Within professing
Christianity today, there are many that live by the motto, ‘were not under Law
were under grace.’ Though this statement can mean a profound theological truth
that is indeed true of all Christians, it is not always meant in the Biblical
way. For many, such a motto is a license for moral freedom and excess, and is
really an abuse of the truth that being in Christ means freedom from the Law.
In our last study
we understood that Paul, under inspiration of the Spirit, defined our freedom
from the Law as being in fact a marriage to another. This means that being
freed from Law, we are now slaves of righteousness as Romans six highlighted, ‘that
we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the
letter (Rom 7:6b).’
Paul here begins to
give an autobiographical account that is also true of all men who come under
the influence of the Law (7:7-12) and then are renewed (7:13-25).
Please Read Romans 7:7-12
Verse 7: If the sinful
passions are aroused by the Law (5:20; 7:5) and we now serve ‘in the newness
of the Spirit,’ what shall we say then about the Law - is it sin, or evil?
Is there really any point to the Law?
Paul’s response to
this anticipated question is, ‘no, it isn’t evil (7:12)’, rather it is good.
The Law, in this case the Moral Law, brings both an intellectual knowledge of
sin and also a personal knowledge of sin. Without the standard being known our
lack of conformity to that standard could not be known. There is nothing wrong
with the Law, it only highlights our own sin, thereby showing where the real
trouble is and that of course is with us.
For example, Paul
would not have known what it meant to covet except the Law said, ‘you shall
not covet (Ex 20:17; Deut 5:21).’ He didn’t know he was guilty of breaking
that standard and all that that involved, until he discovered what the Law said
about covetousness. When he understood the command, then he understood his real
sinfulness.
Verse 8: But even though
this is true, the corrupted nature contaminated by indwelling sin took advantage
of the revealed standard and stirred up all manner of covetousness and evil
desire. When Paul didn’t know the Law, sin was somewhat inactive and unknown,
but with the Law revealed, its true nature burst forth in rebellion. It was not
going to heed the command of God and so it burst into action.
Verse 9: Paul had felt alive
and secure, for he had no conviction of sin and the implications of a broken Law
had not registered with him. He believed himself acceptable to God and
therefore spiritually alive. But when he understood the full implications of
the Law (Mk 12:29-31), sin was aroused within him and Paul became conscious of
His guilt and condemnation before God. Paul recognized that spiritually he was
in fact dead.
NOTE: INDIVIDUAL DISCOVERY QUESTION: How did the Law
bring death?
Verse 10: The Moral Law which
was to secure everlasting life by obedience to it (Lev 18:5; Ezek 20:11; Rom
10:5; Philip 3:6), rather brought condemnation to death (Is 64:6). Paul had
thought that this was something of which he was quite capable of achieving, and
indeed was achieving - until he understood his real state by understanding the
Law.
Verse 11: The sinful nature
took advantage of the Law, allowing him to think that he was OK (cf 2 Cor 11:3;
1 Tim 2:14 - same word used) and that he could obey it. He thought he had
gained life, but in reality it brought him death, for he had not in fact kept
it at all.
QUESTION: How should
believers view the Law - what should our attitude be?
Verse 12: So what should
really be thought of the Law? The Law is certainly not evil (7:5). In itself it
is holy, just and good. It does its job correctly, for if you obey there is
life, and if not there is death. The problem is with the sinner, for the sinner
is evil. It is not the Law’s fault that we are sinners and unable to keep it.
In reality it is a mercy that the Law shows us our sin, for it prevents us from
trusting our own efforts and drives us elsewhere for relief.
INDIVIDUAL DISCOVERY
What state
(saved/unsaved) was Paul thinking of in Romans 7:13-25? How did you come to
this conclusion?
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21/07/2007
AN OUTPOST PRODUCTION
