The Apostle Paul, through Jesus Christ, overcame his struggle with the Law and was delivered from it, as we learn, first from Romans 6:1-27 and then from Romans 7:1-25, because Paul knew he had been crucified with Jesus, the resurrected Christ; thus, he was dead to sin and alive in Christ Jesus, yet the law of sin and death in his flesh warred within Paul against the law of God in his mind, and he knew only Jesus Christ could deliver him; thus, “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus did free Paul from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2).
How we think affects our entire being: Our actions, emotions, character, personality, how we treat God and His word, how we treat others, and even our bad or good habits—for a short time Paul struggled with the law of sin and death in his flesh warring against the law of God in his mind, and so will we, until we understand it, and learn how to give it to Jesus Christ and let Him deliver us from it, which is the purpose of this writing.
The Apostle Paul, in Romans 7:7-12, partially explains how the holy, sinless law, gives sin the enslaving power over us, which we will read and then try to explain.
Romans 7:7-12—7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. 9 I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. 10 And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. 11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. 12 Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.
Sin ‘s only existence is through the law, “for without the law sin is dead, nonexistent”, but as soon as the law is applied, we either sin or die to sin by applying “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus that sets us free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-11).
Paul confesses, in Romans 7:18-25, because of “sin living in him”, he does what he does not desire to do, because his delight and desire is to live in agreement with the law of God firmly settled in his mind, but the law of sin wars against the law of God, to bring him into sin’s captivity (addictive slavery), for the potential to sin is always available where there is law.
Taking this truth of the “good, holy, sinless law”, to 1 Corinthians 15:50-58, where it clearly explains even when Christ Jesus comes to midair to call His bride-body-church to come up to meet Him in the air (catching away, rapture), we will still have the possibility of this mental war within us, until we fully understand how it works and how Christ Jesus has already settles it for us, so watch how 1 Corinthians 15:50-58 is worded, especially verse 56, so we understand how law gives sin the power to enslave us with addictions.
1 Corinthians 15:50-58—50 Now this I say, brethren, flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass what is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades where is your victory?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength 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 brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Second Corinthians 3:4-6 explains how the letter of the law or how trying to keep every detail of the law, is sin, but how keeping the Spirit of the law is not sin, which means Jesus obeyed every detail of the law for us; then died on a cross, resurrected, and sent the Holy Spirit of grace and truth, so we now believe and live in total agreement with Galatians 2:11-21, instead of living by the exact letter or detail of the law, yet knowing the law is an “essential guide”, for the Holy Spirit uses the New Testament to explain the benefits of knowing the Old Testament law.
For, in agreement with Romans 14:23, as long as we do everything from faith working through love (Galatians 5:6), then we do not sin, but when we think, speak, and do in agreement from our human “knowledge and wisdom), we sin, because “whatever is not from faith is sin”; therefore, we must retrain ourselves to think, speak, and do everything from faith or it will be sin. This is exceedingly essential for righteous living.
Jim, Kim, and Tim Nabors
