Do We See?

A reflection on Romans 7:14-25

Paul draws an amazing picture of the christian experience in this passage.  We have two natures.  The law of sin in our body constantly wages war against the law of God in our minds.  Do we see it?  

   “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.” (Romans 7:14–25, ESV)

Paul sees it and the new creature who has spiritual life sees it.  The war rages every day!  Do we see it or are we failing to renew our minds and failing to see it?  It is definitely there so if are not aware of it, the enemy is winning.  Even as christians we can still be captive to this law if we do not renew our minds and set our minds on the Spirit rather than on the flesh.  We need this active renewal every day because there is no rest to the war that our sin nature wages against our new man.  We must engage in this battle if we hope to walk this life in a transformed and Spirit empowered manner.  Indeed we must if we are to confirm our election and remain faithful until the end.  If we are in Christ we will indeed walk according to the Spirit.  Paul will expound on this in Chapter 8.  

We must die and be freed from our captivity to the law of sin and death in order to now experience this battle of life.  This life is a fight for faith whereby we must renew our minds daily and maintain awareness of the evil lying close at hand in our members.  We cannot be complacent and think that we can just cruise along.  If we are complacent and are cruising along then the flesh is winning and we are deceived.  We need transformation and this only comes from renewal of the mind so that it is set on Christ and not on the world.  Paul concludes the chapter simply stating that we serve the law of God with our minds but the law of sin with our flesh.  If we fail to engage our mind for Christ then our flesh will default us into captivity to the law of sin.  This is a lead into the need to set our minds on the Spirit and not on the flesh.  To set our minds on things above and not on the things of the world.  We can walk victorious if we do so.  If we do not then we will serve sin still.

Our reading and meditation on the Word of God is not to check a box but to know the heart of God and to survive the battle!  We must wage war with a rock solid hope in the victory already won by Christ.

   “56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:56–58, ESV)

Soli Deo Gloria!