"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." (Romans 7:15)

Romans 7:14-25 is a notoriously difficult passage to understand. Is this a description on a normal Christian life? Or is this a description of a pagan life before one meets Christ? The problem is that we can all relate to the inward struggle described here, but at the same time we also know that our Christian life is not always this bad. There are brighter days!

The main ideas in this passage
Let us examine this passage carefully. First we notice that the tense of the verb changes from past to present as we move to our present passage.

The past tense before:

So why is Paul going back to the same issue (the inner turmoil) in the present tense when he has already settled it in chapter six? Did he not conclude the section by saying, 'You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness'?

So one wonders if Paul is now describing another group of people in chapter 7. Before, he talked about the experience of those who struggle but find Christ at the end. Now, he seems to be talking about those who still need to find Christ?

Let us look at the key points in this passage (vv. 14-25).

I do not do what I want to do. Instead what I hate I do.

Paul talks about his (or someone else's) inability to guide himself to doing what is right. It is clear that he has the right intention: "I want to do what is right." But the fact of the matter is that he cannot: "Instead what I hate I [end up] doing."

Why? He blames it on 'sin living in me' (vs. 17) in his 'sinful nature' (vs. 18). It is 'sin living in me that does it' (vs. 20).

After all, he says 'he is unspiritual and sold as a slave to sin' (vs.14) and 'the prisoner of the law of sin' (vs. 23). Rather a strong expression, isn't it?

Do you think this is a description of a Christian, whether a person is mature or not in his walk with the Lord?

Anyway, the key point here is that Paul finds it impossible to listen to the demands of the law, even though the law itself is spiritual (vs. 14) because he is not spiritual. He is really caught between the rock and a hard place.

I am a wretched man in need of a rescue from this body.

So he comes to the end of the rope, so to speak. He realizes how spiritually and morally bankrupt he is. He knows that he can never be righteous by obeying the commands of the law. He screams, "who can rescue me from this body of death?'

Thanks be to God through Jesus our Lord

After the cry, he knows where to find the answer: 'Thanks be to God --- through Jesus Christ our Lord.' This is nothing new. He talked about this in chapters 5 and 6. He may be repeating what he said earlier,

When we were powerless, Christ died for us (5:6)

While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (5:8)

Two views on 7:14-25
Here is the problem: Is Paul referring to the unregenerate state or the regenerate state here? Is this Paul before he met Christ? Or is this Paul after he met Christ? You might say at this point, 'well, pastor, what difference does it make?' Well, I would say that this is important for understanding our Christian life. If our Christian life was meant to be like what Paul is describing here, then we would have a lower expectation on ourselves. If, however, this does not describe a normal Christian life, then we also need to understand why we feel the inner struggle from time to time.

This passage has had a long interpretative history. Throughout church history people have taken two different positions on this passage.

The argument in favor of the Regenerate
This position was held by Augustine, Luther, Calvin, and more recently, Cranfield and Morris. Here are some points for support:

• The use of the present tense in this section, to draw a clear distinction from the previous passage which was Paul's former way of life described in the past tense (vv. 7-13).
• The frequent use of the emphatic ego (six times) here, no doubt referring to Paul's personal past.
• Paul's view of the past (pre-Christian) does not match this passage. Before, he would describe himself as 'faultless' (Phil 3:6).
• Christian life is the main theme in Rom 5-8. There is no need for Paul to discuss the unregenerate here.
• The unregenerate man could not direct his will to the good as is the case in this passage (vv. 18,19,21).

The passage is about a Christian who has his ups and downs. Here, Paul describes a defeated Christian struggling with sin. Vs. 24 is then the Christian's calling out to God for help (part of the sanctification process).

The argument in favor of the Unregenerate
In the early church, this was the prevalent view though it was abandoned during the Reformation time. It was held by German Pietists like Franke and also John Wesley (Methodists). More recently, it is held by Althaus and Moo.

• The expressions, 'sold as a slave to sin' (vs. 14b) and 'a prisoner of the law of sin' (vs. 23) hardly speak of the normal Christian life. Sin is not defeated here. What then was the work of Christ for? It contradicts 6:14, 'sin shall not be your master.'
• The Christian life is primarily one of peace, not of inner conflict.
• The presence of the Spirit is the distinct mark of a Christian. There is no mention of the Spirit here.
• Why would a Christian cry out for a rescue in vs. 24 when he has been already delivered from the condemnation of sin? (5:1ff.)
• The description of the victorious Christian life in chap 8 is set against the life of an unbeliever in chap 7.

