A Study of The Book of Romans

Lesson 48 Chapter 7:22 – 25

 

  1. Verse 22 “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:”
    1. With all that Paul has said about the law; in that it is not part of salvation that it is the schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, also how by it we sin because we are not strong enough to live it to its fullest, Paul ends here in saying “it fills my heart with great joy.
    2.  While the main purpose of the law to us is that it brings us to Christ, it is also a part of God, Gods law and we should love everything about the Lord even His law. We should study it very much and live it to the fullest that we can, but never make it something it is not.
    3. Paul says it brings great satisfying joy to his spiritual man (or his inward man) that would also be his heart.
    4. Psalms 119:97 “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.”
    5. Psalms 19:7 - 11 “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. (8.) The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. (9.) The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. (10.) More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. (11.) Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.”
    6. Job 23:12 “Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.”
  2. Verse 23 “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”
    1. Paul is speaking of “another law” not in his heart or inward man but in the rest of his body including his mind. He also spoke of this law in verse 5 “For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.” This law is the law of the natural man and brings evil and death.
    2. “…warring against the law of my mind…”

a.       A key here is the word mind; I have separated the spirit (that God has quickened) and the mind. I have said the mind is used by the lost in their direction giver in life, and the saved should seek guidance from the spirit. But here Paul says the law of the flesh is warring against the “law of his mind”. The word mind is defined - the intellect – or the source where we get our feeling or will which normally would be the mind however I believe here it should have been spirit because this is where the Christian gets their intellect and feeling or will. And I may add I am not alone in this thought.

b.      The law of the flesh (or the one in our members) war against the law in our spirit which is the law of God.

c.       Adam Clark said “carrying on a system of warfare; laying continual siege to the soul; repeating incessantly its attacks; harassing, battering, and storming the spirit; and, by all these assaults, reducing the man to extreme misery.”

    1. “…and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.” This is a very bold statement, one that most Christians would rather not read or study, but it is Gods word and very true.

a.       This is best defined this way, the lost are under the control of sin and Satan, they are willing to sin and are pleased in it because it is voluntarily their way of life.

b.      The Christian is different While still in the flesh they are also spiritual, this war is the old nature (or sin or Satan) battling to over power the new nature. This keeps us in sin more than we would like to admit.

c.       This is why we Christians are in a miserable state.

d.      This is why we will be so thankful when we are with the Lord and rid of this old sinful body.

  1. Verse 24 “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”
    1. “O wretched man that I am…” the word “wretched” means – one that is enduring trials or one that is in a miserable state – That is a life of pain and distress. It is often an agonizing struggle between good and evil.

a.       Isaiah said in Isaiah 6:5 “Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”

b.      This is not a salvation scripture as we mostly use it but rather a delivering from this sinful flesh and the miserable state we are in here, we are also ready to be delivered.

    1. “…who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” The word “body” here refers to the sinful members in the body. Paul was miserable in the flesh and greatly wanted to be delivered. 
  1. Verse 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.”
    1. God is the source of deliverance and Christ is the channel in which we will be delivered.
    2. “…So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” Again mind here is the spirit it serves God but the flesh is sinful.
    3. We have been delivered through Christ from eternal death and He will continue to deliver us all the way until salvation is complete.