. 23). This law is opposed to the "law of God" (v. 22), the "law of my mind" (v. 23). "For I delight in the law of God according to the inner man, but I see another law in my members, contrary to the law of my mind, which brings me into captivity to the law of sin that is in my members" (vv. 22-23). So, there are two laws in me that are opposed to each other.

The following example shows us the tragedy of this fact. A seagull has the characteristic that it can fly and that it wants to fly. The air currents come under its wings, and it flies. That is the "law of its mind.” But now it has landed in an oil slick. What happens? The wings are smeared with oil and stick together. She can no longer fly. That is the "law in her limbs,” and this law is stronger than the "law of her mind.” We must learn this. The law of sin in us is stronger than the law of the new life because the new life in itself has no power. What happens now? Now, the seagull must die - unless it is freed from the oil film, the "law in its limbs.” But it cannot free itself from it; it needs help from others. It is powerless in itself. This is precisely the problem of the person described here. It is not - as is often assumed - that he has no assurance of salvation (although this can be a consequence of this), but rather that he has no power to do good. But you have to come to this realization! It is easier to say: "I have sinned," than to say: "I have no power to do good!"

Deliverance

Finally, he cries out in despair: "O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" (V. 24). He has come another step further. This is more or less what Job has already stated: "Therefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes" (Job 42:6). "I wretched man!" This statement is good, but it is not enough. And this time, he does not stop at the “I.” He finally comes to say: "Who will save me?" Until now, he had always sought help within himself to finally silence the sin within him. But now he is looking for help outside himself. He is looking for a savior - and that is practical deliverance. "Who will save me from this body of death?" The body of death is the body of the born-again man who, as verse 23 showed, has been completely dominated by the principles of sin by bringing him into captivity through the law of sin in his members.

But now grace reveals the Savior. It is wonderful to come to this realization. The answer comes immediately: "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (V.25). Alongside this passage, I would like to place Galatians 2:20: "I no longer live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith through the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me." This is faith in the one who is stronger than any enemy, stronger than the flesh, stronger than the world, and stronger than Satan. Faith in this person sets me free. Now, I have given up all my own efforts and can give thanks. The person in Romans 7 was previously unable to give thanks, but now he gives thanks, and this thanks is a sign of his liberation. And how did this change come about? He has stopped looking at himself and within himself, and he has stopped thinking about what he is to God. He has finally come to recognize what God is for him through Jesus Christ. "Stand and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will provide for you today" (Ex 14:13). That is liberation! He has recognized that not only has his guilt been forgiven, but also that he has a Saviour who has freed him from the power of sin (chapter 6), from the power of death, and from the power of the law (chapter 7). This can only be grasped by faith.

At the same time, he recognized that he was not freed from the presence of sin but only from its power. This means that the law of sin remains in the believer. He comes to the conclusion: "So then I myself with the mind [that is, with the renewed mind, the new nature] serve the law of God, but with the flesh, the law of sin" (v. 25). The flesh, the old nature, is therefore neither changed nor removed.

Our responsibility

But now, we must not conclude that we can now serve God with one nature and sin with the other. No, what this verse says is not the normal state of a believer but merely a statement that both natures are present. We ourselves are now responsible for which nature we give space to, which of the two we nourish. To this end, Peter says that we "no longer live the time that remains in the flesh according to the desires of men, but according to the will of God. For the time that is past is enough to have done the will of the Gentiles [that is, the will of the flesh], walking in debauchery, lusts, drunkenness, revelries" (1 Peter 4:2, 3). The past time belongs to the old nature. We now want to walk by the Spirit (Gal 5:16) and gladly fulfill the commandments of our Lord by no longer walking according to the flesh but according to the Spirit (chap 8:4). We have recognized that this is possible, but not by our own strength, but through a Saviour. The power itself is then described in chapter 8.

Summary of Chapter 7

In verses 1-6 of this chapter, we are introduced to the doctrine of deliverance. Then, in verses 7-13, we see that through law comes knowledge of sin. Finally, verses 14-25 describe the experiences of a soul that has been born again but has not yet been liberated but then comes to liberation at the end. She has learned four things: 

  • Nothing good dwells in me
  • I have no power to do good
  • I have two natures
  • Deliverance is only possible through the Lord himself

The power of the Holy Spirit

Now, in chapter 8, we want to look at how we can "fly" - to stay with the image of the seagull. The first three verses of this chapter form a summary of chapters 5-7.

Verse 1 summarizes chapter 5:12-21. Because there is no condemnation for Christ, there is no longer any for me, even if I sin. For I have become a plant with the Lord Jesus, and God sees me in Him. And when I sin, I can say that the Lord Jesus loves me just as much as He did when He died for me. I am in Christ.

In verse 2, we find the objective and the result of the teachings of chapter 6: "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death." This description of deliverance shows that a superior power has set me free from a power that is inferior to it. The superior power is the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. It is like a magnet that is stronger than the force of gravity and, therefore, pulls metal filings upwards. This law of the Spirit of life has the Holy Spirit as its source of power. This has not yet been taken into account in chapters 6 and 7; the Holy Spirit is not mentioned there even once. He is mentioned in Chapter 5:5 and now again in Chapter 8 – mentioned 19 times. This shows that chapters 5 and 8 coincide in time and, therefore, do not have to be experienced one after the other.

This source of strength in me gives impetus to the new life in me and makes it effective. This is also a law - "the law of the spirit of life.” This life works according to certain rules. It is the resurrection life of the Lord Jesus, which He breathed into the disciples on the day of His resurrection (John 20:22). It is what the Lord spoke of in John 10:10: "... that they may have life and have it abundantly." The Holy Spirit is the source of this life in me. This is how I found deliverance from the power of sin (cf. chap. 6:14). The Holy Spirit takes Christ and places Him before my soul. This supersedes every other power. That is grace - not law!

Verse 3 now summarizes chapter 7: "For what was impossible for the law ..." What was impossible for the law? Firstly, it was unable to give life; secondly, it was unable to justify the sinner; and thirdly, it was unable to give the soul an object - namely Christ - whereby it can reject everything that the old nature wants. But God was able to accomplish all this. He did it by "condemning sin in the flesh.” The sinful nature in me was condemned by the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross. And now, when sin comes up in me - and it does - I can say, "Lord Jesus, you died for this and were judged once and for all.” I look to Him and go on happily; I "fly"! That is the solution. In chapter 7, I hold a big mirror right in front of my face and see only me, nothing else. But then comes chapter 8:1-3, where something is very close to my face again - but it is Christ! I have stopped thinking about myself. Yes, "instead of thinking about myself, I want to sink into the sea of love." Then I can forget myself completely and say with the songwriter: "All you and nothing of me." That is liberation in the practice of the Christian life!

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