The Effect of the Law, Part 2

expositors of the inherent difficulty
of Romans chapter seven, arguably one of the most controversial
chapters in Scripture. This chapter seven having phrases
and terminology that just don’t seem to fit with the testimony
of a Christian, certainly not of a faithful God fearing Christian. What we have in essence in Romans
7, 13 and following is Paul essentially responding to another false inference
that could be levied at the words that he had spoken in verses
9 through 12 that somehow twisting God’s law into being blameworthy
for the the individual’s death, that the law rose up and struck
him and killed him. Well, we saw that that isn’t
the case, that the law isn’t to blame. And Paul deals with
these false inferences in full in chapter seven, I want to go
immediately back to verse 13 this time, instead of the entirety
of Romans seven, I trust that if you haven’t read it already,
that you’ll get back into it and read it for those who haven’t
been with us. For those who have pick up and
we’ll take it in its context there in beginning in verse 13. Where Paul wrote, therefore,
did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May
it never be rather it was sin. In order that I might be shown
to be sin by affecting my death through that which was which
is good. That through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual,
that I am a flesh sold into bondage to sin for that which I am doing. I do not understand for I am
not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very
thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I
do not wish to do, I agree with the law confessing that it is
good. So now no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which indwells
me. For I know that nothing good
dwells in me that is in my flesh for the wishing is present in
me, but the doing of the good is not for the good that I wish
to do. I do not do, but I practice the
very evil that I do not wish. But if I am doing the very thing
I do not wish, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which
dwells in me. I find them the principle that
evil is present in me, the one who wishes to do good. For I
joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but
I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war
against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law
of sin, which is in my members. Wretched man that I am. Who will
set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God
through Jesus Christ, our Lord. So then, on the one hand, I Myself
with my mind and serving the law of God, but on the other
with my flesh, the law of sin. Obviously, as we began to consider
last week, there is this battle is inner conflict where he’s
being pulled at both ends and spread thin because of it, that
he has on one hand One essentially one position on the other hand,
another. And the big question that was
posed to us was that whether this could really be words that
are spoken of, spoken rather by a Christian. The debate raged
and the questions were posed, what kind of an individual is
being spoken of here, is this an unconverted man? Is this just
an immature believer that is learning to wage the great battle
with sin? Or is this of Paul himself literally
in his current state? Or is it of believers generally
in their current states, regardless of their maturity? Those were
just a few of the positions, and remember, we distilled them
down that there were essentially three. three basic positions,
and there are a lot of different nuances around a number of those
positions. The first option was that the
apostle is describing the unregenerate man. Well, we looked at that
and very quickly we were able to dispatch with the idea that
Paul is speaking here of an unregenerate man or rather that the unregenerate
man is speaking. As we looked, we realized that
the unregenerate man cannot articulate almost a single syllable of Romans
7. Listen how absurd it sounds as
these are placed into the mouth of the unregenerate man. The
law is spiritual. That’s not the view of an unregenerate
man. The unregenerate man doesn’t
believe in the law, certainly doesn’t love the law, and certainly
doesn’t highly esteem the law being spiritual. I am a flesh. The unregenerate man doesn’t
look at life that way. Unregenerate man doesn’t see
himself as fleshly. It’s life. That’s all he sees. There is nothing spiritual to
the unregenerate man. Look at verse 15. In the middle
of the verse, I am not practicing what I would like to do. Yes,
you are. You’re doing exactly what you wish and you hate God
because of this law that you hear about. I’m doing the very
thing that I hate. No, you’re not. You’re doing
what you love. You love to sin. Such as the
unregenerate man, he doesn’t agree with the law that it is
good. Verse 16, he would not say that nothing good dwells
in me because he thinks that he could on his own merit commend
himself in his behavior to God. Verse 19, the good that I wish
to do, I do not do. That’s not what he thinks. He
thinks he’s perfectly fine. He doesn’t need a savior and
he doesn’t need God. Evil is present in me. That’s
not what the unregenerate man would say. Neither would the
unregenerate man conclude in verse 24, wretched man that I
am. In fact, years ago, do you remember there was a movement
afoot to change the wording of amazing grace because the word
wretched was too strong for the average person out there to call
themselves a wretch? Unthinkable. The unregenerate
man would not conclude and say who will set me free because
he’s not in bondage. He doesn’t need a savior. So
he has no cause to look to God and not the least of which to
give thanks to God for the Savior or Lord Jesus Christ. These are
not the words of an unregenerate man. They’re not. We saw that
there were two other options that this is the regenerate man,
even at his very best, the best of Christians. These are the
words of the best of Christians. Well, I told you that I have
some serious difficulties with that. I’ll tell you up front,
that was that was a difficult position to swallow. And I’ll
lay them out to you briefly this morning, one by one. The third
view maintains that This is an account of the regenerate man
in his early stages at the beginning of his life. And I told you up
front, this is the position to which I lean in form, although
I’ll give you a modified version of it as we close this morning.
