Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 15 - With the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin)
Another Law in my Members
Rom 7:5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. (6) But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
The motions of sin which exist in the flesh, strengthened by the knowledge of the law, work in our fleshly members to bring forth fruit unto death. This is not eternal death, since justification saves us from the wrath of God and hell, but it is a functional death, meaning that we are unprofitable to God, incapable of being used by Him as an instrument of righteousness.
On the other hand, if the second pillar of sanctification, (deliverance of the law), stands strong and sure in us, then we are married to a different husband, to Christ, and we operate under a different set of principles; not those of law, but those of grace. Actually, Paul says in Rom.7:4 that, “ye should be married to another”. The word ‘should’, is an actionable word, meaning that we could stand idle and remain widowed (unmarried), and exist in that state relying only on our justification, or we could set about to seek another husband and marry him, coming in under a new spiritual set of principles. In this state we can grow and function in the motions of obedience unto righteousness, which exist in the spirit of the mind, Rom.8:5,27, strengthened by the knowledge of the Word of God, producing in us the workings of God, to will and do according to His good pleasure, bringing forth the fruit of righteousness and godliness, even in our flesh, which is being quickened by the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead, Rom.8:11.
It is worth reminding again that we're no longer talking about justification, which is the redemption of the soul from death and condemnation for his sins. At this time, we're talking about sanctification, which is the deliverance of the man from the body of this death, so that he can serve in the newness of the spirit. Unlike justification, this deliverance is not instant. It is a lifelong growing in knowledge and commitment. Positionally, we are absolutely dead to sin, but in this reality, sin still functions in our flesh: we are still under the curse of the law of sin in our flesh. We can live in two realms, the flesh and the spirit. Our natural realm is the flesh. Through Christ however, and through the power of His Word, we can also choose to live in the spirit. The one that is stronger in our mind is the one we will be living in. Paul writes the following regarding this conflict,
Rom 7:20-24 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. (21) I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. (22) For I delight in the law of God after the INWARD MAN: (23) But I SEE ANOTHER LAW IN MY MEMBERS, warring against the law of my MIND, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. (24) O wretched man that I am! who shall DELIVER ME FROM THE BODY OF THIS DEATH?
Like any law of nature, the law of sin is working in your members whether you know it or not. The law of God was written for the very reason to reveal sin in you.
Rom 7:5-10 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. … (7) ... I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. (8) But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence [lust]. For without the law sin was dead. (9) For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. (10) And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
Paul said, “I want to do the law of God because it is good, but why can’t I?” It is at this time that he recognised another law working against his inner man. The law of sin (and death).
Rom 7:22-24 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: (23) But I see another law in my members [outer man], warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. (24) O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Salvation from this body of death
Paul asks: “who's going to deliver me from the body of death?”
This is an important revelation. It means there is a salvation that Paul's looking for from the body of this death.
We were baptized into the death of Christ so that God may raise us up unto Himself. Paul said in Romans 6:4: “Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” We were baptized into death so that God could raise us up the same way He raised up Christ. This means you don’t have the power to walk in newness of life yourself. When Christ went into the ground, His hope was that God would raise Him from the dead.
Every one of us who is saved has been baptized into the death of Christ, but not everyone is raised up to walk in newness of life. Why? Because many try to do it in their own power instead of trusting God. They say, “Give me 10 rules to live by and I’ll do my best.” Romans 7, verses 7 to 25 tell you why this is a BAD idea!!
So, how are we raised by God?
Many people try to do it themselves. It’s not in your power. It is the bible, the Word of God, that is given to you to do the same work in you that it did when it raised Jesus from the dead. God, through His word, put you into death so that He, in the same way He raised up Christ, can take His eternal words of life and through the power of His word, raise you up so that you can walk in newness of life as well, and it’s called sanctification.
To walk in the spirit, to increase in sanctification; in righteousness and godliness, not by your own doing, but by the workings of the word of God in you, we must become established in the two pillars of sanctification; the knowledge of being dead to sin, and the knowledge of being delivered from the law. We need to know what these two principles mean. We need to be saturated with this truth and come to the point of applying them in our lives. We need to have faith in these two cornerstones of sanctification. Like Abraham, we need to “stagger not at the promise of God through unbelief; but be strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what God had promised, he was able also to perform in and through us”, Rom 4:20-21.
When we are filled with these two foundational truths, we will come to the point of understanding and living out in the reality of our current lives the truth that Paul writes in the opening statements of Romans 8,
Rom 8:1-4 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (2) For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (3) For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: (4) That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
No more “babes in Christ”, no more “little children”, but at this point we are growing up towards sons of God, mature believers who have their minds set on the spirit, their hearts crying, “Abba, Father”, their lives a living sacrifice in the hands of their Father, and their eyes upon the prize of that high calling of God, seeking that measure of the glory of Christ and bringing glory to Christ in the ages to come.
AMEN.
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