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I disagree! Romans 7 is a part of a very complex argument that began in Rom. 1:16 and continues on through Romans 8:39.
Rom.1:
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written,
The just shall live by faith.
The Old Testament is the Gospel of Christ. Habakkuk 4:4, is where this is written. Paul believed in the Gospel of Christ, or the Old Testament.
It is from "Therein" that the Righteousness of God is revealed. But most mainstream preachers teach against this truth.
18 For the wrath of God
is revealed from heaven against
all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Paul is teaching that many men were destroyed and rejected of God, and goes on to explain why.
This wasn't speaking to some obscure, hidden "sect of believers", but about the examples written for our admonition in the Gospel of Christ, or the Old Testament as it is called today.
21 Because that,
when they knew God,
they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
How does one not glorify God? Is loving and obeying God with all their might and heart "glorifying God"? Noah did this, and so did Abraham. Were they part of this group whose foolish heart was darkened?
Of course not. One Glorifies God be trusting in Him over our own mind and thoughts and traditions. But these were not doing that, were they?
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God
into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
The problem with these preachers of that time is they had replaced the true God and His instructions with their own version of God and their own instructions.
Just like Eve did.
They still claimed belief, but by their works they denied Him.
Without this truth as a foundation, then everything else built on Romans will be faulty.
In the fifth chapter of Romans Paul wrote,
R
om. 5:20. The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,
What Law "Came in" so that transgression would increase? You can't know that by jumping from Rom. 1:15 to Rom. 5.
Rom. 2:
12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
13 (For not the hearers of the law
are just before God,
but the doers of the law shall be justified.
Doer's of what Law? Of course todays mainstream preachers teach there is only one law and it includes the sacrificing of animals for the remission of sins. But Paul tell us otherwise.
Rom. 3:27 Where
is boasting then? It is excluded.
By what law? of works? Nay:
but by the law of faith.
28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the
deeds of the law.
Again, without this truth as part of the foundation, there is no way to understand what Paul is saying later in the Chapter.
This verse gives rise to a question that is asked in the sixth chapter of Romans,
Rom. 6:1. What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?
"God forbid"
The rest of the sixth chapter of Romans is Paul’s answer to that question, and the answer continues through the first 6 verses of chapter 7,
The question was answered, "God forbid" which means NO. WE DON'T continue to Transgress God's Commandments by our own traditions and doctrines. He goes on to explain the answer.
Rom. 7:1. Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives?
2. For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband.
3. So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man.
4. Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.
5. For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.
6. But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.
Notice that Paul wrote in verse 4 that we were made to die to the Law (the covenant of Law found in the Old Testament). This verse gives rise to two new questions that are asked in the following verse,
Be careful that you don't miss-interpret Paul reason for the answer he already for the question.
Do we continue to transgress God's Commandments because we were forgiven our past sins? The Answer he gave was a resounding NO!!!
Rom. 7:7. What shall we say then? Is the Law sin?
GOD FORBID!!
Again, he answered the question, and the answer is NO!!
He goes on to explain the answer, not give it.
The rest of verse 7 through verse 12 answers that question but gives rise to another question,
Rom. 7:13a. Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me?
GOD FORBID!!!
Again, He answers the question in a plain and concise way that leaves no room for error by the reader.
Do we continue in transgression of God's Law? NO!!
Is the Law sin? NO!!
Was then that which is
good (God's Laws) made death unto me? NO!!
He goes on each time to explain his answers, but his answers were not confusing or hard to understand. He didn't beat around the bush, he answered the questions directly and concisely.
The rest of verse 13 answers that question by saying,
Rom. 7:13b. May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful.
Paul is telling us that death, a very steep penalty, was issued for the transgression of God's Commandment to show us how wicked, evil and most exceedingly bad disobedience to God is.
This is a continuation of the Romans 1 beginning to show what happens to a man when they reject God's instructions and create their own.
In Rom. 7:14-25, Paul elaborates upon that answer. The real cause of death is not the Law; it is sin, but death is effected through the Law. Paul explains this through an illustration in which a Jew who loves the Law attempts to keep it but finds that he is not able to do so because he is made of natural flesh and the Law is spiritual. That is why a man must die to the Law as taught in Romans 6 and be born again.
