Epistles (written)

Tuesday, 25 June 2013

For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.  Romans 7:22

Paul speaks here of the “law of God.” In this verse and in the ensuing verses, he will speak of five separate laws –

1) The law of God (7:22)
2) The law of sin. (7:23) (…and death (8:2))
3) The law “in my members” (7:23)
4) The law “of my mind” (7:23)
5) The law of the Spirit of life in Christ (8:2)

Without any comment, it should be obvious that there are conflicts between these. There are those which are earthly and those which are spiritual. They war with each other and often bring us into testing, conflict, and confusion.

Paul says he has “delight in the law of God…” The term “delight” is the Greek word sunedomai and this is its only occurrence in the New Testament. It is indicating a pleasure deep inside, as if in the heart. The law of God is the inward man’s desire of the heart. But who is the “inward man” that he is speaking of? It is actually revealed in the 1st Psalm –

Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

The inward man is the man who has already set his thoughts, conduct, and manner of life on the more noble things; the person that “sees the good” which God has laid out before him and who reaches for it. He rejects the wrong path and instead pursues God. This is what the psalmist is telling us and it translates into the person Paul calls “the inward man.”

Life application: There is a proper path to pursue in life and it is given in the pages of the Bible. In order to follow this path, the wise soul will delight in this beautiful word and will meditate on it day and night. Be wise – pursue the knowledge of God as displayed in the pages of the Bible.

Lord God, You have said that you are ever with me and that in You I live and move and have my being. I know this is true and so keep me ever-aware of this fact. Remind me of Your presence at all times so that my life, conduct, thoughts, and actions will be directed toward proper living and upholding Your glory. You are God, help me to live in Your presence rightly. Amen.

Monday, 24 June 2013

I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. Romans 7:21

A few points to consider about this verse. The first is that this is speaking of a war which can and does rage within believers. The second is that the war can be won; victory can be obtained in the battle and the way for it to happen is coming in just a few verses. Third, this war rages in all people, but the victory in the war is only available to those who follow the path which is given in those verses. And fourth, these verses do not speak of every person in every sense. In other words, though this premise is true and it exists in the unregenerate soul, it is not all-encompassing in its effect. Too often Christians, particularly those in Calvinist circles, look at these verses and use them in the absolute sense –

Evil is present in humans;
The remedy is only available to Christians;
Therefore, non-Christians are absolutely evil.

This is not right thinking, nor does it take into consideration the obvious truth that people all around the world do good stuff all the time. The problem isn’t in their good deeds, but rather the problem is in them. Good deeds don’t lead to a right relationship with God. However, a lack of a relationship with God doesn’t mean someone is entirely evil. It does mean that the evil in them is a barrier between them and God so that the good deeds they do are temporary and ultimately futile – they are as rags before His infinite holiness.

The “law” that Paul speaks of here is not a written law. He is stating that this is a force within us, which he is calling a law because it is as true as if it were written (just as gravity is a law even if it isn’t written down; it simply is what it is). This law is that evil is present with “me.” The “me” like the “I” and “me” earlier is a truth which is applicable to humanity in general, not just Paul specifically. This evil is in fact present even though our will is to do good.

This is the war which is raging in us and the battle lines move as we yield ourselves to God. In other words, when we run the show, the lines move in one direction and when we allow God to do so, the battle lines quickly move in the other, but as long as we are in this body of flesh, we are subject to this evil which is present in us.

In his ever-consistent manner, Paul speaks this same truth in Galatians 5:16-18, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”

Life application: It is one or the other – fulfill the lusts of the flesh or walk in the Spirit. The lines move in one direction or another as we yield to the Spirit. Stay in constant contact with the Lord; speak to Him continuously; and read His word frequently. Live in a way which allows His presence full control of you always.

Lord, this day I want to set myself aside and just praise You. You are infinitely worth of glory, honor, majesty, and praise. I lift up my soul to You in delight and I raise my arms and my voice to You in acknowledgment of Your surpassing greatness. Be exalted O God. Dwell in the worship I offer, and revel in the praise of my lips. How great You are. Amen.

Sunday, 23 June 2013

Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. Romans 7:20

This verse repeats and consolidates the thought of verses 16 and 17. Why would Paul do this, saying the same thing a second time? The reason is that it is highlighting the issue and it is verifying the two “for’s” found in verses 18 & 19. In other words, he is being extremely precise in his thoughts. These thoughts could be considered improperly contemplated and relayed by a surface review of the wording.

In order to substantiate that he is, in fact, correct in his analysis, he has stated the truth of the matter (verses 16 & 17), and then defended it in a way which highlighted the truth of his thoughts (verses 18 & 19), and then restated what has been found to be correct in the first place.

Sometimes it’s important to state the same thing more than once so that it can be properly understood. With a few intervening words of explanation, a matter can be verified and then repeated. So, sometimes it’s important to state the same thing more than once so that it can be properly understood.

Life application: Repetition can never harm when instructing others in complicated matters. Also, repetition can never harm when instructing others in complicated matters.

Heavenly Father, it’s a new day with new opportunities awaiting me. Help me, O Lord, to use my time wisely and effectively – pursuing that which is good and pleasing in Your sight. Keep me from distractions that can only take my heart, my eyes, and my thoughts off of you. I love You and truly desire to be a pleasing vessel, filled with Your Spirit, Your wisdom, and Your love. Amen.