So we began to look. That essentially there are 10
possibilities in explaining away these words, difficult as they
are in Roman seven. And we were able to throw two
of them out right away because they talk about the unregenerate.
Whether they’re non-Christian Jews or just plain non-Christians
and whether you look at them as whether these are the words
of the unregenerate Jew or the unregenerate non-Christian. Whether
these are their words or whether there are words placed upon them. Either one of those views you
can throw out immediately. These are not the words of an
unregenerate man. There were some other ones that
we were able to dispatch with fairly quickly that the idea
that this is the carnal Christian, the poor me position, remember,
who reads these words and all wretched man that I am like I’m
hopeless and helpless against this sin. Well, it’s a silly
position. It’s a weak position, there are
so much. There’s so much better you could
do with this passage, and it has an intent. It has a purpose,
and the purpose certainly isn’t to give us an excuse to sin.
It misses the entire point of this
entire section that began back in chapter six, that of sanctification
becoming more and more Christlike, not finding an excuse for our
sin and our sinfulness. This option just throws up our
hands, doesn’t it? Giving us a great excuse on why
we can continue to just meander through life and sin indiscriminately
because it’s just part of our nature. Throw out option three. There’s a fourth option. The
fourth option was of the Christian who was living a Christian life
But he’s he’s in the battle, but he’s trying to do it all
in his strength. And there are some interesting
elements of that, that it ties into the law and that I understand,
and I hope that I made you to understand this particular argument,
that it does seek to address some of the elements of the passage,
this struggle with the law and the struggle with sin. The tendency that we have towards
legalism, I get all that. That this individual sees the
law as good, but there are so much better options. This particular position in Romans
7 that’s advanced in verses 13 through 25 doesn’t even begin
to describe what legalism is. So those that adopt this position
reach in and grab things indiscriminately and build a case that just isn’t
there. Remember what Paul is doing here is describing the
effect of the law in the life of the Christian. So we looked to a fifth option
that this is merely an immature believer and is Decent an answer
is that is it is incomplete because that could be true of any believer
any immature imperfect yet unglorified believer. We are all going to
echo some of the things in this passage. And in that sense it’s
it’s far too incomplete to lean in the direction of this. That it merely speaks of an immature
believer. I think there’s better answers
on the table. The sixth option. was one with
which we were intrigued that it’s autobiographical. Paul is
talking about himself, but he’s talking about his present experience,
what he’s like now. I remember that one. That one
doesn’t sit well with us because of some of the things that he
says in there. Nevertheless, it does speak of a great epic
battle between sin and the law and the Christian and or the
individual rather, And it is a challenge and Paul remember
is speaking first person. So there is something to consider
there. The seventh option was similar. The seventh option option has
Paul speaking on behalf of all of us in the here and now that
any Christian could echo these words in Romans 7 13 through
following with equity. We could all speak them with
with integrity and they they all of us have sensed and felt
these things. And it’s that it’s right and
good to voice them. Well there are some elements
of that that are true. We’ll come back to that here
briefly that even the most mature of us are in the midst of a battle.
Even the most mature and solid Christian does find himself at
time to time seeking to echo some of these thoughts. But they
are problematic and they have been problematic historically.
And when you have the second opportunity to go through this
material you have the opportunity to present material that you
hadn’t presented the previous Lord’s Day. Look at some of the
statements that are made. Just pause for a moment. We’re
all acutely aware. Even at the initial reading of
this passage, that there are some statements that are woven
through this section that are difficult to bear. Especially
in view of the rest of Scripture, including and especially the
writings of Paul, listen. When Paul says in verse 14, I
am of flesh. It certainly seems that that
contradicts with a good portion of what he writes elsewhere.
