24 The Weakness of the Law

In Romans 7, Paul had shown that sin was both opportunistic (looking for the opportunity for satisfaction) as well as deceptive (making unfulfilling promises). Despite the many promises for fulfillment, the only fruit borne by sin is death.

Therefore, Paul had concluded that the commandment (God’s Law) was good, since it exposed sin, and its true intentions:

Romans 7:11-12

Paul continued that instruction, in the second portion of chapter 7:

1 The Misconception

As a good pastor and teacher, Paul knew that some would still have misconceptions and misunderstandings which needed clarifying:

Romans 7:13

Once more, Paul showed how sin is only able to produce death.

But again, it was also important to show, that didn’t mean the Law itself was bad, but rather, that which is bad, is the sin which the Law exposes.

2 The Believer and Sin

Next, Paul spoke of how even believers reside in sinful bodies:

Romans 7:14

He began by stating that the Law is “spiritual”, which in context, is a by-product of what he’d established previously, that the Law is “holy, just, and good” – verse 12.

While the Law is certainly intended to show man’s great spiritual needs, those needs may only be met if one has been spiritually reborn:

Ephesians 2:1

And:

Titus 3:5

In verse 14, Paul then spoke of the sin which resides within each man. Yet, there was still a dichotomy which developed, since while the Law points to the existence of sin, it is unable to do anything to resolve that seen. Therefore, the Law is unable to redeem sinful man.

However, while God’s Law cannot redeem man, it does point him to the understanding that he’s in need of salvation.

Verse 14, also speaks to the Law respective of the believer. That’s seen where Paul refers to the Law as being “spiritual” while he is “carnal”.

Even though he had been spiritually reborn, here Paul is speaking about the believer’s old sin nature, which is still alive in every child of God.

Prior to salvation, one is living on two levels, the physical, and the soulish (mind). All desires and impulses are developed and directed by those two components.

When an individual invites Christ into their life, The Holy Spirit regenerates him or her, and makes the individual spiritually alive. Thus, salvation brings spiritual life. No longer is there dichotomous living, but trichotomous (spirit, soul, and body).

With that in mind, Paul was acknowledging that he still had a fleshly (carnal) component to deal with.

The Greek word for carnal <sarkikos> speaks of “being characterized by the flesh”. This speaks of having a great desire for fleshly things.

He then made an interesting statement, by stating that he was “sold under sin”. This came from the idea of slavery which was widespread under the Roman rule of Paul’s day. The Roman law both accommodated and enforced slavery, to the extent that the majority of those in the Roman Empire were slaves.

So, much in the way that Roman law enabled and enforced literal slavery, Paul was equating similar characteristics to the spiritual slavery to sin which the Law is unable to resolve.

Paul was once again showing that the Law was never designed to resolve the issue of man’s enslavement to sin.

3 The Battle Within

After showing how he as a believer, has struggles with sin, he then spoke of his frustrations, and even feelings of helplessness in those struggles:

Romans 7:15-17

Believers’ frustration with their personal sin, is because of their desire to live in a manner which is pleasing to the Lord. That desire comes from the believer’s spirit, which is the only component which able to have fellowship with God. Neither man’s body or soul (mind) may interact with God, since God is Spirit, and neither the body or the soul may be converted, thus they remain in opposition to the Lord.

While they are in opposition to God, in the case of the believer whose spirit has been given new birth, a struggle will ensue between the converted spirit, and the unconverted soul and body.

In verse 15, Paul shows that the problem isn’t lacking the willpower, but simply he had the inability to do so:

Romans 7:15

In the original Greek, it seen how Paul used emphatic language, literally saying, “what I am hating, that I am doing.”

Therefore, the believer is helpless if attempting to deal with their sin problem, either with their flesh, mind, or even by the Law.

It requires God’s spiritual resources, as seen at the conclusion of the chapter, to be successful in the battle against persistent sinful desires.

In verse 16, Paul then concludes that the problem isn’t with the Law, but with the sin within us.

In verse 17, he then suggests that the sin he commits is not really being performed by him. The reason he made the statement, is because the “real” Paul, or the “real” part of any believer, is that which is controlled by the Spirit, which means our spirits.

That speaks of the believer who desires to walk closely with the Lord, and who will willingly deny himself, and will surrender to the Lord. That is shown by the words of Jesus:

Matthew 16:24

Conversely, when we fail to deny ourselves, fail to crucify the flesh, and fail to follow the Lord, there will be defeat, and the sense of hopelessness Paul spoke of.

But again, there is hope, which as previously stated, Paul discusses at the conclusion of the chapter.