Lesson 16 – Romans Chapter 7:11-25
In the beginning of chapter 7 we examined how we are no longer bound by the law. Verse 4 incapsulates it for us… “You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead.”
We also saw that it’s God’s law which reveals our sin. Through the law we’re told not to do something, and immediately our flesh wants to do it.
Rom. 7:11
“For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me.”
“Sin took advantage of those commands and deceived me; it used the commands to kill me.” (NLT)
Verse 10 is very similar – “So I discovered that the law’s commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead.”
When we focus on the law we are deceived into sinning, which thus “kills” our spiritual lives.
Gal. 3:21-22
“Is there a conflict, then, between God’s law and God’s promises? Absolutely not! If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.” (NLT)
The law cannot give life, it can only show the sinner that he is guilty and condemned.
The Pharisees loved the law because they could manipulate it to their benefit. This brings us to the law and legalism.
There are a lot of churches out there that lean toward legalism. If we examine them, we’ll find that they’re not growing or producing any kind of spiritual fruit. Also with legalism, there’s a lot of do’s and don’ts, this is an effort to control the congregation. How do we combat this?
Jon Courson says, “Whenever I sense a pharisaical tendency in myself, I know it is symptomatic that I have not been immersing myself in the word.”
It’s God’s word that watches over us and protects us, stay in the word, and God will direct your path. By staying in the word, we will know when false doctrines cross our way.
Rom. 7:12
“Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.”
The law is holy, just, and good…
A person might ask, “How can the law be holy, just, and good, it only produces sin in my life?” This question answers itself, it’s all about sin.
It’s our sin nature that causes us to disobey the law, thus the result is sin. This is just how evil sin really is.
I Tim. 1:8 “We know that the law is good when used correctly.” (NLT)
Warren Wiersbe: “See how sinful sin is when it can use something good like the law to produce such tragic results. Sin is indeed “exceedingly sinful.” The problem is not with the law; the problem is with my sinful nature.”
The bottom line is this, it’s all about how our sinful nature responds to the law. It is up to us (with the Holy Spirit’s help) to fight against our sin nature.
Rom. 7:13
“Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful.”
“But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God’s good commands for its own evil purposes.” (NLT)
The law does not bring death into our life… Sin does!
But sin…
Let’s define sin. It is lawlessness or a transgression of God’s will, either by neglecting to do what God’s law requires or by doing what it forbids. This transgression can happen in our thoughts, in what we say, or what we do.
Our thoughts; I John 3:15 “Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.” (NLT)
Our speech; Matt. 5:22 “But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.” (NLT)
In our actions; Rom. 1:32 “They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.” (NLT)
Sin is just the most horrendous thing to ever enter into man-kind. Remember, it only took one “sin” to destroy man’s relationship with God; and with this, man’s innocence was forever destroyed.
Rom. 7:14
“For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.”
“So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin.” (NLT) (all too human… man’s innocence destroyed)
“For we know that the law is spiritual” or we can say, “Because we know that the law is spiritual,” the law is spiritual because it comes from God. The law is never a problem, but on the other hand, sin is always a problem. The law wasn’t given so that it would save, but that it would direct people to God.
“But I am carnal,” in verses 7-13 Paul was speaking of himself using the ‘past tense’ describing the time of his pre-conversion. Now, Paul switches to the ‘present tense.’ John MacArthur notes; “That abrupt, obvious, and consistent change of tense strongly supports the idea that in verses 14-25 Paul is describing “his” life as a Christian.” Paul uses the “first person singular” 46 times in this chapter.”
This is important because it now shows that Paul is speaking about himself after his conversion, not before, making it personal and something we can all identify with as believers.
“I am carnal” or “of the flesh,”
Carnal uses the Greek word (sar-kee-kos’), which means, to be “characterized by the flesh.” In this context it speaks of the person who can and should do differently, but does not. Paul sees this carnality in himself, and knows that the law, though it is spiritual, has no answer for his carnal nature.