This passage then likely describes a Jew who is under the law. He knows the requirements of the law, but finds himself unable to obey the demands of the law due to his weakened self (combination of the sinful nature and the sin living in him). Vs. 24 is the unbeliever's coming to know Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord (justification).

The problem of the first approach (that this is an experience of a Christian)
I used to think that this refers to the description of the 'carnal' Christian, the one who says he believes in the Lord but does not act like one. Yes, the carnal Christian is the one who is in the driver seat of his own life and not letting Christ control his life.

However, I am now thinking differently. If you examine this passage carefully, you will notice that the description of the Christian here is:

• Too depressing - a very dark description of a Christian life
• Too regressive - when are we going to move on? Have we made no progress as a Christian?
• Repeating the phrase - people accept Christ into their hearts many times like the ones who go to crusades and prays to receive Christ each time 'just to be sure')

This cannot be a normal Christian life. That is why I think it makes more sense to believe that this passage is about someone who wants to live a holy life but who cannot due to the sinful nature he finds in himself.

What is described here, instead, is a life dictated by rules and laws, from which a person cannot possibly escape. Like a spider web, these rules and laws continue to trap people in. This is certainly not the life that is led by the Spirit. Notice how the phrase 'Spirit' is not found in this passage. How can we say this is the experience of a Christian when there is no mention of the Spirit guiding us into all truth?

That is why I am inclined to believe that this does not describe a normal Christian life. Rather, it describes the struggle of a religious person who wants to live right but does not have the proper help to live like that, the help from the Spirit. John Stott calls them 'the Old Testament Christians.'

How about our own experience?
But some of you might say, 'well, wait a minute. I do experience this inward struggle that Paul talks about here, in my own Christian life.'

True, from time to time, we will experience life under tension because we want to do our own thing and the Spirit leads us in a different way. But such a tension is only temporary. In the face of temptation, we pray, resist and even fall to sin from time to time. But that is not the same as 'living in slavery to sin.' We are aware of sin and the sinful nature in us. But we are also each day being delivered from the power of sin because of the Spirit who lives in us. In other words, we are the people of the Spirit, and where there is the Spirit, there are freedom and self-control.

What kind of lesson does Romans 7 give to us?
If Paul is here speaking on behalf of the devout Jews (who delight in the law, but who finds themselves powerless to obey the law), what possible message does this give to us, Christians?

If we as Christians approach Christian living like the devout Jews approach their religion, then we will experience a similar inner struggle.

Many Christians have a way to turn the grace of God into the law of legalism. We make the gospel message into some kind of lifeless gospel formula. Instead of freedom and passion, we have legalism and guilt.

I heard of one missionary who refuses to go to the movies. She finds it unhelpful to her spiritual life. So, even if there is a movie by Walt Disney, she will not go. But what I have difficulty understanding is that she will buy DVDs and VCDs to watch at home. So, my conclusion is that she finds the movie threaters troubling, not the movies. But do you see my point — how easy it is to fall into the trap of legalism?

Our Christian life should be marked by 'walking in the Spirit.' We are not under the law (as in rules) but under the dynamic leading of the Spirit and in obedience to His leading. This is what Paul speaks on in the following chapter (Life in the Spirit)s. Walking in the Spirit does not mean doing whatever we want. It means yielding our life to the control and leading of the Spirit. We need to experience on a daily basis how 'through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death' (8:2).

Let us ask,

• Are there any lawful elements in your Christian living? Is your life full of 'shoulds' and 'don'ts'? We should not be tied up by rules and regulations to the point that we no longer see our new relation with Christ.
  
  
• How well are we aware of the leading of the Spirit in our lives? When we sin, let us pause for a minute. We should not be surprised that we sin. But we need to recognize that sinning is not in God's will. Instead, let us humbly ask God for the forgiveness of our sins and the grace to move on. Let us ask God that we may have more patience on ourselves and others around us.

May the LORD bless you always and keep you in His Goodness!