ROMANS 7

 In this chapter, Paul explained how the Law was related to faith in Christ, especially for Jewish believers, and he used marriage as an example. A woman was bound to her husband so long as he was alive, but when he died, she was no longer bound to him and could remarry. Likewise, believers in Christ are dead to the Law and are bound to Christ. In the flesh, the Law "aroused" sin "to bear fruit to death." However, now believers died to the Law and "should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter."

Then Paul showed evidence that the Law was still good and holy and just because it was through the Law that one could see his own sin. Under the Law, one desires to do good, but cannot. As Paul said:

For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice, but what I hate, that I do...For I know that in me nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do: but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.

The law of Paul's flesh and the law of his mind were in constant battle. His mind wanted to serve God, but his flesh wanted to serve the law of sin. And he said:

O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God -- through Jesus Christ our Lord!

COMMENTARY

This chapter is about "the shackles of a saved soul" and "the struggle of a saved soul." The Law cannot save or sanctify a believer, but it "shackles" one to sin. Even desiring a new life won't help. One must present himself to Christ, recognizing he must be joined to Him. We cannot walk the Christian life on our own. Christians must yield their lives to Christ.

Christians are delivered from the Law because no one can follow the Law. But there is nothing wrong with the Law. It reveals excessive sinfulness. It is a mirror or a way to measure yourself against God's goodness and holiness. The Law is not the problem; man is. 

Paul explained how he still (as a believer) had the old self in him (in his flesh) that wanted to sin, and that was at war with his new nature (the one that loved the Lord and wanted to serve Him). The new nature won't sin, but when a Christian sins, it is his old nature acting out. And then the new nature works like the conscience condemning the believer of his sin. 

When a man gets saved, he does not rid himself entirely of his old sin nature. It is still there. He received a new nature - true - but he struggles against his old nature. However, God will give him the strength and ability to overcome, if he yields to Him, because he cannot do it alone. 

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