First Corinthians 1550. I say this, brethren, that flesh
and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Second Corinthians
7 1. Therefore, having this promise,
beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh
and spirit. Perfecting holiness in the fear
of God, that call alone is diametrically opposed to a statement, I am
a flesh. Galatians 513, you were called
to freedom, brethren, only do not turn your freedom into opportunity
for the flesh, but through love, serve one another. Galatians
516 and following. But I say, walk by the spirit
and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. For the
flesh sets itself sets its desire rather against the spirit and
the spirit against the flesh, for these are in opposition to
one another so that you may not do the things that you please.
But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law. Now,
the deeds of the flesh are evident. Which are immorality, impurity. Sensuality, idolatry, sorcery,
enmity, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions,
factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing and things like these
of which I forewarn you, just as I forewarned you that those
who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Couldn’t be any more plain. Galatians
5 24. Those who belong to Christ Jesus
have crucified the flesh. Ephesians 2 3. Among them we
too all formerly lived in the lust of our flesh including the
pardon me indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind
and were by nature children of wrath even as the rest. But you know what? You don’t
need to go any further than Romans. Romans, Chapter eight, turn one
page if you even need to to Romans eight one. Therefore, there is now no condemnation
for those who are in Christ Jesus, for the law of the spirit of
life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin
and death for what the law could not do weak as it was through
the flesh. God did sending his own son in
the likeness of sinful flesh as an offering for sin. He condemned
sin in the flesh so that the requirement of the law might
be fulfilled in us. who do not walk according to
the flesh, but according to the spirit. And it goes on all the
way through verse 13, same argument. Driving the point home. That is a difficult statement. To bear, I am of the flesh and
no wonder 2000 years of church history has wrangled and battled
over this very subject at hand this morning. Are these the words
of a Christian or if they are, are they the words of a Christian
that can perpetuate through the Christian’s life? Can we continue
to say I am a flesh? What about the parallel statement
right next door sold into bondage into sin? Sold into bondage to
sin, most commentators said that these are this thought is an
echo of an Old Testament passage. Regarding King Ahab. King Ahab
said to Elijah, Have you found me or my enemy? And he answered,
I have found you because you have sold yourself to do evil
in the sight of the Lord. First Kings 21 20, it’s found
two other places in the Old Testament, that same exact thought. And
most commentators said that’s essentially what’s in the backdrop.
Of this passage, Romans 7. sold into sin? Can a Christian
continue to echo that sentiment? Especially when Paul writes elsewhere,
Galatians 5.1, it was for freedom that Christ set us free. Therefore,
keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of
slavery. Galatians 5.13, you were called to freedom, brethren.
Only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh,
but through love serve one another. And once again, you don’t need
to go any further than the book of Romans. Romans chapter six,
which passage, which verses we just worked through. Romans six,
two, may it never be, how shall we who died to sin still live
in it? Chapter six, verse six, knowing
this, that our old self was crucified with him in order that our body
of sin might be done away with so that we would no longer be
slaves to sin. Same thing in 6.11 through 13,
6.17 through 18, 6.20. For when you were slaves of sin,
you were free in regard to righteousness, but things have changed. 6.22, but now having been freed
from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit resulting
in sanctification and the outcome eternal life. That is a difficult
statement. That I am sold into bondage to sin, can a Christian
continue to say that throughout his life? Verse 17, another difficult statement,
sin, which indwells me. There’s a great excuse. Wasn’t
my fault. Wasn’t my fault. Sin was indwelling
me. When Paul says in Romans chapter
eight, however, you are not in the flesh, but in the spirit,
if indeed the spirit of God dwells in you, but if anyone does not
have the spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. First Corinthians 316, do you
not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of
God dwells in you? It’s tough to think of those
two as neighbors. As. Cohabitating the same dwelling,
sin and the Holy Spirit. In fact, the dichotomy that Paul
sets up is exactly the opposite. If the Holy Spirit is dwelling
in you, how could you possibly? engage in such sinful behavior.