“Sold under sin”: this, I think is the better translation, rather than the NLT… which is, “a slave to sin.” This can cause some confusion because of what we read in Rom. 6:18, “And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”
John MacArthur; “The phrase sold under sin, or sold into bondage to sin has caused many interpreters to miss Paul’s point and to take those words as evidence the person being talked about is not a Christian. But Paul uses a similar phrase in verse 23, were he makes clear that only his members, that is, his fleshly body, is “a prisoner of the law of sin.” That lingering part of his unredeemed humanness is still sinful and consequently makes warfare against the new and redeemed part of him, which is no longer sin’s prisoner and is now its avowed enemy.”
• What is our “unredeemed humanness?”
It is indwelling sin, our sin nature.
Martin Luther; on but I am carnal, sold under sin: “That is the proof of the spiritual and wise man. He knows that he is carnal, and he is displeased with himself; indeed, he hates himself and praises the Law of God, which he recognizes because he is spiritual. But the proof of a foolish, carnal man is this, that he regards himself as spiritual and is pleased with himself.”
For the person who is totally “sold out to God” …this person, (with the help of the Holy Spirit) pursues God with a sincere heart. And with this pursuit toward God, their heart becomes more and more intertwined with God, and a oneness takes place. Therefore, when the flesh or carnality rears its ugly head within the believer, that’s when he becomes so disappointed and displeased with himself. For us, when we recognize what’s going on within us when it comes to our flesh, this becomes the first step toward strengthening our walk with God. The good news is, we don’t do this on our own, God is with us every step of the way.
Rom. 7:15-17
“For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.”
Here Paul pins down what is referred to as, “indwelling sin.”
“I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.” (NLT)
Paul’s problem isn’t his lack of desire – he wants to do what is right (what I will to do, that I do not practice).
His problem isn’t with his knowledge – he knows what the right thing is. His problem is a lack of power: how to perform what is good I do not find. He lacks power because the law gives no power.
“But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.”
Paul isn’t playing the victim here, he’s not trying to run away from personal responsibility, as the Gnostics did at this time. The Gnostics, justified their “sins” by claiming it was entirely the product of their physical bodies, (which were going to be destroyed anyway) and that the inner, spiritual person remains inherently good, untouched and unaccountable for anything that the body does… it’s the ultimate cop-out religion.
We must always take responsibility for our sins…
I John 1:10
“If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him (God) a liar, and His word is not in us.”
18th century preacher Jonathan Edwards; “Sin brings us face to face with our inability, and we have nothing left to do but throw ourselves to “the infinite mercy of God and all-sufficiency of Christ.’
Paul recognizes that as he sins, he acts against his nature as a “new man” in Jesus Christ.
As Christians we must “own up” to our sins, and yet realize that our “urge” to sin does not come from who we really are in Jesus Christ.
Gal. 2:20
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
Sin is a reality that we will always have to deal with, but sin is no longer what identifies us, it is Christ living in us, that’s our true identity.
Rom. 7:18
“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.”
“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells;”
The problem is the flesh, the part of the believer in which there is nothing good.
Jer. 17:9
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?”
Jon Courson; “Whenever I’m disappointed in myself, it’s because I’m denying what God said when He said, “Jon, in you dwells no good thing.” I still struggle with this. I understand the concept theologically and can quote the verse from memory. But sometimes I think, There’s some good in me… isn’t there? Am I really this bad, Father? Every time I get down on myself, I hear His voice again saying, “Jon, didn’t I tell you straight out, didn’t I record it in black and white that in your flesh, in you personally, dwells no good thing? Why then, are you disappointed in yourself?” Those who have a tendency to despair of life do so because they think there’s something good in them that they’re failing to utilize. They’re not living up to their self-image. Although we want our kids to have high self-esteem, the Scriptures say, “Sorry. In you dwells no good thing.” Far from depressing me, I am incredibly free when I finally understand this.”
“For to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.”
The will is the desire to do good, but the ability to preform isn’t there. Some translations say, “the wishing is present in me.” Paul had a deep desire to do only good, and I think that’s how most true Christians feel… they don’t like it when they sin against God. Paul is slightly rephrasing what he said in verse 15. He is not saying that he was totally incapable of doing anything that was good and acceptable.
He is saying that he was incapable of completely fulfilling the requirements of the law.
Rom. 7:19
“For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.”
