Romans 7

Chapter 7

After Paul explains the nature of those in grace, here in chapter 7, he explains the necessity to be released from the bondage of the law so that one can enter the law of grace. Paul uses an analogy to explain this. Just like one woman cannot belong to two separate husbands under the law, people cannot belong to two separate governing laws. Under Mosaic Law, our sin demands death of the sinner, but once death has been presented as payment to the debt, the law is no longer in power over the one who was once in debt to it.  Neither can the law make any further demands beyond death.

Because of Jesus’ death and His authority over the grace the  law of grace is provided. We often refer this as Christian freedom, but one must understand the freedom aforesaid is not freedom to begin living just however someone dares to live. This freedom is a slave swap, from the slave of sin to become the slave of righteousness. Now, in John’s gospel Jesus refers to his own as friends and no longer slaves (see John 15:15).  But even then, the authority of Christ is not diminished just because the king may share his heart with a few friends, friends of the king are also expected to obey.  In stead of trying to force one authors words onto another, Paul is teaching within his own context that we may understand the new nature that has “freed” from from sin and its power.  We are free from sin, and servants of righteousness.  We have a new Master, and He has bought our freedom from the old master.

So to continue with Paul’s metaphor of marriage, through Christ’s death, we are released from the law so that in a sense we can be married to Him, a new lord.  In Paul’s day, the husband was the undisputed ruler of the household and Paul is using the metaphor in that way.  We follow Christ now just as a family would follow the father and head of the house.

This newfound freedom under grace are able now to produce the sort of fruit that brings God glory (4:5). This fruit producing for God is what is expected of a truly born again believer. The believers heart is changed and rather than desiring to sin, the believer desires to please God. Anyone who willfully wants to displease God by continuing in sin without any sign of repentance probably never repented in the first place. Remember John called the Pharisees to bring forth fruits appropriate for repentance to accompany their apparent coming to him for baptism (Matt. 3:8). The same idea is found here that true believers will produce said fruits that God enjoys believers to have (7:4).

Paul, argues for the law here lest any man misunderstand what the law of Moses was. Some might think then the law was bad, or that Paul is demeaning the law. The law is the standard for what “good” means. Everyone things they are a good person, but that is until they stand in front of the law and see themselves otherwise. It was a tool to show us what sin is, knowing our wrong before God and seeking His mercy. (7:7). Paul had already argued this earlier (3:20). As an example of the laws purpose, Paul mentions coveting in verse 7 as a point of reference. How would we know that coveting was wrong unless it weren’t for God saying so? This is precisely why the the world today attacks God word. If it weren’t for God’s word, people could do whatever dark thing their heart desires to do. But the law is a lamp in these dark places of men’s hearts and seeing that men love their darkness they repel from the light. If it weren’t for the Holy Spirits drawing, people would want nothing to do God’s word fulfillment of the law Jesus Christ. Because men are sinners they find delight in all manners of wrong doing (7:8). Just as men find excitement in adultery, or a thief in the middle of heist so they find enjoyment in such things greatly because it is wrong to do so.

So how can such a good thing (the law) have such dreadful consequences?(7:13) The law is good. It is necessary for us to understand the condemnation our sin had resulted in. Our condemnation by the law convicts us of “dirtiness” of our sin (7:13), and therefore people can know by what extent “we come short of the glory of God.” Nobody thinks they are a bad person, because we often look at each other in comparison. Jesus said blessed who are the poor in spirit. These will the people who truly realize their sin and the extent of it. Jesus himself after speaking these words used the law to show that all men, even the most pious of pharisees were sinners.

Many a Christian can feel the same great agony the summarized in Paul’s conclusion here. Even though Christians are reborn and have the mind to please God, we are at war with our old nature. It will be constant struggle until we exit this body and be separated from it. Failures will be frequent, but the spirit of repentance will remain and win the day. Pleasing God will remain the focus of the repentant believer. Who shall deliver me from the body of death? Jesus Christ will, and in patience we wait for the redemption of our body (8:25).