Verse 18, another difficult statement, nothing good dwells in me. Verse
19, I practice the very evil I do not want. That word practice
is a loaded word, powerful word. Romans 1.32, we’ve also dealt
with this already. Although they know the ordinance
of God that those who practice such things are worthy of death,
It’s talking about the totality of your life. It’s talking about
the way you live. I practice the very evil I do
not wish. Can a Christian through his entire
life continue to say that? Romans two. Therefore, you have
no excuse. Every one of you passes judgment
for in that you judge one another. You condemn yourself for you
who judge practice the same things. This is where he was setting
up the fact that the Jews were no less sinners than the Gentiles. Because their life. Their life
was a testimony to sin. Verse two. We know that the judgment
of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Verse 3 says the same thing.
And on and on it goes, 1 Corinthians 5, 2, 2 Corinthians 5, 10, 2
Corinthians 12, 21. Listen to this one. I am afraid
that when I come again, my God, me, humiliate me before you and
I may mourn over many of those who have sinned in the past and
not repented of the impurity, immorality, sensuality, which
they have practiced. It was part of their life. This
is a life’s testimony. There are other difficult statements,
evil is present in me. Wretched man that I am, I dealt
with that one last Lord’s Day. To say that I am hopeless and
helpless. When we know the truth, we know
the Savior, we’ve met Him, we’ve placed our faith in Him. How
then are we wretched? With my flesh, I am serving the
law of sin. That’s a difficult one to adopt, isn’t it? I hope. I’m serving the law of sin. When Paul says in Galatians 4.8,
you were slaves. to those which were by nature
no gods. Titus 3 3 you were you once were
enslaved to various lusts and pleasures. Romans 6 which verse
we just read so that we would no longer be slaves to sin. On the opposite hand we are called
to be as Romans 12 says 12 11 not lagging behind in diligence
fervent in spirit Serving, of all things, the Lord. That’s
our calling as Christians. Colossians 3.24, knowing that
it is from the Lord you will receive the reward of inheritance.
It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. That’s what we’re called
to do. As I said, these statements are
very difficult to square. Not only with the totality of
Scripture, With Paul’s own words, they’re difficult to square.
And it’s amazing to me that some suggested that the statement
here in the statements rather here in Romans 7 are no different
than Paul’s numerous self-effacing remarks found elsewhere. We dealt
with one of them last Lord’s Day and on Sunday school. Listen
to some of these first Corinthians 15 9. For I am the least of the
apostles and not fit to be called an apostle. Those things are
absolutely true. They can’t hold a candle to some
of the things he says here. They don’t in any way compare
to wretched man that I am, sold into bondage and sin. Paul was
merely acknowledging that he certainly didn’t deserve to be
an apostle, but that that was a work of God and by God’s grace. He was placed in that position.
It was God’s calling on his life. Not something that he had earned
or deserved. Ephesians 3 8 to me the very
least of all saints. That’s humility. Every one of
us should echo that. But that doesn’t mean that we
are sold into bondage to sin. That evil dwells within us. First Timothy 12, another self-effacing
statement by Paul, I think Jesus Christ, our Lord, who has strengthened
me because he considered me faithful, putting me into service, even
though I was formerly a blasphemer and persecutor and violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because
I acted in unbelief and the grace of the Lord was more than abundant
with the faith and love which are found. That doesn’t even
compare. To the statements that are made
here in Romans 7, they can’t even be lodged. In the same conversation. And so with regards. To option
six and seven, we were forced to continue to look. There are
some elements of truth to them. But we looked to other options
and we saw option eight. Option eight was again autobiographical. It was about Paul giving his
past experience. But it’s Paul looking back At
the time. In which he refers, it’s as if he
transports himself back there. To his pre-Christian days and
begins to echo these sentiments, knowing what he knows now, as
I said last week, it’s not a not a bad answer. And option nine
is so similar that it’s almost worthless to try and separate
the two. One transports Paul back to that
time. The other one just looks down
in the annals of history. As seen by Paul now, it’s still
Paul’s statement. And so, as I said, there’s an
element of option six that I appreciate. That is Paul looking back. It’s
Paul looking backwards at the totality of his life, but there
are some things there that I I can’t. Gulp down. What I appreciate
about that option, though, is that Paul includes himself and
he speaks as a Christian. Remember, it’s not these are
not the words of an unregenerate man. They can’t be. But it falls
short, however, and then it doesn’t include the rest of us, and that’s
where option seven comes in, and that’s why I appreciate option
seven. It is true that all Christians
are going to feel the pinch and the influence of sin. We will
at times in our lives sense and express some of those things. And there is a degree to which
options eight and nine are appealing, as I just said, there’s so little
difference between the two. That it’s unnecessary to express
my appreciation of one over the other, you can import both of
them that Paul looks back, he transports himself back to the
