"THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS"

Two Dilemmas (7:14-25)

INTRODUCTION
  1. In Ro 7:14-25 Paul describes a great struggle...
    1. Between one who knows to do good, but cannot do it
    2. Between a desire to keep the law of God, and a war with the law of sin
  2. This is a challenging passage that contains not one, but two dilemmas...
    1. The textual dilemma
    2. The human dilemma

[Dilemma: (informal) any difficult and perplexing situation; predicament. To appreciate the difficulty of the passage itself, let's first look at...]

  1. THE TEXTUAL DILEMMA
    1. DESCRIBED BY PAUL...
      1. Is it his struggle as a Christian?
        1. The use of first person pronoun ("I", "me", "my") is certainly indicative
        2. That Christians so struggle is taught elsewhere - Ga 5:16-17; Jm 4:1; 1Pe 2:11
      2. Is it his struggle as a Jew?
        1. While living under the Law of Moses?
        2. Many think so, including myself
        -- So first there is the dilemma of how to understand the text
    2. DETERMINED BY CONTEXT...
      1. Consider the overall context of the book of Romans
        1. Justification by faith in Christ, not by keeping the Law of Moses - Ro 3:28-30
        2. The promise to Abraham comes through faith, not the Law - Ro 4:13
      2. Consider the immediate context of chapters 7 and 8
        1. Paul's comments are especially to those who know the law - Ro 7:1
        2. Those once married to the Law, die to the law through Christ - Ro 7:4
        3. Those once held by the Law have been delivered from the law - Ro 7:6
        4. The law referenced to clearly includes the Ten Commandments - Ro 7:7
        5. The law, though good, brought death not deliverance - Ro 7:7-13
        6. A deliverance appealed to, alluded to, and then explained - Ro 7:24-25; Ro 8:1-2,12
        -- The context helps to resolve the textual dilemma

      [That Paul is describing the struggle he experienced as a Jew under the Law becomes more apparent as we now examine the text itself regarding...]

  2. THE HUMAN DILEMMA
    1. DESCRIBED AS A MAN...
      1. Who is carnal, sold under sin - Ro 7:14-15
        1. Desires to good, finds himself unable
        2. Desires to abstain from evil, finds himself unable
      2. Who agrees the law is good, but finds that sins dwells in him - Ro 7:16-20
        1. In his flesh nothing good dwells
        2. The desire to do good is present, the ability to perform is not
        3. The good he desires he does not, the evil he desires not he does
        4. Thus sin dwells in him
      3. Who is enslaved to a "law" (of sin and death, cf. Ro 8:2) - Ro 7:21-23
        1. Where evil is present in one who desires to do good
        2. Where a law in his members (flesh) wages war against the law of his mind
        3. Where the law in his members brings him into captivity to the law of sin
      4. Who finds himself wretched - Ro 7:24
        1. "O wretched man that I am!"
        2. "Who shall deliver me from this body of death?"
        -- A wretched dilemma: sold under sin, indwelt by sin, enslaved to a law of sin!
    2. DELIVERED BY CHRIST...
      1. Expressed in chapter seven - Ro 7:25
        1. By way of anticipation, interrupting his train of thought
        2. "I thank God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
        3. But again, the dilemma: willing to serve the law of God with the mind, but with his flesh he serves the law of sin!
      2. Explained in chapter eight - Ro 8:1-6,11-14
        1. There is no condemnation for those in Christ, provided they walk according to the Spirit
        2. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ frees one from the law of sin and death!
          1. Christ's death fulfills the righteous requirement (death for sin)
          2. Becoming spiritually minded is life and peace, for submission to God is now possible
          3. Indwelt by the Spirit, He imparts life to our mortal bodies - cf. Ro 6:12-13; Ep 3:16
          4. We are no longer debtors (enslaved) to the flesh, to live according to the flesh
          5. By the Spirit we can put to death the deeds of the flesh, and live as sons of God!
          -- A blessed condition: no longer enslaved to sin, but empowered by the Spirit!
CONCLUSION
  1. In Romans 7, Paul vividly illustrates the weakness of the Law of Moses...
    1. The Law was holy, just, and good, but it did not offer true deliverance
    2. It did not offer deliverance from the guilt and power of sin - cf. Jn 8:34
    3. One can will to do good, but the ability to truly do as one should is not there
  2. In Romans 8, Paul provides deliverance from this dilemma...
    1. First, no condemnation to those in Christ
    2. Second, empowerment over the flesh by aid of the Holy Spirit
    3. The struggle is still present, but the ability to perform is now possible - cf. Ro 7:18 with Ga 5:16

Have you experienced freedom from the guilt of sin through the blood of Christ (Ep 1:7)? Are you experiencing freedom from the power of sin through the indwelling Spirit (Ro 8:12-13)?

Both blessings begin when one receives Christ (and the Spirit) in baptism... - cf. Ac 2:38; 22:16; Tit 3:5; Ga 4:6; 1Co 12:13