A PARENTHESIS:

Chapter 7:7-25

THE EXPERIMENTAL PROCESS THROUGH WHICH A SOUL PASSES IN LEARNING TO APPLY THE PRINCIPLES OF DELIVERANCE At this point in the text, a long parenthesis is inserted to show us that deliverance from the power and action of the sinful nature is not obtained by our own strength. This is an important lesson to learn and, in most cases, it is learned slowly. This slowness stems from not understanding that we not only did bad things, but that we ourselves are completely bad. We must learn that there is nothing in us, naturally speaking, that can enable us for a holy life, and therefore it is useless to look within ourselves for deliverance from sin. The problem is that we are slow to give up on ourselves and admit that we are powerless. We think there is still something good in us – even if only a little – and consequently we try to help the process. But this is a formula for failure. Therefore, it is necessary that we have some practical experience of the true wickedness of our flesh and thus give up on ourselves and turn to Christ for practical deliverance. In this parenthesis, Paul illustrates the experimental process through which a person passes in learning to give up on himself and to apply God's principles of deliverance (as given in the chapter

1. – which lead to deliverance and practical sanctification.

The Purpose of the Law

Paul has just taught us that believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are not under the Law because they are dead with Christ (chap. 7:1-6). Many Christians accept this truth intellectually, but believe that, although they are not formally under the Law, it is a good rule of life to be followed for a holy life. With good intentions, they may try to live by the Ten Commandments, or by some other set of rules imposed on themselves. This is well-intentioned, but it is not God's way to practical sanctification.

The person who thinks along these lines has not learned what Paul teaches us in chapter 7:5 – namely, that all these efforts are counterproductive and only stimulate the flesh. Since we need to learn this truth not only doctrinally but also practically, Paul demonstrates this process in this parenthesis in verses 7-25.

This entire passage in parentheses is written in the first person singular to emphasize the fact that each believer must learn for himself that deliverance from the power of sin is not found in self-effort. Verse 14a is an exception because it is speaking of what is normal Christian knowledge – “For [we] know that the Law is spiritual”. As a rule, in the epistle, when Paul speaks of what is common to Christians – whether in our position and state or our knowledge – he will say: “[we] have” (chap. 5:1, 2, 11, etc.) or “[we] know” (chap. 7:14, 8:22). Apart from this single exception, the apostle uses “I” throughout this passage to portray the personal experiences of a man which are not normal Christian experiences, notwithstanding that he is born of God.

Who Is the Person in the Conflict Described in Romans 7?

Many think that Paul was referring to his personal experience, because he speaks in the first person. But this could not be so because he says: “I was once alive apart from the Law” (v. 9). Paul was never in that position before being saved; he was raised as a strict Pharisee who lived under the Law from birth (Acts 23:6, 26:5; Phil. 3:5). If it is not Paul himself, to whom is he referring? Is it an unbeliever? No, it could not be an unbeliever because he says: “For in my inner being I delight in God’s law” (v. 22). Such a desire could only be that of a person with a new nature – that is, someone who has been born again. Is he then speaking of a Christian? Not exactly. Although this person is born of God and therefore is a child of God, the state in which he is certainly is not that of a Christian. He says: “but I am carnal, sold under sin” (v. 14). Being in slavery to sin, as such a person is, it could hardly be the state of a Christian. A Christian is one who is resting in the finished work of Christ regarding his sins, and he knows that they are gone. He is therefore indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and as a result, has peace with God and deliverance from sin. This parenthesis does not describe a person in that happy condition.

Made Alive, But Not Yet Saved

What kind of person is Paul describing then? It is a soul made alive (a child of God) who does not yet have peace or deliverance, because he is not sealed with the Spirit. God's work has begun in his soul, but that work is not complete. Therefore, the person is made alive, but is not yet saved. As already mentioned, the word “saved”, in the sense when Paul applies it to our eternal salvation from the penalty of our sins, has to do with a believer resting in his soul by trusting in the finished work of Christ and being sealed with the Holy Spirit. (Eph. 1:13). This hypothetical person in Romans 7 has not yet arrived there. Strange as it may seem, he is neither saved nor lost! This may be a little shocking to evangelical Christians who teach and preach that all men are either saved or lost, and there is nothing in between. However, this is what Scripture teaches.

