Paul now introduces his readers to the real problem in the mix. What is it that stirs up so much trouble inside us? Why do we react so violently when we are faced with God’s holy standards? Why can’t we just obey Him and cut out all the struggle?
“When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death.”
Romans 7:5 NLT
The law!
Sin is so deeply ingrained in us that we sin naturally but…when God says, “Don’t!”, that’s when our stubborn rebellion kicks in. We see this is in a young child. When we try to stop a child’s naughty behaviour, he/she becomes defiant and does it even more, for example…tantrums when he can’t get his own way.
So…God’s law stirs up rebellion in us. It triggers our true nature…not just sin but deliberate disobedience because we are rebels at heart.
Paul found this out to his great distress after he became a believer in Jesus. In his old life, it was relatively easy to obey the law because his obedience was overlayed with his pride, self-righteousness, and self-effort.
However, when he became a believer, he no longer wanted to please himself. He had a new master but…he did he didn’t know how to tame the old one. The law still played havoc with his old self. The battle lines were drawn but he always came out second best…bruised and beaten because he hadn’t learned how to fight.
“Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.” But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power. and I died. So I discovered that the law’s commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead. Sin took advantage of those commands and deceived me; it used the commands to kill me. But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death…So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God’s good commands for its own evil purposes.”
Romans 7:7-8, 10-11, 13 NLT
Now, that’s a real problem! God’s holy law clashed with Paul’s sinful nature and the result was death. The law actually killed him instead of giving him life! How could that be?
Paul so badly wanted to obey the Lord but his old nature got in the way.
“So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.”
Romans 7:14-20 NLT
What a predicament! How was he to overcome this one? He had no power over his old nature. It ruled him with a rod of iron.
“I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?”
Romans 7:21-24 NLT
Paul discovered that he would be forever helpless, forever enslaved by his own sinful nature but for one thing…
“Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord…”
Romans 7:25a NLT
To be continued