Scripture References: Romans 8:1-2
The word "law" is used quite often in the scriptures of Gods wordand it doesn't always have the same meaning each time. In one sense ofthe word it means and refers to all the rules of conduct that has beenestablished by the authority of God to govern the way of life that Godexpects us to live, which is revealed by the apostle Paul in Titus2:11-12 that says, "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hathappeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldlylusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this presentworld." In another sense of the word it means that every time a certainevent occurs it will happen exactly the same way every time. As anexample we can refer to what is called "the law of gravity" which is anexplanation of why two different objects that differ greatly in weightand is dropped from a certain height will fall to the ground at thesame time. To explain why this will happen is called "the law ofgravity" and it will happen the same way every time. The apostle Pauluses the word law twice in the scripture of Romans 8:2 above, but eachone refers to two different types of law. The law of the Spirit of lifein Christ Jesus refers to the many truths of the doctrine or theteachings of Christ, which Paul proves in what he said in Romans6:17-18 that says, "But God be thanked, that ye were the servants ofsin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which wasdelivered you.. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servantsof righteousness." Compare what Paul said here with Romans 8:2 and youwill find out that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus isthat form of doctrine, which are the many truths that is contained inthe teachings of Christ. The law of sin and death is an explanation ofwhy and how sin works in and through the flesh and the apostle Paulreveals this truth in what he says in Romans 7:14-24.
To understandthis truth you need first to understand that sin has power over thenatural will of man and he cannot within himself overcome it, becausesin is more powerful than the will of man. So the natural unconveredperson will continue to commit sin as long as they remain in thatunconverted state. But you need also to realize and understand that thenatural man partakes of both good and evil deeds in their life. This istrue, because when Adam sinned against God he became knowledgable ofboth good and evil and began to manifest both traits of it in his life.What Paul reveals in Romans 7:14-24 is clearly revealing that Paulhimself was in bondage to his own fallen nature of sin until Christintervened in his life and was delivered from that bondage of sin. Manybelieve that Paul was never free from sins bondage, but Romans 7:24-25clearly refutes that argument that says, "O wretched man that I am! whoshall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through JesusChrist our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God;but with the flesh the law of sin.." Many has been led to believe thatPaul is saying that with his mind he serves God, but with his flesh hecontinues to serve sin, but this certainly reveals their ignorance ofnot knowing what the law of sin and death is and how it operates intheir life. It's clear to see here that Paul was delivered throughChrist Jesus our Lord, but nearly all confessing Christians today willargue against this to no avail, because Gods word has the final say inthe matter. To prove that Paul was delivered from the power of sin inhis life just compare Romans 7:25 with the Romans 7:23. Notice how Paulreveals that his mind was being brought into captivity to the law ofsin in his flesh, as Romans 7:23 states saying, "But I see another lawin my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me intocaptivity to the law of sin which is in my members." Paul could notwith his mind serve the law of God, because his mind was being broughtinto captivity to the law of sin that was in his flesh, but now readRomans 7:25 after Paul cried out asking who woulddeliver him from his body of death. Now we hear Paul saying in verse 25of this scripture that says, "I thank God through Jesus Christ ourLord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with theflesh the law of sin." Can you hear Paul saying that now with his mindhe could serve the law of God, but in verse 23 he could not? So thisproves that Paul was delivered and we know that delivered him wasChrist Jesus our Lord.
What Paul is revealing in these scriptures of Romans 7:14-25 wasonly a rehearsal of events that took place before Paul was converted toChrist. Every individual that comes to God in genuine repentance andfaith toward the Lord Jesus Christ will experience the same thing thatPaul did. Paul was not the first person to be converted to Christ, butit was to Paul that was given the knowledge of the experience that wastermed to be called the law of sin and death, which is why and how sinoperated in and through the flesh. I experienced the same thing beforeI was converted, but I did not know why at the first how and why thatsin still had dominion over me even though I came to God seeking forsalvation. But I knew even as a sinner that coming to God for salvationmeant that I had to be willing to cease from a sinning life style, butfound out first of all that I could not cease from sin. This is exactlywhat Paul found out when he said these words in Romans 7:15-16 thatsays, "For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do Inot; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, Iconsent unto the law that it is good." When I asked God to save me Itook for granted that he did, but when I found myself still committingsin, I began to realize that God did not save me or even intervene inmy life as yet. I found myself yet in bondage to sin even though I didnot want to continue to commit it. But then I began to realize thatalthough I was still doing things against God as well as against my ownwill, I found out that it was no longer myself doing these thingsvoluntarily, but it was the sin in me that was in control over bybeing, as Paul said in Romans 7:17 saying, "Now then it is no more Ithat do it, but sin that dwelleth in me."Paul as well as myself, wasstill doing things against our own will and could not cease from it,because Christ had not as yet intervened in our life. Paul also foundout something else about himself as he began to realize that he atcertain times could do what was good as well at certain times do whatwas evil. Man receiving the knowledge of both good and evil revealsthat fact that he will partake of both deeds. He reveals this in whathe said in Romans 7:21 that says, "I find then a law, that, when Iwould do good, evil is present with me." Man became a partaker of bothgood and evil, which reveals that man can do good deeds at certaintimes as well as evil deeds at certain times. What Paul found out abouthimself, which includes all mankind as well, is the fact that mancannot do good all the time without doing evil as well. Man is partakerof both good and evil and so therefore both good and evil deeds will bemanifested in their life. Right here is where the law of sin and deathkicks in and caused Paul to do what he did not want to do, which was tocommiit sin. It's what Paul says in Romans 7:23 saying, "But I seeanother law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, andbringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members."Paul saw "another law" in the members of his fleshly body, which wasthe law of sin in his flesh that was at war with Paul's mind, whichwould eventually bring his mind into captivity to the law of sin in hisflesh, and Paul would then find himself doing what was evil. Paul atthis time walked after the flesh that was in control over his totalbeing, which is his "outer man" that was in control over his "innerman" which was his mind and brought the mind of his inner man intocaptivity to the law of sin and death of his outer man. Pauls outer manhad control over his inner man and thats why sinful deeds was stillbeing manifested in his life as well as good deeds. When Paul realizedhis condition he cried out saying as Romans 7:24 reveals saying, "Owretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of thisdeath?" This of course is proving that Paul was not as yet deliveredfrom the power of sin in his life until Christ came into his heart. Butwhen Christ did intervene in his life by coming into his heart,now his outer man must come into control of his inner man and put thatouter man to death. This is what Paul reveals in what he said in IICorinthians 4:16 that says, "For which cause we faint not; but thoughour outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day." Whena person in is an unconverted state their outer man is in control, butwhen they are truly converted to Christ their inner man is in control.
So if you find yourself committing sin in your life without yourconsent, then you are still under the law and Christ has not deliveredyou from sins power. You are still operating in the law of sin anddeath and unless you truly receive Christ into your heart and begin tofollow his leading into the many truths revealed in his gospel, thenyou will absolutely die in your sins and suffer the consequences of thesecond death as Gods word clearly teaches. He that has an ear to hear,let him hear what the Spirit is saying unto the churches...amen