Concerning this man in Romans 7, C. H. Brown said: “He is half saved!” He is secure as to his eternal destiny (because he has divine life), but he is not saved – in the sense that Paul gives to the word. Cornelius is a real-life example of a person in this intermediate state. Before Peter met him, Cornelius was not lost. He was evidently born of God, being a God-fearing man, devout, and a man whose prayers were heard before God (Acts 10:2-4); the Lord told Peter that He had purified such a man (Acts 10:15, 28). But Cornelius was not saved! This is clear from the fact that Peter was to speak to him “words” by which he and all his house could be “saved” (Acts 11:14).

In this state described in Romans 7, the person enters into conflict to keep the requirements of the law (or some set of rules imposed on himself), but fails because his old nature prevails over him. His problem is that he is seeking deliverance through his own efforts, and this, he must learn by experience, is not possible.

“Born Again” and “Saved” Are Not Synonyms

Scripture distinguishes “being born again” (made alive) from being “saved”. Being born again has to do with the communication of divine life to a person (John 3:3-5; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23); it is the beginning of God’s work in a soul. Whereas salvation is the completion of that work, and is confirmed as such by the believer being sealed with the Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). Deliverance from the power of sin, as we will see, is connected with a soul being saved in the full Christian sense of the word.

1. N. Darby said: “An inward quickening is never treated in the

Scriptures as salvation; the idea of regeneration has been lost. Cornelius was quickened without a doubt, but was instructed to go to Peter to hear the words by which he could be saved... I cannot say that a man is saved unless his conscience is purified. The Church has lost the sense of being saved. People think it is enough to be born again. Regeneration is confused with possession of life... A desire for holiness would be an evidence of a quickened soul. But I do not say that he is saved; the Scriptures do not say so” (Collected Writings – J. N. Darby, vol. 28, p. 368).

1. Kelly said: “Indeed, I think a great mistake at the present

time is to make salvation too cheap and a very common word. You will find many evangelicals constantly saying that when a man is converted he is saved: however, it is probably very premature to say so. If he is truly converted, he will be saved, but there is no guarantee in asserting that every converted person is saved, because he may still have doubts and fears. ‘Saved’ takes the person out of all sense of condemnation – brings the person to God consciously free in Christ, not merely before God with sincerity of desire, according to godliness. A soul is not converted unless it is consciously brought to God; but there the person may become more unhappy and desperate in that state. Do the Scriptures allow us to call such a person ‘saved’? Certainly not. The ‘saved’ is someone who, being justified by faith, has peace with God... Therefore, it is a mistake to consider as saved any person who has not been brought into a happy relationship with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Lectures Introductory to the Study of the Minor Prophets – W. Kelly, pp. 375-379).

The person whom Paul hypothetically describes in this passage in Romans 7 is in the state that Mr. Darby and Mr. Kelly comment on. He is, as to his experience, between being born again and being saved. Note: there is no mention here that he believes in the finished work of Christ or that he has the seal of the indwelling Spirit. Indeed, you cannot read this passage without being impressed with the marked absence of these two things. However, there is unmistakable evidence that he is born of God (for example, v. 22).

Four Discoveries

As mentioned, in this passage, Paul describes the process by which a quickened soul goes on to obtain deliverance. It is really a series of four discoveries that a person makes in order to be saved – although he is not completely aware of it. (We say this because those who were saved in childhood generally do not experience this struggle to a significant degree before trusting in the work of Christ and often go through something similar some time after being saved, which is described in Galatians 5:16-17. It is something similar, but not exactly the same thing. Galatians 5 describes someone with the Holy Spirit, whereas in Romans 7 he does not have the Spirit).

These discoveries are described in the second half of chapter 7 as follows:

1. HE DISCOVERS THE PRESENCE AND ACTIVITY OF THE

SINFUL NATURE IN HIS SOUL (chap. 7:7-13)