01/07/26 ROMANS 7 AND 8 GO TOGETHER

01/07/26 ROMANS 7 AND 8 GO TOGETHER

This is not an in-depth study. This is just a quick acknowledgment of a major problem in popular "Christian" teaching and Christian living. If you have questions, please let me know.

We are constantly told that God does not save believers from the pollution, power, and presence of sin (as a nature and as behavior).

Defeatist preachers and teachers tell Christians that we must always have the inner struggle and corruption of the sinful nature because God (according to them) does not cleanse, purify, or deliver us from the inward corruption and domination of sin. They claim that Romans 7 declares such nonsense. They erroneously say that Romans 7 proves Paul was never delivered from the sinful nature (the Old Man, the Carnal Mind, the Double Mind). Actually, Romans 6, 7 and 8 (along with the rest of the Bible teach that God will deliver the believer from "the law of sin and death," which is another designation for the "sinful nature."

In Romans 7, we are shown a battle between the Old Man (the old sinful nature, inherited from Adam) and the New Man (the new godly nature, imparted to believers by the Holy Spirit). Supposedly, this battle rages throughout our entire Christian life, either because God cannot or will not deliver us from inner corruption or turmoil.

However, as Paul finishes his explanation of the personal conflict Christians have in Romans 7, he asks the question, "Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"

Sinning religion wants us to believe that this was an ongoing and present struggle within Paul. It was not. It was a testimony of Paul, reflecting on the Christian's early salvation experience, revealing the need for God's deliverance. Remember, we are forgiven for the sins we have committed and from which we have turned, but the sinful nature is not an act; it is a condition. God forgives sinful actions, but since the sin nature is not an action, but rather a condition, forgiveness does not change the sinful nature. Instead of forgiveness, we need cleansing and deliverance from the sinful nature. This does not come at the same time as our conversion, but it becomes available because of our conversion.

Scripture tells us, "Cleanse your hands you sinners, and purify your hearts you double-minded."
There is a difference between "sinner" and "double-minded," just as there is a difference between "hands," and "heart," and as there is a difference between "cleanse," and "purify."

God cleanses the life and conscience of a person's past when he comes to Christ in repentance, and God subsequently purifies the heart of the believer from the Double Mind when he makes full surrender. God cleanses our hands (representing our behavior) and purifies our heart (representing our nature).

After crying out to God for deliverance and asking the question...
Romans 7:24
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
He announces the answer...
Romans 7:25
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
The first part of the verse is his triumphant declaration that God delivers from the sinful nature, the Old Man, the Carnal Mind, the Double Mind.
The last part of this verse does not mean that Paul continued to have the inner battle. It is a restating of the problem and the answer to the problem. In fact, verse 25 is not the end of Paul's teaching on this subject. Verse 25 is the transition to the in-depth explanation of God's deliverance. Instead of ending our reading with 7:25, we should continue into 8:1 and following. It is a detailed presentation concerning God's deliverance from the sinful nature.

Now read 7:24 through 8:14
Don't get stuck in Romans 7. Move on in faith and truth and deliverance as Paul explains in Romans 8.
Romans 7:24-25
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
Romans 8:1-14
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
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.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Romans 8 is not a dark alley of doom; it is the highway of victory out of the dark alley of doom introduced in Romans 7. Whoever tells you that the Christian life is described in Romans 7 is not telling you the truth, and in fact, they are probably telling you a lie.

Believe Romans 7, but move on to Romans 8.
Without writing a commentary, let me at least repeat Romans 8:1-14 (with asterisks* as points of interest). Don't build your life on the partial truth of Romans 7:12-23. Build on the firm foundation of Romans 8:1-14.

Romans 8:1-14
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who *walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 *For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath *made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 *For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, *God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, *condemned sin in the flesh:
4 *That the righteousness of the law might be *fulfilled in us, who *walk not after the flesh, *but after the Spirit.
5 For *they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; *but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For (*to be carnally minded is death; *but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
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.
9 *But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, *if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10 And *if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the *Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But *if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the *dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, *we are debtors, *not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 *For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: *but if ye through the Spirit do *mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
14 For *as many as are led by the Spirit of God, *they are the sons of God.