Grow 09: Romans 7:13-21

Romans 7:13-21 (NASB)

¹³Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful. ¹⁴For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. ¹⁵For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. ¹⁶But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. ¹⁷So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. ¹⁸For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. ¹⁹For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. ²⁰But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. ²¹I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.

What’s happening to me?

In the movie Teen Wolf Michael J. Fox plays Scott Howard, a boy who is beset with werewolfism.   As the transformation takes place he locks himself in the bathroom and helplessly watches as he turns into something else.  His father comes to the door and offers to help, but Scott rejects that help.  Finally, once the transformation is complete Scott’s father insists on being let it.  Scott relents, expecting to scare the socks off of his dad.  He opens the door and finds that his Father is also a werewolf (as he had also transformed). 

Similarly, most Christians go through this experience of wondering what in the world is going on inside of them.  They see their desire to do the right thing, and yet they continually make choices that conflict with the true desire within them.  Like the “teen wolf” they sit afraid, ashamed and isolated in their bathroom, hoping that nobody finds out what a hypocrite they are.  We try to figure out the reasons and come up with crazy suggestions like:

-Did I not believe correctly? 

-Did I not “really” put my faith in Jesus? 

-Perhaps I don’t really want it bad enough?

-Perhaps I need an accountability group, or I need to make a new rule to follow?

-Maybe I’m not saved? 

Here, however, in the word of God we have an exact description of what is going on inside the saint by the apostle Paul.  This is an autobiographical look, he isn’t just saying that this may be the case for some of us, but he is saying, “This is what I have struggled with!”  Here, again, in the word, we find every provision for our salvation.  Past (Justification), present (sanctification) and future (Glorification).

Romans 7:13-14

¹³Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful. ¹⁴For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.

Therefore

This logical connection links what Paul is about to say with what he has just said.  In the previous section Paul made it clear that the law isn’t evil, it just has no power to help him.  In fact, in the hands of his sin nature the law was a fast track to destruction because the sin nature knows exactly how to destroy him by seeking to break the law constantly. 

Pointing fingers

The next question that Paul anticipates is, in essence: “Are you blaming the Law for your failure?”  The response is the “May it never be!” that we have grown accustomed to hearing.  Paul, and every believer today, ought to have the utmost respect for God’s Law as it was revealed to Moses.  It is strange what it means to understand and respect the law.  Those who seek to be “law keepers” will claim they respect it and are keeping it, when really they ignore most of it, and use it as a basis for their own self-righteousness.  However, Paul’s point of view here is: “I respect the Law enough to realize that I could NEVER keep it because of the sin principle (the Sin Nature) that lives within me – the only righteousness that will do is found in Christ.”  

The Sin

The word translated “rather” here denotes a strong contrast or change in direction.  Paul is saying, “It’s now what I imagine you are going to accuse me of, it’s the exact opposite!”  Here again we see the phrase “the sin”.  As was the case in chapter six “the sin” refers to the sin nature within the believer.  Notice that Paul continues to deal with the sin nature throughout his description of the process of sanctification.  The Law isn’t the problem, it is the sin nature within.  The law would be a perfect method of managing men, if men were perfect.  However, as long as we have our sin nature we find the Law is not the correct tool for reforming men.  This can be done by the life of Christ within the believer who is positioned in Him alone. 

Why would God do that?

The next question we could ask would be why would God give a standard that man could never truly live up to?  In essence the law acts like an indicator to show how hopeless man’s situation is apart from Christ.  This is the case in our justification, which we saw in Romans 1-5 that we could not earn.  This is also the case in our sanctification, which we are seeing that we cannot earn or “work for” either.  Attempt to live by the law, or by any governing set of laws only shows us that we cannot be conformed to the image of Christ by the best efforts of our flesh.  We are reminded regularly by our lives and our situations how hopeless we are apart from Christ, how much we need Him, and fellowship with Him every moment. 

The Problem

In verse 14 Paul gives a clear statement of the problem, and also the value of the Law.  The Law is spiritual.  The law is given from God and would be perfect for perfect people.  But the problem is in himself.  Paul knows that He is not spiritual.  We have no hope of becoming spiritual through any set of rules, rewards and punishments.  It simply cannot be done! 

