Growing In Dependence- Romans 7
In Jesus, Ken Page
Romans Seven is the passage that Paul highlights the role of the Law, its purpose and its role in the life of the believer. The Law expresses the true heart of God- His mode of operation and His desire for the operation of His children. Because of the fall of man, the Law now is the condemnor. It reveals our deadness. It reveals our flaws, but as Paul strongly illustrates it is powerless to bring about change or to give us life. It affirms to us what is right and condemns us for not doing it. This is the hideousness of the temptation in the Garden. Satan said we could know good from evil if we ate of the tree. He did not tell us that we would have no power to do what was right. What a nightmare!
After Paul goes on about this knowing what is right and not being able to do it, he asks the powerful question, "Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?" (vs24) The Law has done its work. It has put Paul's back up against the wall and left him with no hope. That is as far as the Law can take a man.
I believe that the concept of "law" is any true idea outside of me that makes demands on my behavior and on my heart. We Evangelicals think of the Law as the goofy rules the Pharisees made up-or how rigid they were. It is amazing to me that the primary tool of Christians today to bring about growth in themselves or others is to use the Law or the concept of law. We think that by telling each other what we should do will bring about change. It will only drive us to ourselves and hopelessness. Most of our Sunday Schools are built upon the notion that if we teach each other what is right then we will experience growth. WE NEED TO HEAR WHAT IS RIGHT! But more than that we need to be pointed to the God who has the power to give us life and growth-and not just as an afterthought! (e.g. of course we need God to help us.)
This leads to Paul's response (vs25) to his own question in verse 24, "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" After all the struggling Paul found the answer-a person- Jesus! Paul found his "rightness" in Jesus. The rest of verse 25 is quite interesting. "So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the Law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin." The internal struggle did not end! Paul still knew what was right, but continued to do what was not right. Paul's ability to keep the Law did not change. His hope and joy was that his ability to keep the Law was no longer the issue. His "rightness" was based on someone else- Jesus!
We are now free from the law (Romans 7:6). We are now encouraged to "walk by the Spirit" (Gal. 5:16), to "abide in Jesus" (John 15:4) and to drink from the new fountain that is springing up from within us (John 4:14). We are not to be strong in ourselves, but "be strong in the Lord" (Ephesians 6:10).
All of this is what building on the foundation of Jesus means. You can build on the foundation of: Law, trying hard and self- empowerment or you can build with the work of Jesus. This is the reason Paul screams at the Galatians, "You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you; did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
Life on this side of heaven will not be lived out in perfection according to the Law. Our hope and joy is grounded in the "right" living of someone else- Jesus! Only when this issue is settled can we move with life towards maturity. We must learn what it means to abide in Jesus.