very beginning. The common element in those that
I do appreciate is that Paul considers his pre-conversion
past. Before he was saved. And that
leads us up to option 10. Which embraces the best elements
of these good options and yet is in itself distinctive. Option
10. Is that Paul in this language
that he uses this first person singular. Speaks on behalf of
all of us and he transports us back to the moment of regeneration. That’s what I’m proposing that
Paul looks back to the moment of regeneration when his eyes
were first opened. And only then and only there
could a person say both things at once, only then and only there
could somebody say wretched man that I am only then and only
there could he say, I love God’s law, but I’m doing the very thing
that I hate only then and only there. That’s where I’m proposing that
Paul is hearkening back. To that moment when the law remember. This is a discussion about the
law. This is a discussion about the
law in the life of the Christian. That moment when the law had
achieved its purpose in the life of the sinner. This brings in the positive aspects
of options six through nine without all the baggage. Tell you how
in a moment. Note. In the moment of regeneration. We are no longer considering
an unbeliever. God has opened his eyes and the. Theologians have wrestled for
years whether there can be this lengthy lapse between the moment
of regeneration when God brings the sinner to life and he sees
himself for who he is and he sees the Savior for who the Savior
is and he cannot but come to faith. I would say that they’re instantaneous.
It happens in the blink of an eye. When God awakens a sinner
and the sinner sees Christ for who he is, he cannot but come
to faith. It’s the moment of regeneration.
And it is the regenerated soul in that case that we’re considering,
and because of that, option six is embraced, which includes Paul
speaking as a Christian. But option six, remember, limits
the consideration to Paul. And so we embrace the elements
of option seven, which suggests that this is the experience of
every Christian, that every Christian that has ever been born again
has had this moment. Has been there and seen Christ
for who he is and seen his utter sinfulness and cried out, Oh,
wretched man that I am. Every Christian. Likewise, with options eight
and nine, it’s again pointless to differentiate them. We can
likewise embrace an element of these that involves our pre-conversion
past, as we saw last week. Here’s what I see. Paul, speaking
in the first person singular, does so for dramatic effect. As he considers the totality
of his life, He’s fully aware of the grace of God, but he’s
also fully aware of the sinful condition in which he once was
trapped, like all of us. Remember, several weeks ago.
In our consideration of the earlier portions. Of this chapter. When I suggested to you that
Paul was giving the details of his testimony. Now, what you
know of his testimony happened on the road to Damascus, recorded
three times in the book of Acts. Remember what you don’t have
in the book of Acts is the details. You don’t have the testimony
behind the testimony. You don’t see the groundwork
that was laid by the Holy Spirit himself in Paul’s life, utilizing
the law of God. That’s what Paul testifies to
in Romans chapter seven. Go back, if you would. Chapter
seven, verse seven. What should we say, then, is
the law sin? May it never be on the contrary,
I would not have come to no sin except through the law, and this
is from a man who gave us his testimony that in Philippians
chapter three, there was a time where he thought he had it nailed
And now he’s telling us that there came a point where he realized
he didn’t have it nailed, that he did fall short, that he was
a wretched man, that he was seeking to do the law of God and couldn’t. Look at this, on the contrary,
I would not have come to no sin except through the law, for I
would not have known about coveting if the law had not said you shall
not covet. This is Paul telling us what happened. Not on the
road to Damascus before that. He was coming to realize that
he wasn’t such a good Jew after all, that he hadn’t fulfilled
the holy law of God. Look at what happens in verse
eight, but sin taking opportunity through the commandment produced
in me coveting of every kind. Paul says he began to know that
he was a thoroughgoing sinner, that he was desperate in need
of God and in God’s help. Look at this in verse nine, and
I was once alive apart from the law. Remember, that’s what Roman
or Philippians 3 is all about. He was marching around thinking
that he had it all figured out, that he was the best. He had
reached the epitome of Judaism. I was once alive apart from the
law, but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I
died. You remember what we talked about
there? When the commandment came, Because the commandment now had
been around in Paul’s day for thousands of years. What does
Paul mean when the commandment came, when the Holy Spirit began
to apply that commandment to his heart and life, when it began
to show Paul, you know what, Paul, you are a covetous man. You are a sinner. You, Paul,
are desperately in need of God’s grace, and without it, you are
in peril. No wonder he says sin became
alive and I died. I knew I was a dead man, just
like Isaiah. I knew I was a dead man before
a holy God because I knew I hadn’t measured up. Those are the words
of Romans 7. That’s the testimony of Romans
7. It’s the moment that Paul stood
face to face with a holy God and he knew he was undone. No wonder he says the commandment,
which was to result in life, that was the whole design of
the law, right? Do this and you will live. And Paul had tried.
