VIII. Slaves of God (Romans 7:1-25)

VIII. Slaves of God (7:1-25)

7:1-4 Paul uses the analogy of marriage to illustrate our freedom from the law. If a married woman remarries, whether or not she is an adulteress depends on whether her husband is still alive. If she is married to another man while her husband is living, she will be called an adulteress (7:3). But a married woman is only legally bound to her husband while he lives. When he passes away, she is released from the law (7:2). Marrying as a widow is completely legal because her obligation to the first contract ended with her husband’s death. The law was our “husband,” and through the body of Christ (7:4), that relationship is dead. We are thus free to enjoy a new union with Christ.

7:5 Because the law is designed to reveal sin, it actually aroused the sinful passions . . . in us to bear fruit for death. But having come to Christ, we’re no longer under the authority of the law. If it reveals our sin (which it still does), we have a new righteousness in Christ that overrides our sin.

7:7 Importantly, just because the law instigated our sinful passions doesn’t mean something is wrong with the law. It is like a mirror; it shows us what’s wrong, but it’s not designed to fix it. Without it, we would not have known sin. As Paul says, I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, Do not covet. The law, then, is also like a speed limit sign that reads, “Speed Limit 55,” which may or may not slow us down. Nevertheless, that sign validates the police officer who pulls us over when we’re driving 80! Without the sign, he would have no authority to stop us. With the sign, our “sin” is revealed, and we’re without excuse.

7:8-11 Paul addresses the problem of legalism here. Legalism expects a set of rules to keep us from sinning. But the more we try to meet God’s standard by ourselves, the worse we become. Without the commandment, we were breaking God’s laws. But once the commandment was revealed, sin sprang to life (7:9). The law is good, but sin always seizes an opportunity through the commandment to produce more sin (7:8).

Have you ever seen a “Don’t Touch” sign? The sign itself makes you want to reach out your hand! Likewise, sin conjures up the desire to do the opposite of what the law says, so the more law (apart from the gospel), the more sin.

7:12-13 Is the law good or bad? Paul reminds us that the commandment is holy and just and good (7:12). It came from God and represents his holy character. The main issue here isn’t the law at all, but sin. The power of indwelling sin, even for believers, is so strong that it can take what is good and twist it to become sinful beyond measure (7:13). Sin keeps us locked in a struggle.

7:14-15 It’s encouraging for us as believers to know that Paul suffered from the same struggles we do. We all have had candid moments in which we stepped back and said, I do not understand what I am doing. Haven’t we all asked, “What’s wrong with me?” There is a war within us, and like Paul, we often say, I do not practice what I want to do, but I do what I hate (7:15).

7:16 Even worse, Paul knows he can’t claim ignorance. He recognizes the internal struggle as a validation of the law: I agree with the law that it is good. He agrees that he is doing wrong. He simply can’t break free. Was this because Paul was especially sinful? Probably not. The closer you get to God, the more sensitive you are about your own moral failure. Show me a Christian who does not feel the pain of his sin, and I’ll show you someone who isn’t close to God.

7:17-18 Here we get to the heart of the problem. Paul struggles because he is still in the flesh, and nothing good lives in him (7:18). Even though our old self was crucified with Christ (6:6), the flesh was not. Our sin nature was put to death, but our flesh remains active. Our sin nature was like a factory that produced unrighteousness, evil, and sin. When we came to Christ, however, God shut that factory down. That solved the problem of future production, but it didn’t address what was already produced. Existing sin from that factory found a new home, and that home is called our flesh.

7:19-23 When you come to Christ, your identity changes. But your location stays the same. There is now a distinction between who you are and where you live. You are totally redeemed, totally sanctified, totally brand new in Christ, but you live in a body contaminated by flesh. Thus, when we as Christians sin, we are no longer the ones doing it: it is the sin that lives in [us] (7:20). In saying this, Paul is not excusing our sin. He is reminding us that our true identity is no longer found in our actions, even if we keep sinning.

When I want to do what is good, evil is present with me (7:21). Note that it’s with me, it doesn’t define me. My “I” has changed from sinner to saint. Therefore, when sin wants me to define myself by what I’ve done wrong, I remember that God defines me by who I am in Christ.

7:24-25 Paul recognizes what many Christians miss—that he is helpless to resolve his own problem: Who will rescue me from this body of death? (7:24). All throughout this chapter he has been struggling to pull himself out of his inner war, but as if battling quicksand, he found that the more he struggled, the deeper he sank. The power of positive thinking did nothing for him. Until he finally lifted his eyes to the only one who could rescue him, his situation was hopeless. Then, like a bolt of lightning, he finally shouts, thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! (7:25). And all of chapter 8 shows us just what lifted Paul out of the muck and mire.