Why Do I Do The Thing I Don't Want To Do, But Do the Very Opposite! Romans 7

 

The Law and Sin

7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”[b] 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. 9 Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. 13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

Paul introduces us to the purpose of the Law as summarized by the Ten Commandments.  It is key to understanding the Gospel.  If you don't understand the purpose of the Law, you won't see the purpose for the Gospel. Though the Law is not sinful it reveals our sinfulness.  The Law is good, holy, and righteous and because it was inspired by God and given to Moses in the form of the two tablets of commandments.  But the problem is the Law could not save us, it could only show us our need for forgiveness.  

Some Christians still today try to live up to the Law's standards and constantly feel defeated and discouraged. 

"Some might think, “Yes, we were saved by grace, but we must live by law to please God.” Here Paul makes it plain that believers are dead to the law as far as it represents a principle of living or a place of right standing before God."  (Guzik)

The two extremes of how we misunderstand and misinterpret Law are:

1. Legalism - We still try to apply to the law as a standard of goodness for Christians.  You can tell when you are in a legalistic environment when the constant message is all about what you can't do as a Christian and why doing it makes you feel like a bad Christian.

2. Cheap Grace - This is the mentality that since we are forgiven we don't even need to worry about living a righteous life.  This person reasons, "Since i can't live up to God's standard, why even try. I should do whatever feel like doing because I'm already forgiven" 

Both of these misuses of the Law have caused much harm to people throughhout the history of the church. We usually see the Church swinging back and forth between these two poles trying to find the true middle which is the gospel of Jesus Christ, and only lived out in His power.

14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 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[d] a slave to the law of sin.

This is one of my favorite sections of Paul's writing in the New Testament.  Why? Because he becomes very vulnerable and very relateable.  He admits that he REALLY wants to do what is right he does the very OPPOSITE.  It is not knowing the right thing to do that is his issue, it is ACTUALLY doing it.  Not only does he do this, he keeps on doing it.  In his own power there is no way out of this.  He is powerless to do what is right all the time, and frequently does the opposite.  He concludes along with a lot of us, "What a wretched man I am."  There is no lack of desire for Paul to please God, he just doesn't possess the MEANS to do it. 

Thank God for verse 25.  This is the Good News.  God saw how we were dead in our sin, and delivered us from what Paul calls "slavery" to sin.  The opposite of slavery is freedom.  In order to be freed from slavery you need to be what the bible calls "redeemed".  The word "redeemed" means to be "bought back". It was term used when a redeemer bought a slave from his owner, and liberated him.  Paul uses this same imagery to show what Jesus has done for us.  Jesus DELIVERS us from sin.  He saves us from it.  "The wages is sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus." Romans 6:23  Death in our relationship with God and others, and eventual physical death.  

So, in chapter 7, we see that though the Law is good it can only reveal our sin not save us from it.  We see Paul identifying with us as a helpless sinner.  And then we see his favorite thing to do, lead people to Jesus Christ our Savior, our Redeemer, our Deliverer!

Can you identify with Paul, who though he wants to do the right thing, keeps doing the wrong thing?  In what way? 

Have you come to the point of saying I am powerless over sin and it has made my life unmanageable?  I need a deliverer. 

Stay tuned for chapter 8, things will get a lot better. It is one of the best chapters in all of scripture!