This statement goes against the entire teaching's of the Gospel of Christ. There were Jews who loved God and His instructions, and those were praised by the Word of God, not rejected.
7 Because the carnal mind
is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh
cannot please God.
Jesus said the same thing;
John 3:
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world,
and men loved darkness rather than light,
because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil
hateth the light, neither cometh to the light,
lest his deeds should be reproved.
21 But he that
doeth truth cometh to the light,
that his deeds may be made manifest,
that they are wrought in God.
Any Jew or Gentile can come to the Light, and it will expose their "WORKS" whether they be from God or from man. If our "works" traditions, doctrines, come from man, then we are in need of repentance and a change of heart.
But men love darkness, and not light because they are carnal, they hate God and His instructions. But as Jesus told Cain from the very beginning, "Ye shall rule over this sin". or Paul, "Sin (Death) shall not have dominion over you".
Same message as the Gospel of Christ.
Gen. 4:
7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee
shall be his desire,
and thou shalt rule over him.
In Rom. 8:1-4 Paul summarizes what he has been writing,
Rom. 8:1. Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
2. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
3. 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 and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,
4. 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.
Many people have read into Romans 7 their own condition and imagined that Paul was writing about his experience in that condition, but we know from other things that Paul wrote that his condition was never like that,
How can you understand Paul if you don't acknowledge that the mainstream preachers of his time and before were NOT trying with all their might to love God and keep His Commandments? This teaching can not be supported by the Gospel anywhere. In fact the Gospel teaches just the exact opposite.
The Jews Jesus rejected, who killed Him, were the same Jews who rejected Paul and tried to kill him. There is zero evidence that these mainstream preachers were "Trying with all their might to follow God's Instructions". None.
Yet "many" in the mainstream religions of today, teach that the Pharisees and Jews were trying to obey God's Commandments, and not their own traditions and doctrines of men they created. Didn't Jesus specifically preach that "Many" would come in His name to deceive?
And how will they deceive us?
By tricking us to: "That thou mayest love the LORD thy God,
and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he
is thy life, and the length of thy days:"?
Rom. 5:8. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (NASB, 1995)
1 Cor. 4:1. Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
2. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.
3. But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself.
4. For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord.
5. Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and then each man's praise will come to him from God.
What are the motives in the heart of men who create images of God after the likeness of men? What are the motives of the heart of men who create their own High Days and reject God's Words?
Phil. 3:6. as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.
You omitted a lot of Pauls words here that shed light on the true meaning of his statements.
Phil. 3:
2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
3 For we are the circumcision,
which worship God in the spirit, and
rejoice in Christ Jesus,
and have no confidence in the flesh.
So then his flesh does not rule over him, just as Jesus taught Cain.
4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel,
of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law,
a Pharisee;
6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
When did Jesus ever say a Pharisee was following God's Laws? Just give me one instance.
Paul was a Pharisee, he followed the traditions and doctrines of the Pharisees perfectly.
What Law of God directed the Pharisees to persecute a Church led by Jesus? What Law of God justified the Pharisees traditions and doctrines?
You see, these foundational issues are important. You build this great wonderful sounding sermon based on a falsehood that the Jews were "Trying to obey God's Laws with all their heart and failed". Everything you preach on this false foundation is flawed because of it. I say this not to offend, but as a brother.
Phil. 4:9. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Did Paul follow God's Commandments? Or did He create His own? Did Paul transgress the Commandments of God by his own church traditions and doctrines? Did he teach others to do so. Did Paul follow God's Holy Days, or did he create his own huge "feasts unto the Lord"?
The key to the correct understanding of Romans 7:14-25 is that the man being described is striving to keep the Law but failing to do so. Christians have died to the Law and therefore do not strive to keep it.
Yet this same Paul said:
13 (For not the hearers of the law
are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
And again:
19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.
And again: Acts 24:
14 But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers,
believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:
And again: Acts 26:
20 But shewed
first unto them of Damascus,
and at Jerusalem,
and throughout all the coasts of Judaea,
and then to the Gentiles, that
they should repent and
turn to God, and
do works meet for repentance.
Christians have died to the Law and therefore do not strive to keep it.
Yet Paul did!!!