As the Christian works out his salvation by walking in faith, he will become more and more sensitive to the realities of sin, thus having a hatred for it. Also, within his walk by faith, he will grow in his love for righteousness.
Rom 7:20
“Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.”
Paul repeats what he has said in verses 16 and 17, with only a slight variation. Now if I do what I will not to do, Paul argues with simple logic… then he follows with, it is no longer I who do it or I am no longer the one doing it. Paul uses the phrase no longer, referring to the time before his conversion. Before our salvation, it was our inner person that was okay with sin, we might have had a few regrets because of our conscience, but for the most part sin didn’t bother us.
Rom. 7:21
“I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.”
There is an evil within each one of us, this is a common fact. This indwelling sin does battle with each and every Christian every day… it’s a fight, in fact, it’s a war. You can expect to have a fight with every good thing you want to think, do, or say.
Rom. 7:22
“For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.”
We can say we have a saved part of us, and an unsaved part within us. The part that is saved is the Holy Spirit in us, this is the part of us that “delights in the law of God.”
Rom. 7:23
“But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”
This is the unsaved part of us, our old nature, the old man… Paul words it, in my members.
Eph 4:22
“That you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,”
Rom. 8:10
“And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”
“Warring against the law of my mind.” This is the fight I’ve been talking about, that is always going to take place.
I Tim. 6:12
“Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses.” (NLT)
As long as we remain in these earthly bodies that contain the old-man living in us, we will always have to contend with sin and temptation. But, the day is coming when we will receive our glorified bodies, and sin will be in our rearview mirror forever. Quite possibly, sin might not even be a memory.
Rom. 7:24
“O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”
Most translations use the word, wretched, but we can also put in, distressed or miserable as well. This describes the condition of the believer whenever he or she is defeated by sin. Our indwelling sin will always be working hard to destroy our relationship with God. I think it’s safe to say, that sin is the greatest detriment to mankind, and that salvation is the greatest gift for mankind.
Isa. 6:5a
“Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;”
Isaiah knew he was guilty of sin, along with the people. No one can stand before God in such a condition.
Reminds me of a wonderful hymn that says: “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; Prone to leave the God I love:” (Come, Thou Fount of every blessing)
“Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Paul is at the place where hopefully all Christians come to, that they know and understand that there is a sin battle that will never stop. Fighting this battle can become wearisome, but Paul looked forward to the day when he would be rescued from the fight.
Matt. 5:4
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Those who mourn, are the ones that hate the fact that they are not glorified, that they’re not perfected yet. Being glorified means that all sin is gone, besides many other things.
We mourn because we know that there will be times that we will sin against God, and that hurts the believer’s heart, as well as God’s heart. I think we can hear it in Paul’s words, “O wretched man that I am!” The day is coming when this mourning will come to an end.
What is the answer to Paul’s question of “Who will deliver me from this body of death?”
Rom. 7:25
“I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.”
“Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So, you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.” (NLT)
The subtitle to the Bible needs to be, “The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord!” Jesus is the answer to all of life, He is the only answer that matters.
Matt. 11:28
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Do you feel beat-up at times, worn-out from the sin battle?
“The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord!” We are always welcome into the arms of Jesus. Just imagine yourself as a child, climbing up on Jesus’ lap and just leaning into Him, putting your head on His chest… it should give you a sense of peace and calm.
Rom. 8:18
“Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.” (NLT)
Heb. 12:1
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,”
In the end it will all have been worth it.
“So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.”
Can we take this to mean that the Christian lives a divided life: sinning with his flesh, but serving God with his mind? No.
Gal. 5:16-18
“So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.”
To live under the law of Moses is to live in the flesh.
• What are some ways the believer can have the Holy Spirit guide his or her life?
The last sentence in Romans chapter 7 reminds us of the true reality in the Christian life, the struggle between good and evil, between letting your flesh lead the way or allowing the Spirit to choose your direction. We will always have choices to make. It has been described as having two dogs living inside you, a white dog representing good and the black dog being evil. These dogs will fight all the time. The question is asked, “Which dog wins the fight?” It’s the dog you feed!
Let’s camp out on this one truth… we need Jesus every single day!