Why Do I Do That? Because the Struggle is Real! – Lite (20 min)

How often have I walked away from a conversation and asked myself why I said a particular thing, or why I didn’t exercise more restraint? It is clear that I have grown in my walk with the LORD, but it is even more apparent that my heart and mind still require so much more refining.  I can wrestle with something longer than I would like to (which can be frustrating). Have you ever been there?  This internal struggle is one of the reasons I enjoy Romans 7.  

Chapter 7 has a central theme of FREEDOM FROM THE CONDEMNATION OF THE LAW.  Praise God for that! Can I absorb what that means to the point of walking in victory consistently? Maybe not consistently, but certainly progressively. The Holy Spirit uses the Apostle Paul’s transparency to comfort all believers about the struggle with imperfection.

It seems to me, the closer you get to the LORD, the more you see your unholiness and the more you realize how much you are truly loved (despite the work still in progress)!

Segment Outline within the Chapter:

1. Why Do I Do That? Because the Struggle is Real! (Romans 7:7 to 25):  In this segment, we will appreciate the process of sanctification and see what God is doing in it. When this passage is understood, the believer can enjoy so much freedom! In the section, the contrasts are made clear:
   • Verses 7 to 13 relate to the pre-converted person and provides the purpose of God’s Law. Paul reflected on his experience.  For the believer, this is past tense.
   • Verses 14 to 20, take us into the present tense of the believer’s walk of sanctification. Paul confesses his regenerated heart delights in God’s law whereas his humanity still has a modus operandi. There are contrasts between the principles at work in each nature.
   • Verses 21 to 25 give us the conclusion of the struggle which (1) solidifies the impact of the monergistic finished work of Christ forever, and (2) reminds us that God’s work in us is ongoing in a synergistic way. This is not a debate between Calvinism and Arminianism; it is just biblical.
2. The Struggle May Be Real, But the Union is Greater! (Romans 7:25 to Romans 8:4):  In this very short but sweet section, we see that the struggle weakens; and, both the cause and effect of the diminishment are worth it! There is a synergistic application for us here!

Please get your favourite Bible. The goal is for you to read the text from your Bible directly and follow along with the blog notes.

Why Do I Do That? Because the Struggle is Real! (Romans 7:7 to 25):  

I have often wept before the LORD asking Him to change some pattern of thinking in me; and, I have been frustrated at my repeated failure in a particular thing. Some would think that this morning is wrong, but I don’t believe that. Jesus said,

• “Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4).

Let me ask you a question. How can you repent from something you do not mourn? The word that Christ used here is penthéō (Strong’s 3996) which means to grieve or to have the feeling of wailing or lamenting. When someone is in the presence of the Divine, if there is any illumination, there should be a holy conviction (not condemning accusation) that shines the beauty of the Godhead and reveal the shadiness of our hearts.   

Think about the encounter Jesus had with a sinful woman at the home of a Pharisee. It is written:

• “And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. … Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” … Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” (a sampling of Scripture from Luke 7:37 to 50).

There is a difference between despising yourself (which is NOT GOD’s WILL) and loathing the sin Christ shed His blood for.

It is written:

• “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” (James 4:8 to 10).
• “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” (2nd Corinthians 7:10).

You see, when I realize that I cannot possibly change my behaviour, I get tired! I know what I ought to do, but in a moment of weakness or simply by reacting out of my senses, I slip up and say something I shouldn’t, or respond badly to a situation. Then I realize that God’s Word has already addressed this for me. 

Scripture states that I cannot possibly change my behaviour WITHOUT yielding moment by moment to the Holy Spirit and through the transforming power of His supernatural Scriptures.  This makes me free and invigorates me.  I realize that God is the One who works within me and that my role is to actively permit the transformation.

I am grateful the Holy Spirit caused Paul to publicly admit that he too was confronted by his humanity.

After writing that great instructional passage in Romans 6 on how to be led by the Holy Spirit (4 simple steps: (1) know, (2) reckon, (3) yield, and (4) obey), Paul proceeded to give us his reflection on how the law and sin impacted him within Romans 7:7 to 25.  From verses 7 to 12 he writes:

• “Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.” But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power. At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, and I died. So I discovered that the law’s commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead. Sin took advantage of those commands and deceived me; it used the commands to kill me. But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good.“ (This is from the New Living Translation).

These statements are clear, yet I had not thought too much about Paul’s early life before he became a Pharisee.  Paul wasn’t born knowing the law; he had to become educated in the law. He probably heard teachers and parents referring to the Scriptures, and he may have even quoted them as memory work. But at some point, he started to gain comprehension of the meaning behind the words.  

