In Romans 7:14-25, Paul brings us to a deeper understanding of how the Law slays us. While we acknowledge the holiness of the Law, we should also acknowledge our inability to observe it. (Romans 3:10, 23) Even Paul, the great Apostle, admits he has not found the formula for obedience. (v 18) Some have tried to resolve this tension between the Law and our obedience to it by claiming that this discovery represents Paul before his conversion, but three factors weigh against this. First, this was written well after his Damascus Road experience which would have been his conversion since soon after he was filled with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 9:17) Second, if it were possible at any time to live in obedience to the Law, then in our own righteousness, we would no longer need a Savior. Perhaps the third and most effective argument that this was not pre-conversion is the lament of verse 24. That plaintiff cry is not past tense in the Greek. He is writing of an ongoing problem, not a former one. His mind follows Christ, but his body follows sin. (v 23) We might expect then that until we receive new bodies at the Parousia, (1 Corinthians 15:51-57) this will be a problem for all Christians and therefore of intense interest to each of us and not only to the Roman church to which this epistle was addressed. Paul attempts to give us some relief from our anxiety in the next chapter. Blessings, Stephen Terry Director Still Waters Ministry
Posted on: Fri, 18 Jul 2014 15:09:55 +0000
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