Romans 7
Bible Passage: Romans 7
The Book of Romans can be hard to understand if one does not understand the Mosaic Law and its purpose.
Many people, especially Christians have misunderstood Romans and went to the extreme of saying that the law and the commandments are abolished and that believe is all that matters. Some say it is no more necessary to keep the 10 commandments while others even go to the extreme to say that baptism is a form of work and those who are baptized cannot be saved!
We have many laws in the secular realm.
In Singapore, we are famous or infamous for our chewing gum and vandalism laws. Laws are needed to execute justice and equality and to protect people from harm. Laws are needed because of the nature of man to sin (which means to fall short of the law or God’s standard).
“What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed come to whom the promise was made; and that it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.” Galatians 3:19
In Galatians, Paul tells us the reason of the Mosaic law. God added these many laws during the period of the OT because of the transgressions of the Israelites. The Mosaic law was in place to guide the people in their faith and lives according to God’s standard and to prepare them for Jesus Christ (the Seed) to come in the flesh as the Messiah.
God promised Abraham that through his Seed, all nations shall be blessed. This Seed is Jesus Christ as only through faith in Him, do we receive true blessings.
The law itself is good. Jesus summarized the essence of the law and that is to love God and to love man.
In the Mosaic law, there are laws for clean/ unclean food, sanctification, laws for temple sacrifice, laws for the priesthood, laws for the festivals and civic laws. The nation of Israel was peculiar in that it was a nation chosen by God and God was their King. The Mosaic laws not only covered worship of God but also covered civic laws.
Loving God is to keep His Commandments.
“And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me.” Rom 7:10-11
“Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.” Rom 7:12
However, the law itself is not easy to keep and this was compounded by introduction of many Jewish traditions; such that in prior chapters in Romans, Paul described some Jews who were self-righteous in keeping the law (which included the traditions). They prided themselves in that they can keep the law to the exact dot.
“For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. “ Rom 10:3
“Where is the boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.” Rom 3:27
However, Paul says that all have sinned and fallen short of God’s standard (Romans 3:23). There is none righteous.
In Romans 7 he further expounds that the law is good and holy, but man is sinful and carnal such that even Paul whom we regard as an excellent model of a Christian says humbly that the good that he wills to do he does not, but in contrary the evil that he does not want to do, he practices.
The problem with the Mosaic law was the failure of the people to obey the law and to receive life from the law.
Paul goes to the extent to even say it was the law of sin due to man’s sinful nature. Hence God through Jesus, set us a new and living way through the law of faith, the law of love and the law of Spirit of life.
The Mosaic law has now been superseded by this new law which is better. The legality portion has been canceled as it was no more necessary with the death and resurrection of Christ; since the law pointed to Jesus Christ.
However, the essence/ spirit of the law (a.k.a the royal law, or the 10 commandments) which is to love God with all our hearts, minds and souls and to love our neighbours as ourselves continues and in fact set to a higher standard by Jesus. Jesus commands us to love the people around us and even to love our enemies! This transcends that of the Mosaic law which says ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth’.
“When you were dead in your sins and in your uncircumicision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us. “ Col 2:13-14
We thank God today, that Jesus has opened a living Way for us. He gave us only three laws to keep today; the law of faith, the law of the Spirit of life and the law of love.
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” Rom 8:1
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:33-34
Through faith in Him and his teachings of salvation, namely baptism, foot washing and Holy Communion; through receiving and renewal of the Holy Spirit and pursuit of holiness and keeping of the commandments; through unwavering love for the people around us and the preaching of the salvation message, we have true confidence of salvation as promised by God.
We are no more tied to the legality of the Mosaic law, but are set free from the law of sin.
May we uphold the essence of the law to a higher degree. Hallelujah!
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biblereadingcompanion
Whenever I read Romans 7, I can’t help but marvel at the timeless truth of Paul’s words when he laments …
“For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.” ~ Rom 7:19
Paul was not the first to feel this way. Neither was he the last.
Indeed, when he exclaims “O wretched man that I am!”… I cannot help but echo his words.
Recently I have been troubled…. I was not very sure that the good I was trying to do was actually good… and I may have ended up doing the very bad thing that I wanted to avoid doing…
Just as I cry out “Who will deliver me from this body of death?”… I was comforted by the Words that I read in verse 25….
“I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! …”
Yes! Jesus is my source of comfort.
Jesus will help me get through it all.
Jesus is there to hear me call out in frustration.
Jesus will guide me.
I just need to remember this and stick close to Him and His word.
In times like these… I often need a song. And it was a sad testament of how I was feeling in that I have not been singing for more than a week. Neither have I been listening to my iphone of songs and hymns. But as I was walking to the library just now, I finally put on my headphones.
God’s grace never ceases to amaze me… although I tend to forget at times. I simply picked one album that I seldom listened too… but all the songs and words… they simply comforted me and reminded me of the love of Jesus for me.
Paul was humble enough to acknowledged that he was weak and that he needed God to help him overcome his sin and weaknesses. This reminded me of a song from a long time ago… and may the attitude of Paul be also mine as I ask the Lord to “Hear My Prayer”.
PS
Rom 7:5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death;
Rom 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”
Rom 7:9 I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.
When was Paul ever without the law? Wasn’t he born of the tribe of Benjamin? Born Hebrew of a Hebrew?
And when was Paul in the flesh (Rom 7:5)? Before he was converted and he did not know that Lord Jesus is Christ!
Sure? Rom 7:4 Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another— to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.
Rom 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.
Was Paul serving 2 masters at the same time? No, Paul was serving only God and obeying the law of God after his conversion!!! Hallelujah, his body was dead in baptism (Rom 6:4 and 7:24)
May be the bondage in Rom 7:19-21 is different form the struggle in James 1:14-15.