The sin within Paul already existed, but now he had become aware that he was guilty. And then, as he grew and studied, he tried his very best to live up to the law because he knew that failure to keep the law was breaking the covenant with God which brought cursing and the penalty of death. Paul’s testimony states that he was:

• “circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.” (Philippians 3:5 to 7).

Upon meeting the risen LORD around 34 A.D. (refer to Acts 9) and being confronted with his misapplication of the law which he exercised with great zeal, Paul wrote the letter to the Romans sometime around 57 A.D. and the church at Philippi around 62 A.D. that he was continuing to press on in the Christian walk imperfectly. He wrote:

• ” Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12 to 14).

Paul understood that no one could ever perfectly follow the law and that trying to be righteous in keeping the law would result in death. As it is written:

• “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.” (James 2:10).
• “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” (Galatians 3:10).

No wonder that rich ruler in Luke 18 walked away sad when he realized that (1) in truth, he was guilty of breaking the first commandment, and (2) that he was unwilling to follow Christ.  

If you are guilty because of failing one rule, there’s no point in trying to keep any of it. In addition, the prohibitions work against the fallen human nature in that it causes rebellion against denying one’s fallen desires.

Under the old covenant, the law provided a way for those living under the sacrificial system to be blessed by God (especially because there was a process for repentance).  

While Paul was confronted by his human depravity because of the law, he confirmed that the law is good and holy in verses 7 and 12. This seems to be counter-cultural for many today. We seem to think that anything that makes us uncomfortable or offends our feelings is bad. Here, Paul stated that the problem was not the law. Instead, he taught that sin used that which was good and holy to bring about his condemnation to death. Refer to Romans 7:13. When Paul said this, he was referring to a point in time before his regeneration, before he was pardoned.  

Before he understood how he fell short of God’s glory, he felt alive although he was very much on the road to destruction. This is how deceptive sin is. It lies to us and says we are free to enjoy something that will destroy us; and, once engaged in it, it traps becomes bondage. Once Paul became aware of his sin, he knew he was dead.

I have come to despise sin because it distorts things of beauty. It corrupts love, circumstances, stages of life, and even the law of God. 

Paul says that sin even uses God’s holy law as a stimulus for rebellion. But when the truth sets you free, you see the deception; you see how ugly sin is. You also see that:

• “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover, by them, Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults.” (Psalm 19:7 to 12).

You see the law of the LORD is usually misunderstood by humanity, especially by those who have not met the Him.  

I am not speaking about the law that Christ abolished although it too was holy.  NO ONE is saved by keeping the law because NO ONE CAN KEEP THE LAW.  

I am talking about the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of regenerated individuals. I am talking about the instances where the law of God’s love and His perfection is recognized. When the Holy Spirit washes the believer in the Word of God and uses the precepts or law to show us the Father and the Son.  

His laws and ways are purifying even though they show us how we don’t measure up because they cause us to repent and depend on faith even more.  

Because we have the deposit of the Holy Spirit as a seal, we have a guarantee of redemption, and the law is a tutor who points us to Christ. (Refer to 2nd Corinthians 1:22; 2nd Corinthians 5:5; and, Ephesians 1:14). Please hear what Jesus said about this; He said in context:

• “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. … I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. … If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever; the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. … He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him. … He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.” (These are select verses from John 14)

Think about that. If Christ was the Word at the beginning and made manifest to us in human form (the flesh), what is it about God’s law that we despise?

Up to  Romans 7:12, Paul has concretely reminded us that the law can not save anyone. From verse 13 onward, Paul outlines the struggle to be obedient once a person has been regenerated. Please read Romans 7:13 to 19.  

Paul’s description of how hopeless it is to be obedient by sheer willpower is accurate indeed!

I think every believer has experienced this helplessness at one point or another (if they are honest with themselves).  I also think that there are times we forget to rely on the Holy Spirit and we try to walk the Christian walk in our own strength.  This is when the struggle is intense.  

I find that if I have been distracted away from prayer and time in the Scripture, I am more prone to give in to the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19 to 21). If you have time, look up that Galatians passage because the works of the flesh also include things like contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, and dissensions. Remember, it’s about being transformed into the image of Christ; about the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

You might ask what does time in prayer and the Scripture have to do with the ability to be led by the Spirit?  Prayer and God’s Word are the means to renew our minds.  I find my mind can hush the Holy Spirit’s guidance when I have deprioritized my dependency on Christ for my day-to-day life. We think we know ourselves, but we don’t. I like the way New Living Translation translates Paul’s admission which is common to all of us:

• “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. … And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.” (Romans 7:15 to 16 and 18 to 19).

