Breaking Away From Devouring by the Law

Romans 7:7-25; 3/2/2025; BCBC/IOUC; Rev. Paul Wang

Introduction

          It can be said that the content of this chapter is the high point of difficulty in Romans, and few people can explain it clearly.  Today we can only ask for God’s mercy  and look forward to the guidance of the Holy Spirit so that we can receive what is in line with God’s will.  What is “devouring by the law”?  It is the law that struggles and fights with sinners in the depths of their spirits because of sin, so that it robs people of their greed in their pride and causes them to die because of sin in front of the commandments.  Let’s look at the first point:

The killing of paradox of the law         

The paradox of the law is that the law points out people’s sins, but instead puts the guilty people to death.  First, the law is not sin.  The core of the law is the Ten Commandments issued by God.  How can we say that the law is sin?  This comes from thinking about the original nature of the law, and is designed to help us understand the power of the cross and break away from being bound by legalism.  However, this also brings about another possible misunderstanding, that is, thinking that the law is evil, and even asking why God gave the law?  Because without the law, we wouldn’t even know what sin is?  The function of the law is to make people realize their sins, find no excuse to deny them, and make them submit to God’s authority and judgment!  Not only that, the law even points out what sins a person has committed.  I believe this is the meaning of the law expanding from the Ten Commandments to 613 Jewish laws.

Second, the law activates sin. We have already said that the law is not sin, so why do we still say that the law triggers sin?  Because in addition to pointing out our sins, the law has also become the moral high ground deep in people’s hearts, which is desirable but difficult to reach.  After believing in the Lord, we all want to live a life that pleases God, right?  Therefore, it is possible for people to put the burden of the law on themselves and become the standard for pleasing God.  At this time, Satan finally seizes a gap and allows sin to activate all kinds of evil thoughts in us.  Maybe we don’t feel it at first, but when evil thoughts accumulate to a certain extent, we may even become enemies of the Holy Spirit’s inspiration and gradually deviate from the truth in order to maintain face or vanity.        

Finally, the killing of the law.  Before believing in the Lord, everyone has sinned,  and the wages of sin is death, and death is our only choice.  After believing in the Lord, we are justified by faith, full of joy, and full of grace!  However, from the time we first believed to our growth, our spiritual life has become weak and even corrupted.  為什麼呢？Why?  Because the purpose of God’s promulgation of the law is not to make people obey it, but to make people realize that they are unable to obey it and instead rely on God’s grace.  The danger of sin is that it requires people to obey the law and forget and stay away from grace!  At this time sin comes to devour the believer’s life.  From this point of view, the law was originally given by God, but it was used by sin and became a tool of killing.  Let’s look at the second point: 

The helplessness of good and evil in law

The two sides of the law are clearly revealed here.  I think this is why we feel helpless.  First, the law is good.  Paul said: “So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. (Romans 7:12)”  God revealed it to Moses on Mount Sinai and gave him the Ten Commandments.  Every commandment expresses God’s holiness, justice, mercy, and love.  The Israelites also tried their best to develop 613 Jewish laws.  In their wording, they maintained and demonstrated the glory and goodness of God.  The history of the Israelites’ kingdom, captivity and return, made the Jews discover that whether they obeyed the law or not was the prerequisite for their grace.  Therefore, the Pharisees imposed laws on God’s chosen people that the Israelites were unable to obey.  This makes God’s chosen people lose the essence of goodness in front of the law.        

Secondly, sin is revealed as evil because of the commandment.  The law or commandments themselves are good, but when the law meets sinners, sin takes the opportunity to do evil and rob people.  Why?  Because the law has the function of pointing out people’s sins, but it has no power to make people do good.  The Israelites dressed up in a sanctimonious manner, tied scripture boxes to their foreheads, and prayed everywhere while shaking their heads.  Although they clearly cannot do good deeds, they use a false appearance to claim that they are a different elect and a spiritual aristocrat who is superior to others.  In their eyes, the gentiles are just the added fuel to hell.  In fact, their inner pride is already prosecuting their evil intentions.   They are a typical group of people who do evil because they boast about the law.         

Finally, the law is spiritual.  Paul said: “For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. (Romans 7:14).”  This is also a major contribution of Paul’s theology, or a highlight of God’s revelation to Paul.  When we understand that the law is spiritual, our lives are instantly released.  The law is spiritual.  First, it shows that we cannot just focus on the literal meaning of the law, but must understand its essence.  The second is to understand that people cannot obey the law, not because there is a problem with any of the laws, but because the descendants of Adam are carnal, not spiritual, and have been sold to sin.  This is the fundamental reason why people cannot obey the law.  Let’s look at the third point:

The ultimate belonging of the law

Paul pointed out the dual nature of human hearts and minds.  First, there is no good in the fleshly life, that is, Satan is within us.  Second, the good after rebirth and salvation is Christ.  Paul lamented:  How miserable I am; who can save me from this body of death?  First, the good Christ.  The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is God’s promise!  When we believe in the Lord and receive baptism, God promises us, “just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4)”   Moreover, the Bible says: “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. (Romans 6:14)”  This is the faith and assurance that a person who believes in Christ Jesus should have in his life.  Nicodemus called Jesus a good Master, but he did not know that Christ Jesus was the Creator of heaven and earth!  Knowing Him as the Lord of life indwelling us will give us the faith to overcome the world!        

Secondly, the physical old self.  When our faith is weak or even loses it, we will experience battle and confusion deep in our spirit.  Paul said: “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. (Romans 7:15)”  People around me are living together before marriage.  How can I resist this overwhelming power?  I also know that swearing does not please God.  But I’m used to it, and I’ve been talking about it since I was a kid; and my neighbors, colleagues, and classmates all say this, so why should I show myself to be noble?  When I encounter trouble, I go to a fortune teller or find someone to read Feng Shui.  I feel that what these people say makes sense.  “Christ alone” in Acts 4:12 no longer works at this time!        

Finally, total reliance!  The experience of many believers is failure and discouraging.  They don’t understand why “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. (Romans 7:19)”  Paul’s “secret recipe” is just one sentence: “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:25)”  How to rely?  How to get out?  I think the first thing is to be quiet in Christ!  For if you are not quiet, you will not know who the Lord is.  The second is to get closer to God more and more, love God regardless of everything, serve God, and long for God.  The third is to learn to make decisions in Christ that are in line with God’s will.  The fourth is to take faith as the criterion and stay away from worries.  Fifth, everything should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Conclusion         

Well, thank the Lord! Breaking away from devouring by the law is an inevitable stage in the growth of a believer’s life.  We may be struggling with the pain of another law in life throughout our lives, but thankfully we have the Lord as our eternal reliance.      

Let us pray…… 

7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 

8 But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. 

9 I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. 

10 The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. 

11 For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. 

12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. 

14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 

15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 

16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 

17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 

18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 

19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 

20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 

22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 

23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 

24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 

25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.