"What then, is the law sin? God forbid." Romans 7v7.
Paul follows the same pattern in chapter 7, in relation to the law, as he did in chapter 6 relative to sin: he states the basic principle (dead to sin-ch6; dead to the law-ch7,) then works out the detail of the practical outworking of that. There is an important change from v7 onwards in that he uses the personal pronouns "I" "Me" "My" thus referring to his own personal experience. He is not preaching down to people but very much includes himself in the teaching of sin and law. More than 40 times in the verses 7-25 does he refer to himself, and this master teacher is saying that what is true of himself is also true of the rest of us. There is a further important division of thought in these verses:
7-13.......he uses the past tense, thus referring to pre-conversion experience;
14-25.....he uses the present tense, thus referring to post- conversion experience.
This observation is very important for the proper understanding of this passage.
In chapter 7 v 5 Paul referred to the close relationship between sin and the law; thinking that this may raise the question in someone's mind that the law and sin are equivalent, he immediately refutes that suggestion. What the law does is expose our sin. A medical instrument such as a remote thermometer, or an x ray machine may expose a medical problem, but that does not make the instrument the same as the problem. In the same way the law is not bad just because it reveals something bad, so he will prove at the end of the section that there is nothing wrong with the law; on the contrary he states "that the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good." Romans 7v12. Before passing over these terms we should note the true character of the law as described here by Paul when he says it is holy, meaning that it reflects the character of God. Not only is the law in its entirety holy, but the commandment (that is each individual instruction of the law) is said to be holy and just and good. Holy....in that it reflects God, just..... in that it is fair to everyone, good......in that it has a good outcome if followed perfectly.
There is no question therefore that the law and sin are diametrically opposed to each other but God used His perfect law to expose the reality of sin. In Paul's own experience, the proud religious and self-righteous Pharisee thought he was a keeper of the law until he understood the tenth commandment from Exodus 20v17 "thou shalt not covet." It was then he understood that the law was dealing not only with actions but with thoughts. Which of us have not coveted something belonging to someone else? In this way the law exposed Paul's sin.
He continues ..... "I was alive without the law once, but when the commandment came sin revived and I died." What he means by this is that in his loose misunderstanding of the law, he was quite content that he was righteous until the force of the tenth commandment aroused him. He talks of sin as a person taking occasion by the commandment, deceived him and slew him. Possibly the best evidence of this in the life of Paul is in the narrative surrounding the martyrdom of Stephen. Paul was present at this horrendous act and indeed gave his vote against him. However he saw something in Stephen that day that he knew he didn't have, absolute belief in the risen Lord Jesus Christ and as the stones flew about his head Paul knew Stephen had something he did not have. This led Paul in Acts chapters 8 & 9 to set about a carnage of hatred against Christians, culminating in Acts 9v1 "and Saul breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord went to the high priest and desired letters" this was for the purpose of persecuting Christians, and this went on until he was stopped on the Damascus road by the risen Lord Jesus Christ who said "why are you kicking against the goads?" This was the inward pricking of his conscience by the Divine law which said "thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not covet" etc. etc. and here was Paul breaking the law that he thought he had kept. In this way says Paul the law not only exposed my sin, but incited, aroused, the rebellious nature within me and caused me to sin more. In this way the law brought me to conviction of sin, and the rest is history.
So the holy and just and good divine law did its work in Paul and it can do the same in us. Once exposed to the high standard of the law, it will have two effects upon us; firstly to make us feel bad, and secondly, to make us sin worse as a way of justifying our own position. No-one likes to be exposed and there is an adverse reaction to the eternal light of the law of God exposing our inward corruption, when we thought otherwise.
Tomorrow d.v. the relationship of the law to death and the commencement of the post-conversion struggles of Paul.
Paul follows the same pattern in chapter 7, in relation to the law, as he did in chapter 6 relative to sin: he states the basic principle (dead to sin-ch6; dead to the law-ch7,) then works out the detail of the practical outworking of that. There is an important change from v7 onwards in that he uses the personal pronouns "I" "Me" "My" thus referring to his own personal experience. He is not preaching down to people but very much includes himself in the teaching of sin and law. More than 40 times in the verses 7-25 does he refer to himself, and this master teacher is saying that what is true of himself is also true of the rest of us. There is a further important division of thought in these verses:
7-13.......he uses the past tense, thus referring to pre-conversion experience;
14-25.....he uses the present tense, thus referring to post- conversion experience.
This observation is very important for the proper understanding of this passage.
In chapter 7 v 5 Paul referred to the close relationship between sin and the law; thinking that this may raise the question in someone's mind that the law and sin are equivalent, he immediately refutes that suggestion. What the law does is expose our sin. A medical instrument such as a remote thermometer, or an x ray machine may expose a medical problem, but that does not make the instrument the same as the problem. In the same way the law is not bad just because it reveals something bad, so he will prove at the end of the section that there is nothing wrong with the law; on the contrary he states "that the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good." Romans 7v12. Before passing over these terms we should note the true character of the law as described here by Paul when he says it is holy, meaning that it reflects the character of God. Not only is the law in its entirety holy, but the commandment (that is each individual instruction of the law) is said to be holy and just and good. Holy....in that it reflects God, just..... in that it is fair to everyone, good......in that it has a good outcome if followed perfectly.
There is no question therefore that the law and sin are diametrically opposed to each other but God used His perfect law to expose the reality of sin. In Paul's own experience, the proud religious and self-righteous Pharisee thought he was a keeper of the law until he understood the tenth commandment from Exodus 20v17 "thou shalt not covet." It was then he understood that the law was dealing not only with actions but with thoughts. Which of us have not coveted something belonging to someone else? In this way the law exposed Paul's sin.
He continues ..... "I was alive without the law once, but when the commandment came sin revived and I died." What he means by this is that in his loose misunderstanding of the law, he was quite content that he was righteous until the force of the tenth commandment aroused him. He talks of sin as a person taking occasion by the commandment, deceived him and slew him. Possibly the best evidence of this in the life of Paul is in the narrative surrounding the martyrdom of Stephen. Paul was present at this horrendous act and indeed gave his vote against him. However he saw something in Stephen that day that he knew he didn't have, absolute belief in the risen Lord Jesus Christ and as the stones flew about his head Paul knew Stephen had something he did not have. This led Paul in Acts chapters 8 & 9 to set about a carnage of hatred against Christians, culminating in Acts 9v1 "and Saul breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord went to the high priest and desired letters" this was for the purpose of persecuting Christians, and this went on until he was stopped on the Damascus road by the risen Lord Jesus Christ who said "why are you kicking against the goads?" This was the inward pricking of his conscience by the Divine law which said "thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not covet" etc. etc. and here was Paul breaking the law that he thought he had kept. In this way says Paul the law not only exposed my sin, but incited, aroused, the rebellious nature within me and caused me to sin more. In this way the law brought me to conviction of sin, and the rest is history.
So the holy and just and good divine law did its work in Paul and it can do the same in us. Once exposed to the high standard of the law, it will have two effects upon us; firstly to make us feel bad, and secondly, to make us sin worse as a way of justifying our own position. No-one likes to be exposed and there is an adverse reaction to the eternal light of the law of God exposing our inward corruption, when we thought otherwise.
Tomorrow d.v. the relationship of the law to death and the commencement of the post-conversion struggles of Paul.
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