Admitting that your sinful human nature has defeated your desire to do good is not an excuse; it’s just proof that God’s law is holy and that we all need the LORD’s help to overcome. We are fully responsible for our actions.  Romans 6:6, 11, 13 and 16 state that we are supposed to:

1. KNOW we have a new creation nature; that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ, 
2. RECKON ourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God so that we do not give in to sin.  
3. YIELD ourselves to God, with our body members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
4. OBEY God unto righteousness.

So, when Paul stated that it was not he who was sinning in Romans 7, verses 20 and 21, he was not shirking responsibility.  He was admitting that he has a new nature.  He was disassociating from the old nature that he knows he must stop from resurrecting through Christ. This is huge!  

When we sin, we should not make excuses for why we sinned. We need to recognize that the old sin nature is trying to take hold and we must admit it was wrong, hate it, and remind it that that is not who we are now.  We must identify with Christ in all ways. We must use His Word even on ourselves. 

If you succumb to sin rather than repenting and standing in Christ, then you are actually saying that sin is your slave master. If you repent (i.e. ask forgiveness and turn the other way to depend on Christ), you are admitting Christ is your LORD. 

From Paul’s other letters and in considering Romans 7:22 to 25 we see that the struggle between the renewed mind of the redeemed child of God and the sinful human nature is an ongoing reality that increasingly diminishes by the power of God when the believer submits to the Holy Spirit’s leading.  No one can be pardoned without God’s grace to accept the gift of salvation paid for by Christ’s sacrifice and no one progresses in sanctification without cooperating with the Holy Spirit.

Who can deliver us from the failures of the fallen existence dominated by sin and death? God! That’s who! Because of God, we remain undefeated by becoming overcomes!

The Struggle May Be Real, But the Union is Greater! (Romans 7:25 to Romans 8:4)

Since God, by His grace, has pardoned the person who has accepted Jesus Christ by faith, and since He has deposited the Holy Spirit within them, there can be victory over sin. Jesus triumphed over the devil and the power of sin in His life, and He nailed all debts to the cross!  

This does not mean we will not sin; it means the reborn person is shedding their old grave clothes; never be subject to spiritual death again. The reborn person has been resurrected with Christ and is putting on Christ’s robe of righteousness. Sin no longer reigns over a believer. Christ is forever enthroned and love covers a multitude of sins!

The Holy Spirit used Paul to write the other letters on this in this way. This is the Word of God:

• “The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1st Corinthians 15:56 to 57)
• “… walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. … And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight, if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.” (Colossians 1:10 through 23).
• “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration, or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.” (Colossians 2:13 to 17, New International Version).

The Synergistic Application:

If you have read the previous “lite blog” on Romans 7:1-6 called ‘Widowed and Remarried‘, this will be familiar but it pertains to the entire chapter.

So, what do we do with all of this? Knowing that Christ’s work is finished does not mean that we have no responsibility in the relationship. And, accepting the reality that human nature has a propensity to sin does not mean we should be passive about it.  

On the contrary, Scripture tells us to FIGHT the FIGHT of FAITH! 1st Timothy 6:12

As it is written:

• “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” (2nd Corinthians 10:3 to 5)
• “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12 to 14)
• “For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,” (Hebrews 3:14)
• “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. … Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.” (Jude 1:20 through 25)

Paul recognized the futility of all “self” efforts to be righteous. He also knew that the truth of the Gospel of God sets us free from slavery to sin. Let’s close with how Romans 7 ends and rejoice in how it concludes in the first couple of verses of Romans 8.

• “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 7:25 to 8:4; New International Version)

Father, I thank You for the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ as the perfectly sufficient payment for the entirety of my sin. I thank You for the power to believe the good news of this new life offered by Your grace. I thank You for Your eternal Word which is the representation of Your Son who has always existed with You in perfect unity. I thank You for the gift of Your Holy Spirit who leads Your people into victory. I thank You for using human beings like Paul to communicate Your principles, Your thoughts, and Your ways to humanity so that out of willing, devoted hearts we can be united to You. May those who read my study notes on Your Word be inspired to continue to read Your Word for themselves and hear what it is You are saying to them individually. May we all be able to join with the Scripture that says:

• “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20).

Father, everything about You is amazing!