It would be like teaching an earthworm to do archery.  No matter how good the instruction book, no matter how great the rewards, and how painful the punishment, the earthworm lacks the necessary apparatus to succeed at archery.  You can punish the earthworm when he fails, but the end will never be success. 

Romans 7:15-16

¹⁵For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. ¹⁶But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good.

I don’t get it!

This section of scripture can be a bit confusing if we don’t read it carefully, but the way it is written helps portray the amount of anxiety that Paul is feeling.  He opens by saying that what he is doing (present active indicative) he doesn’t “understand” (present active indicative).  The word “understand” is a word that means knowledge by experience.  The sense here is, “I just don’t get it!

“Practice” here is talking about his repeated and continued actions.  He is saying, my walk doesn’t match my talk.  I want to practice the things that I know are good, but I am doing the exact opposite.

And I hate it!

Paul expresses absolute hatred for the actions that are coming out of him.  To keep this in perspective this is all present tense.  Paul is writing about this in “right now” terms, as a saved person who is trying to live under law. Those things I am doing, I am HATING!

Silver Lining

Paul is able to find the silver lining to the cloud here: even though he is unable to meet the standard he knows is good, at least that affirms that the Lord is good, and his standard is right, even if he is unable to meet it in his flesh.

Romans 7:17-21

¹⁷So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. ¹⁸For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. ¹⁹For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. ²⁰But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. ²¹I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.

Who’s Who?

Paul then comes to an important realization.  He knows what HE wants.  He wants to keep the Law and do righteous things all of the time.  However, he is inhibited from doing so by his sin nature.  Does it sounds like his sin nature has been obliterated, or removed?  Not at all!  It is alive and well and able to keep him in the pattern and practice of sinfulness.  Furthermore, Paul gives the sin nature a location: “Within me”.  He finds the sin nature at work in him. 

Nothing!

Verse 18  comes to a deeper realization: “NOTHING GOOD DWELLS WITHIN MY FLESH!”  This is a huge admission.  Paul realized in chapters 1-5 that there was nothing that he could do to earn salvation. Chapter 6 outlines the reality that we will grow in Christ only so long as we are trusting in the spiritual facts of what was accomplished at the cross, but here Paul is brought to a deeper reality.  I cannot bring forth any positive, rewardable work from my flesh!

This is a process of years, for many of us, and days for others.  Most often we must come to increasing revelations of the reality that we are in absolute need of Jesus Christ every moment.  When we first come to the Lord we see that we are helpless to effect our own salvation.  Having trusted in the Lord for that we come to see that we are totally hopeless to affect our own sanctification.  Increasingly, we realize, more and more with each passing moment that we need him for every second, every word, every breath.  We begin to grow when we realize, with Paul, that “Nothing good dwells within me.”

I didn’t do that!

Paul comes to this greater realization: “It is not I that do it...but the sin nature within me!”  This may sound like an excuse, but it isn’t.  Paul isn’t saying, “Hey, I’m off the hook, the Sin is doing it within me!”  That is not the point at all. Paul is saying that when he tries to please God by keeping the law his sin nature is always the one in charge.  In fact, by going to the Law he is proving that that because the result is always more sinful practice and behavior.  In essence one way to find out if a believer has slipped back into legalism is to observe their life.  Is sin abounding?  It may be because the believer is a legalist!  To use the illustration from last week this person is getting back onto the basketball court with 1997 Michael Jordan again and again and again and losing ever day because he doesn’t want to admit that he needs the Savior, Jesus Christ, every single moment.

The Principle

Some translations bring this across as “law” because it is the Greek word nomos which is the word translated “law” elsewhere in this chapter.  However, just as in English, the word law can mean “a standard of measurement, or a set of rules” or it can mean a principle or an observed pattern, just as we use the term in the phrase “the laws of nature.”  So here is the principle:

Evil is present within me: This is a present middle passive.  Paul is saying that evil (his sin nature) is, and will continue to be, present within him.

who wants to do good:  While he wants to do good he finds that he cannot escape the sin nature.  The desire is there but just willing more or “willing harder” is not going to solve the problem.  This is quite a conundrum that we all face every time we attempt to live by the Law!