He had tried his level best. He achieved and did and fared
better than most. But he wasn’t perfect. And that’s
what you have to be to get in by way of the law, that’s what
you have to do to secure eternal life by way of the law, you have
to be perfect. He wasn’t. No wonder it was to
result in life and approved to result in death for me, for sin,
taking opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and
through it killed me. So this then. Verses 13 through
25 is really just a continuation of Paul’s testimony. What Paul
is also doing is showing that if this was true of him. It’s
true of every person. who has ever come to Christ.
So, Paul here takes us back to that undefined past. A crucial
moment in his life when the law had completed its job. The law had completed its job
in humbling this sinner. And here, for the first time,
having been brought to life by the agency of God Himself, Paul
saw himself for who he really was. for the very first time. One solid commentator writing
on this section said this and it’s great material. He said this section then brings
out the true character of the effect of the law as the revelation
of positive precepts of God’s will for man. Its effect is to
give the knowledge of right and wrong to awaken the moral consciousness. This at once brings out the antagonism
between the nature of man as living in the flesh and his will
and intelligence, which approved the law. The antagonism arises
with the attempt to act. The goodwill finds itself thwarted
by something in the nature which is realized as a power lodged
there. Called sin. See, Paul had never
really considered himself as a sinner. That’s what he’s testifying
to. Paul thought that he had achieved the law of God and lived
up to it. And now Paul sees himself as
a vile, hopeless sinner for the very first time. The law had
done its God given job in bringing the individual to conviction.
To that sense of hopelessness and wretchedness. The doctrine of regeneration.
One of the most overlooked doctrines in our American church today. You have to consider it in light
of the fall, if we are dead, if we are spiritually dead because
of the fall of Adam and Eve, then we have absolutely no ability
to commend ourselves to God. Because of the sin of Adam and
Eve and because of our spiritual deadness, It’s exactly as Jesus
first told Nicodemus, remember? We are painfully aware that as
sinners, we must be born again. We know that now. We must be
born again, we must be born from above. God has to do a work first. One godly American pastor, I
shared this with the Institute years ago, He said this regarding
regeneration, men are estranged from God. And they are engaged
in rebellion against him, and they love to continue, so can
you hear the echo of Romans seven? They will not submit. nor return
to their duty and allegiance. Hence, there is a need of a superior
power to subdue their stubborn hearts and sweetly constrain
them to subjection to inspire them with the love of God and
an implacable detestation of all sin. The natural man doesn’t
have that. Paul speaking here in Romans
7 is a man who had been touched by God himself. And for this purpose, the Holy
Spirit is sent into the world for this purpose. He is at work
from age to age upon the hearts of men and what he uses is the
law of God. It’s the word of God with the
spirit of God that changes the individual. It’s exactly what
Paul testified of in Ephesians, chapter two. In Ephesians, chapter two, Paul
said you were dead in your trespasses and sins, and he puts himself
right in there with them. You were dead in your trespasses
and sins in which you formerly walked according to the course
of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air,
of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them, those sins, we all
too formerly lived in the lust of our flesh, indulging the desires
of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of
wrath, even as the rest. But God. What a great and glorious
insertion this is. Paul pictures us wallowing in
our own filth, literally dead because of it. But God made us
alive. That’s how the passage reads,
all of that difficulty, but God. Made us alive. Here’s how the
verse goes, but God being rich in mercy, there was nothing in
ourselves that inclined him to do this. But God being rich in
mercy because of his great love with which he loved us, even
when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive. Together with
Christ, by grace, you have been saved, we have been regenerated.