Saturday, 22 June 2013

For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Romans 7:19

This sentiment is very similar to 7:15 – “For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.” These parallel sentiments show us, quite clearly for even the hardest head to think through, that we have a will which desires to do good. This is so obvious that Paul has said it twice, hoping that we won’t mistake the fact… and yet we do. We come up with irregular doctrines which deny free will in order to establish boxes and limiting parameters which actually don’t exist.

The term “free will” is used to indicate that we have the ability to make choices – we see the good and, hopefully, choose the good. However, the use of the term free will isn’t meant to show that we are always able to exercise this will so that it is  manifest in our fleshly body. Paul shows that we will to do good – this is our free, volitional will. However, this good that we will to do is not what we end up doing – this is the limiting factor on our will; restriction of the exercise of what we will.

Instead of exercising this will as we often desire, we take the opposite course of action. Our flesh, our carnal selves, cause us to practice “the evil I will not to do.” We should put the stress on “I” throughout these verses. Anytime “I” is introduced it will end in fault. It happened in Eden and it has continued to happen throughout history as people have set aside His good law(s) and attempted to merit His favor on their own. The fact is, that if intent to do good was good enough, then the majority of the people of the world would be on the highway to heaven. However, intent inevitably leads to failure when “I” is involved. The flesh thrives on the “I” of our carnal selves.

The free will we are given, and it is indeed a gift of God’s grace, is not for the exercise of “I” but for the choice for God. The doctrine of grace is not abolished through the teaching of free will as Calvinists claim; it is established. First, as a grace, we have been given this gift, and as a grace this gift continues in us, even after the fall. Free will, as was noted by Thomas Aquinas in our evaluation of Romans 7:13, was what caused the fall. To state otherwise would be to ascribe the fault (the sin) to God. Secondly, the exercising of one’s free will in “choosing the good we see” in no way implies that we are able to either subjugate the evil, nor accomplish the good.

These are graces which are bestowed upon us after we make the choice. God does the work and we receive it by faith. Thus grace is fully established in the doctrine of free will. Calvinism, in this respect, is so far from the truth of the doctrine of Paul, that to accept it is to inevitably be led down one wrong path after another.

Life application: When reading the Bible, the simplest and most obvious explanation in the reading of the text is the wisest choice. However, this cannot be applied to single verses which have been ripped out of context. Instead, everything must remain in context and then be taken with the obvious intent of the wording. You have been given free will to accept or reject this premise, choose well.

Lord, the concept of grace is established and given it’s highest luster in the free will You have granted us. The will itself is a grace. With it, we are able to choose the good, and then You accomplish the good we have chosen. Thus the grace is displayed in Your work on our behalf. Grace is established and You are glorified. What a perfectly wonderful God You are. I choose to praise You! Amen.

Friday, 21 June 2013

For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. Romans 7:18

It was previously noted that Paul’s personal pronoun “I” is being used to speak of his humanity and thus it is something that pertains to all of us. “For I know” is written to take us back to his statement that he “is carnal, sold under sin.” This is now referred to as his “flesh.” The physical being of man is fallen and in us “nothing good dwells.” This is a state known as “total depravity.” However, this term is perceived by scholars in a variety of ways.

Some go to the extreme that we are utterly corrupt and incapable of doing good or even responding to good. In essence, the image of God in man has been erased or is so significantly marred that we are utterly fallen, corrupt, and wicked. Others see total depravity as the image of God being effaced in man. There is nothing good in and of ourselves, but we can see what is good, respond to what is good, and choose what is good. The image of God is marred, but it is still a noticeable trait of man. A third option is that we are fallen, but there is goodness in us none-the-less.

The first option is obviously incorrect. The Bible states that we must “believe” certain things in order to be saved. The Bible notes that as fallen sons of Adam, we must respond, accept God’s gift, receive, etc. If we were totally depraved, such as Calvinists claim, this wouldn’t be possible. We would have to make up a new doctrine – being regenerated in order to believe, then believing, then being saved. In essence, we would be saved before we were saved. This is convoluted thinking.

The third option isn’t allowed by what Paul states here and elsewhere. We have no innate goodness in us. When something good is marred, it is no longer good. It is defective.

However, there is a suitable middle ground. Man is fallen, the image of God in him is marred, but he has been given intelligence and the ability to see that which is good. With that intelligence, he can choose the good or choose the bad. This is what the Bible shows us, time and time again and in both testaments. It is a category mistake to say that because we are depraved and spiritually dead, that we cannot see what is good and reach out for it. And the rest of Paul’s comments.

Nothing good dwells in our flesh, but “for to will is present with me.” How can someone claim that total depravity requires us to be regenerated first in order to believe? The will, which Paul has already said wants to do good is obviously capable of seeing the good or it wouldn’t will to do good at all! The answer to our dilemma will be found before the end of the chapter. It will explain “how to perform what is good.” The thing that Paul (and thus all of us) couldn’t find is presented to humanity as a gift. As beings with free will, we must reach out and accept this gift.

Life application: Proverbs states, “The first one to plead his cause seems right, Until his neighbor comes and examines him.” (18:17) This is true in many ways, including theology. Listen carefully to various viewpoints, pray for the Lord to open your heart and understanding to the truth, and use the brains God has given you to reject what is wrong. One error in theology invariably leads down paths of more errors. Be sound in your doctrine and be approved in your theology.

Oh my wonderful Lord! As I go about my day, help me to look with new eyes at those around me. You didn’t just come for some and not for others, but You came to redeem any who will follow You. Race, color, national origin – these things don’t matter to You. We all came from one man, our father Adam, and thus we are all people in the same human race. Let my heart look in love at others as You do. Amen.