Scripture References: Romans 7:14-25
What the apostle Paul reveals in these scriptures is a revealed truth of how and why sin is manifested in and through the sinners life as long as they live in an unconverted state. The unconverted sinner cannot resist the power of sin that indwells him, because sin is more powerful than his will. If a man could resist sin and not yield to its temptation, then of course he would not need the power of Christ in his life. What Paul explains in these scriptures is his confrontation with his own fallen nature of sin, before Christ had intervened in his life that broke the bondage that sin had over him. Now we can clearly see that what Paul is revealing here is that he absolutely could not overpower or resist the strong temptation of the sin that dwelled within his very being. Looking at Romans 7:14 that says, "For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin." Paul saying that he was carnal means that he at that time was carnal minded, but the law was spiritual. A carnal mind cannot obey a spiritual law, because the carnal mind is enmity against God, as Paul tells us in Romans 8:7 that says, "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." In Romans 7:15 Paul say, "For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I."
Paul reveals here that what he would want to do, which was to do good, he could not do it, but rather did that which he hated. Then Paul went on to say in Romans 7:16 saying, "If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good." Paul is saying here that the law was good even though he found himself not being able to do what it says. Paul was doing things that he did not want to do and because of this, he began to find out that it was not him that that was doing it. In Romans 7:17 Paul began to realize that it was something else that had control of him and it was causing him to do the things he did not want to do. This verse says, "Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me."
Paul began torealize that it was sin that was within his very being that was beingmanifested in and through his fleshly body. That sin within him hadpower over his will and could very easily manifest itself in the lifethat he was living, which of course was a sinful life. As long as sinhas power over man's will, he will never be able to resist it and notyield to its persuasive power. Then Paul went on to say in Romans 7:18these words saying, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,)dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how toperform that which is good I find not." Paul reveals his predicamenthere by realizing that in his flesh dwelled no good thing, which was ofcourse sin that had invaded his whole being, bodily, soul, and spirit..He tells us that his desires was to do what is right, but how toperform or do what was right all the time was not within his ownabilities. Then Paul goes on to say in Romans 7:19 saying, "For thegood that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do."Paul again tells us that the good that he wanted to do (all the timewithout doing the evil) he himself could not do it, but rather he didthe very opposite and did the things that he did not want to do aswell. Paul realizing his predicament he once again tells us in Romans7:20 as he stated before saying, "Now if I do that I would not, it isno more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me." Paul then tells usabout a certain law that he found that revealed to him that when hewould do good, evil was still present with him. In Romans 7:21 Paulsays, "I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is presentwith me." What Paul is saying here is that when man fell into sin andrebellion against God, he became partakers of both good and evil. Thisreveals that an unconverted sinner can do things that is good, but whatthe sinner cannot do is to avoid the evil and to perform or do what isgood all the time. In other words, the evil will take over and manifestitself as well as the good, and how this evil will take over is whatPaul refers to as being the "law of sin and death."
Paul then wenton to say in Romans 7:22 saying, "For I delight in the law of God afterthe inward man." Paul is saying here that it amazed him how that thelaw of God was after his inward man, which was his spirit. But at thesame time Paul went on to say in Romans 7:23 that says, "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."Right here is the reason why Paul could not avoid obeying the sin thatwas within his flesh and to do good all the time. The law that was inPaul's flesh and was warring against the law of his mind (which is hisspirit) was the law of sin and death that brought Paul (his mind, whichis the inner man) into captivity to the law of sin and death that wasin his fleshly members. This is how the sin in the flesh will take overto manifest evil in the sinners life, but not evil all the time butgood as well, because the sinner is partaker of both good and evil.
The law of sinand death will operate in the sinners life as long as he remains in anunconverted state being prone to that law of sin. But when Christ trulycomes into the heart of a repentant sinner, the strength of sin hasbeen broken and the power of Christ overpowers sin and the believermust through the Spirit destroy the sin that yet indwells him. WhenPaul saw his helpless condition that he could not cease from obeyingthe sin that dwelled in his flesh he said these words as stated inRomans 7:24 that says, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver mefrom the body of this death?" Notice that Paul asked a question bysaying, "Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Was Paulever made free from the power and bondage of sin that he so clearlyreveals in the preceding verses that sin did have power over him? Yeshe did, but most fail to understand exactly what Paul says in Romans7:25 that says, "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So thenwith the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the lawof sin." Paul certainly was made free from sin, but today's religiousclergy teaches their millions of converts that he was not free fromsin, but kept right on in sin, but this is a lie that millions arebelieving to be damned. If you will notice that in Romans 7:23 theapostle Paul clearly reveals that he could not serve the law of Godwith his mind at that certain time, because he was yet in a sinful andcarnal state.. But looking at Romans 7:25 very closely and it willreveal that Paul said, "So then with the mind I myself serve the law ofGod." Notice again that in Romans 7:23 he could not serve the law ofGod with his mind, but in verse twenty five he could and did, which wasafter Christ came into his heart.
What Paul issaying in Romans 7:14- 24 clearly reveals that sin had power over Paulbringing his total being into subjection to the law of sin and death,which also clearly proves that Paul was walking after and obeying theflesh at that time. But when Christ intervened in his life; Paul couldnow do all things through Christ that strengthens him, as well as us.
In Paul'slife, as described from Romans 7:14-24, his flesh was in control andthe sin in his flesh overpowered the law of his mind bringing his mindinto captivity to the law of sin and death that operated in his fleshlymembers of his body. But when Christ intervened by coming into Paul'sheart, now the inner man, which is his mind, must bring the fleshlyouter man into subjection to his inner man. This is accomplished bycrucifying the flesh of its lusts and affections as we walk in andbelieve and obey the truths of scripture in a daily process. So beforeChrist comes into the heart of an unconverted sinner, his fleshly bodyis in control of his total being that consists of a body, a spirit, anda soul. But when Christ truly comes into the heart of a convertedbeliever, that believer must through the power of the Spirit mortifythe deeds of his body, as Paul says in Romans 8:12-13 that says,"Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live afterthe flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if yethrough the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live."Paul is clearly revealing here that only through the Spirit can wecrucify our old carnal man and eventually become an entirely newcreature in Christ Jesus. Ninety some percent of confessing Christianswill never reach this goal simply because they are totally void of thevery truths that can and will accomplish this, and the reason for thisis simply because they are totally helpless, hopeless, and powerless,because they are Christ-less. Amen