We’ve had our eyes opened. Generation, pardon me, regeneration
is a work of God within us where he gives us new life. He literally
breathes life back into us. If he would, here’s what I want
you to picture. I want your picture of sin. And
our sinful condition as the darkest of dark, pitch black, no light,
just exceedingly and overwhelmingly dark. And in contrast, you picture
heaven somehow on the other side of that curtain, whatever. You
picture heaven and the glory of God, this equally overwhelming
light, brighter than the sun itself. Then the moment of regeneration
must be something like this. The sinner standing utterly immersed
in this pitch blackness, Suddenly sees no more than a pinprick
of light. In that darkness. Like a single
distant star. In the night sky, a glimmer of
light that will continue to grow throughout the Christian’s life.
He sees it. He’s been regenerated. He has
life like he’s never had it before. That light begins to dispel the
dark, increasing in brightness and the individual at the moment
of his regeneration by God, he instantly stands between two
worlds, doesn’t he? It’s a world of darkness, a world
of sin and a world of glorious salvation. It’s Roman seven.
Only there. Can this newly regenerated individual
say both? The law is spiritual, but I am
a flesh. I’m practicing what I would…
I’m not practicing what I would like to do. I’m doing the very
thing I hate. I agree with the law. It is good. Sin indwells me. Nothing good
dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. But the wishing is present
in me. I practice the very evil I do
not wish. Evil is present within me. But
I am the one who wishes to do good. I joyfully concur with
the law of God in the inner man. But I see a different law in
the members of my body. Waging war against the law of
my mind, making me a prisoner of the law of sin, which is in
my members. Wretched man that I am. Who will set me free from
this body of sin and death? Thanks be to God. Through Jesus
Christ, our Lord. It’s only then it’s only then
in that moment of regeneration that you can say both. Please
note, I am not saying. I’m not saying that the sentiments
Paul expresses are expressly and explicitly limited to only
that moment of regeneration. That’s why I said that there
are elements of option six and seven that we do wrestle with.
We do bring forward. to a degree. But we’re ever moving
away from those despicable sentiments. We’re ever moving away from that
idea that evil dwells within me. And we are ever yearning
more and more towards Christ and towards Him and towards sanctification,
which is the whole subject of this section. I understand that
throughout the Christian life, we will struggle. Paul says it
in numerous places himself. First Corinthians 927, I discipline
my body, I make it my slave so that after I preach to others,
I myself will not be disqualified. Galatians 517, the flesh sets
itself its desire against the spirit, the spirit against the
flesh. I get it. Christian life is a battle. But
what Paul wants to picture here, what Paul wants the Christian
to have a glimpse of here is that God has begun to work, that
God burst into the night sky, that God introduced us to the
Lord Jesus Christ and that God has made us alive and that we
are new. Do you know what’s interesting?
I’ve been preaching for two weeks now on this passage, and we haven’t
touched exegetically, a single verse, not word by word, not
verse by verse. We’ll take that up next Lord’s
Day, but look only at verse 13. Verse 13 begins the proof of
the position that I’ve advanced. When Paul says, therefore, did
that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never
be rather it was sin This was news to Paul. This was a discovery
for Paul. Sin was the culprit. Sin and
sinfulness. Why? In order that it might be
shown to be sin. Paul had never seen it that way
before. That it might be shown to be sin by affecting my death
through that which is good. The law was used by God to bring
him to that point. That through the commandments,
sin might become utterly sinful. You don’t look at sin that way.
Not typically. Not without the Spirit of God prompting us and
showing us what is good and right and holy. Let’s rejoice before
him for the salvation that he’s given to us in Christ. Our merciful God, we humble ourselves
before you in the setting of this deep and complex passage. And Lord, even the thoughts that
I place before your saints, I pray that you would examine, I pray
that you would retain and restore in the saints hearts and minds,
only those which are good and wholesome. Father, 2000 years
of Christianity has produced almost nothing but argument and
dissension on this passage. And Lord, we come to it humbly. We offer our thoughts humbly.
And we pray, Father, that. That we would seize hold of that.
Image of the moment of regeneration. And that we would realize the
grace gift. That was given to us in that
moment, we had done nothing. Nothing to deserve the love of
God. Nothing to earn the mercy of
Christ. And yet, in an instant, that
light began to flood the darkness and has not stopped yet. Lord God, we rejoice in the salvation
that you’ve granted to us. We rejoice in Christ, our Savior. Lord God, we pray for your grace
as we go out this day. Use us for your glory in a dark
world. It’s in Jesus name that we pray. Amen.