A Constant Warfare

[tyndale1946]

In the 7 Chapter of the Roman letter, the Apostle Paul speaks of his warfare as he is attempting to serve his Lord and master Jesus Christ. This is the struggle of every child of grace as they are in the world but not of it. He further states the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. From verses 15 thru 21 he explains the battle he is constantly going through, and I know I have gone through it and also that those who are my brothers and sisters in the Lord have gone through it too. And as Paul says in another place I die daily. He also states Let the mind of Christ be in you. But I bring this question up for discussion... What is the law of God after the inward man?... Brother Glen
Romans 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

7:15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

7:16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.

7:17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

7:20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

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.

7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

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.

 

[Martin Marprelate]

But I bring this question up for discussion... What is the law of God after the inward man?... Brother Glen

Hi Bro. Glen,
Paul has been born anew; he is a new creature in Christ Jesus. The heart of stone that he once possessed has been replaced by a heart of flesh. Yet there remains, not in Paul but in his 'flesh' or in his 'members' (the members of his body), a remnant of his old sinful nature which is constantly dragging him down into sin. So when he says, 'For I delight in the law of God after the inward man,' he is speaking of his redeemed, regenerated self, which delights in the commandments of God.

'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.' Although he delights in God's righteous precepts, the old remnant of sin that resides, not in the redeemed Paul but in his members, is luring him into sin. As he writes elsewhere, 'For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit lusts against the flesh, and these two are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish' (Gal. 5:17). Am I the only one here who finds this to be true in his own life? Do we not sometimes feel two natures struggling within us, and cry out like Rebecca, "If all is well, why am I like this?" (Genesis 25:22). So we thank God for the promise of Romans 6:14; 'For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.' Not 'must not....' or 'should not.....' It's 'shall not.......!' It's absolutely certain because, 'In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us' (Romans 8:37).

So we should see sin for what it is, not part of our new, redeemed nature, but an alien growth which we need to excise, or like so many Agags that we need to hack down before the Lord.

 

[tyndale1946]

I agree with what you are saying Brother Martin and I will ponder some and add more later... Brother Glen

 

[2Dennings]

I seem to understand this part of Romans in a totally different way. I strongly believe that what Paul is talking about here is the struggle of someone who is under the law (vs 1) not someone who has been redeemed. He is talking about what he was before he found freedom in Christ. In verse 22 Paul is simply saying that in his mind he took delight in having God's law but everything else is talking about how at the same time this same law also brought him into captivity. Compare vs 6 with vs 23. He summarizes it in vs 25 when he says "with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin". Vs 24 he calls himself a wretched man because of this and asks "who shall save me from the body of this death?" If you go back to vs 1-6 you see that Paul was discussing how they have been released from the law and then Chapter 8 he picks up there again showing how they have been set free as well as the result of being set free. The whole point to this was to show that the law gave life to sin and death to himself. Why? because even though he loved God's law, he was unable to keep it and therefore it killed him.

 

[HankD]

Almost 60 years ago I read the Old Testament and the law SLAUGHTERED me.

After that the law was always hounding me for the things I had done.
I found no relief until Christ became my Lord and Savior.

After that I could laugh at the law until of course I broke it again in thought, word or deed then I fled to Christ (1John 1:9).

I have learned to stay close to Him.

HankD

 

[tyndale1946]

I know the feeling Brother Hank... One of my favorite poems is Footprints... I'm sure you've heard if it if not look it up. The Lord walks in front of us and we follow behind, then side by side... Their are always four footprints in these illustrations but the in the last part there is only two... So where did the Lord go?... NOWHERE!... He's carrying US!... WOW!... Did that hit home... When you been around as long as some of us old duffers on here, you understand more the carrying part... Enjoy the thoughts of everyone on here... Those are a few of mine... Brother Glen