A reader of the paper sends a request that we will take up the 7th chapter of Romans in the "Corner," as he does not understand it. It is impossible to deal with the chapter fully in one paper, but we will try to point out the lessons that it teaches.
Every Christian ought to be familiar with the epistle to the Romans. It deals comprehensively with the righteousness of God, and shows how He justifies sinners. The way to study the epistle is to read it all through, at one time, over and over again until you see the meaning in it, and at the same time believe and apply to yourself every statement that you find in it.
Nothing clears up the more difficult passages of Scripture like believing them. The Word is alive and it gives life. When you receive the life of the Word, you have the Word in yourself, and your eyes are opened to understand what God has written, for you are in harmony with it.
The 7th chapter of Romans must be read with the chapters that precede and follow it. If you will do this carefully, and often enough to become familiar with the terms used, so that you appreciate their force and meaning the chapter will be plain.
The 6th chapter deals with dying to sin and being raised up to walk in newness of life. This experience is the one represented in baptism, by immersion. We are baptized into Christ's death, and arise to the life which He received at His resurrection. This death delivers us from our sins. "He that has died is justified from sin." (Romans 6:7,RV)
This point is amplified in the first part of the 7th chapter. The law has dominion over a man "for so long time as he lives." (Romans 7:1,RV)
The sinner has broken the law, and is condemned to death. Death would satisfy the claim of the law, but as long as a man lives he cannot get away from its condemnation. But when the law is satisfied by the death of the sinner, the sinner is no more. He has paid the penalty with his life. God has made a way of escape, so that the sinner can die, and yet live again, freed from the condemnation. The sinner must die, however, to attain the freedom.
Paul illustrates the situation by a marriage. A man and a woman are married. Both are bound by the law to each other as long as both are alive. The union may be an irksome one, but the law demands that it continue until one of the parties die. For one to leave the union and marry another would be adultery. "But if the husband die, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress, though she be joined to another man." (Romans 7:3,RV)
The union is between the law and the flesh. "When we were in the flesh, the passions of sins, which were through the law, wrought in our members to bring forth fruit unto death." (Romans 7:5,RV)
That is, even when the flesh tries its hardest to bring forth that which shall be according to the law, the result is only sin. The marriage of the law and the flesh is hopeless bondage. It brings forth nothing but sin, and the harder the flesh tries to obey the law the more it receives condemnation, for its efforts only multiply its sinfulness. There is only one way to dissolve the partnership. One of the parties must die.
Some think to solve the difficulty by saying that the law has died. But God's law cannot die. The man who thinks it is dead is deceived, and will continue in bondage, because he will not realize that it is he who must die to terminate the union. He will find at last that the law is alive and condemns him to death, if he does not accept God's way of escape, which is that he shall die.
Now we see the advantage of being baptized into the death of Christ. "Wherefore, my brethren, you also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ; that you should be joined to another, even to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bring forth fruit unto God." (Romans 7:4,RV)
In baptism into Christ's death, we die to the law, and that terminates the old marriage, all the offspring of which were sins, and we are free to contract another marriage, this time with Jesus Christ. Then we bring forth fruit unto God. "Now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that where in we were held: so that we serve in newness of the Spirit, and not in oldness of the letter." (Romans 7:6,RV)
The life of Christ is not less righteous than the law was. In fact, both are in perfect harmony. How is it that now we bring forth good, whereas under the former union we could only give birth to evil?
The change is here. Two utterly discordant principles were joined together in the union of the spiritual law and the flesh. The law was something apart from the flesh. The flesh in itself is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. "Because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be." (Romans 8:7,RV)
The conditions were perfect for an unhappy marriage. When we are joined to Christ, it is an actual union. He makes us one with himself in everything, so that it is He in us and we in Him. Thus the same righteousness which characterizes Him is also revealed in us. Because it is His life, it is ours also. So our goodness is not a striving to obey an external command, but a manifestation of life. We serve in the spirit.
The question may arise, and Paul anticipated it, "Is the law bad, if its effect is to bring forth sin?"
God forbid. We had not known anything about sin but for the law. "What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Howbeit, I had not known sin, except through the law: for I had not known coveting, except the law had said, You shall not covet." (Romans 7:7,RV)
We were alive apart from the law once; then came the commandment, and as soon as it entered it revealed sin. "And I was alive apart from the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died." (Romans 7:9,RV)
I, who was alive, apart from the law, died, and sin took my place. It used to be myself. Now there is a change, and myself has become two, the law and sin, the same as in the first marriage.
The law of God is in my mind, and I consent to it that it is good. "But if what I would not, that I do, I consent unto the law that it is good." (Romans 7:16,RV)
The law of sin is in my members, and whenever I try to do good, it is sin that appears and overcomes. "For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing: for to will is present with me, but to do that which is good is not. For the good which I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I practice. But if what I would not, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the law, that, to me who would do good, evil is present." (Romans 7:18-21,RV)
Sin is so hateful that it even uses the law of God to mock me. It holds up a vision of goodness, and when I strive to attain to it, sin defeats me: "For sin, finding occasion, through the commandment beguiled me, and through it slew me.... Did then that which is good become death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, by working death to me through that which is good;--that through the commandment sin might become exceeding sinful." (Romans 7:11,13,RV)
Then follows the description of the hopeless struggle on the part of the flesh to do what it sees by the law to be right. Everyone knows that it is truly told. The law is spiritual. I am carnal. What I hate that I do. What I want to do, I cannot. "For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I know not: for not what I would, that do I practice; but what I hate, that I do." (Romans 7:14-15,RV)
It is no longer my old careless self. The awakening has brought to me the bitter conviction that I am sin. Sin is in me, it is my nature. I cannot be what I want to be, and the more I try to, the more hopelessly I am sunk in failure. The more l see of that which is right and true, the deeper is my condemnation. "O wretched man that I am I who shall deliver me out of the body of this death?" (Romans 7:24,RV) "Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift!" (2 Corinthians 9:15)
Because Christ has died in my flesh, I can die with Him by faith, being baptized into His death. This includes also being raised with Him, and what this means can only be understood by experience. It brings into my life the righteousness and power of God. Thus I am set free from my lawful marriage, and am closely united in marriage to Him who is raised from the dead. Then there is no condemnation for me. "The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death." (Romans 8:2,RV)
I am not terrified now by the law, for the life in which I have hid my life reveals the righteousness of the law. "Now apart from the law a righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets." (Romans 3:21,RV)
Henceforth I do not walk in the flesh, which is enmity against God, and wholly sin, for: "You are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwells in you." (Romans 8:9,RV)
Are you struggling in the miry clay depicted in the 7th chapter? If you are, you need not flounder there any longer. God's plan is simple. The labor and the failure and the bondage are for those who reject God's way. Simple faith in His word sets our feet on the rock and puts the new song in our mouths. "Even so reckon yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus." (Romans 6:11,RV)
If you will reckon yourself to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus, you will find His own freedom from sin. "For he that is dead is freed from sin." (Romans 6:7,RV)--Present Truth, October 8, 1903.