Paul's Epistle to the Romans — page 28

In the previous section of the epistle, which has to do with sins, Paul explained that the Law enlightens men's conscience and shows them that they have sinned (Rom. 3:19-20). This testifies to the fact that all have sinned and fall short (are destitute) of the glory of God (ch. 3:23; 1 Tim. 1:8-10; Jas. 2:9-10). Now in this section of the epistle, which has been dealing with the subject of sin (the evil nature in man), Paul shows that the Law will also cause a quickened soul to detect the presence of the sin nature in itself, and thus become conscious of what it is before God in its sinful state.

Ch. 7:7-8 – As mentioned, God's first work in our souls is the communication of divine life through the new birth (quickening), by which we become conscious of God in a new way. As a result of having divine life, there will be a genuine seeking after God and after holiness. If the person has had an upbringing in which he was exposed to the Law – as Paul supposes here – he will sincerely try to meet the demands of the Law. Having limited light, he will presume that keeping the Law is the way to obtain holiness, not knowing that this is not God's way to practical sanctification.

Since keeping the Law is not God's way to holiness, we might conclude that the Law is useless, even sinful. Paul anticipates this mistaken supposition and says: “What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? God forbid” [far be the thought – JND]: “nay, I had not known sin [the sinful nature] but by the Law; for I had not known lust, except the Law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion [an occasion for attack – JND] by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence: for without the Law sin was dead”. This shows that the Law certainly has a use. The tenth commandment that Paul quotes here is distinguished from the other nine, for it does not deal with a bad action, but rather with a lust in the heart. We are condemned by this commandment without having committed any specific act of sin, and thus we are brought to realize that we have a corrupt nature. While the Law certainly deals with acts of sin (evil works), we hardly need it to tell us that we have done something wrong because we have a conscience. But conscience will not reveal to us our inward state of sin. The Law, on the other hand, causes the quickened soul to discover the presence of its evil nature.

1. N. Darby observed: “The Law has its use, namely, in bringing the

conscience of what we are – of our state. Was it the fault of the Law, this dominion of sin, while we were under it? No, it was the fault of sin and of the lust which the Law condemned. ‘But this,’ says the apostle, ‘I had not known, except the Law had said, Thou shalt not covet.’ If he had committed a murder, he would have been aware of the fact; his natural conscience would have taken knowledge of it. But we are not treating of sins now (as before observed), but of sin. I had not known it, unless the Law had dealt with its first movements as evil. Many have not committed crimes – neither killed, nor stolen, nor committed adultery; but who has never coveted?.... The object here is to detect the evil nature by its first movement – lust. It is not, indeed, what we have done, but what we are” (Collected Writings, vol. 26, pp. 158-159). Thus, if we allow the tenth commandment of the Law to examine us, it will show us what we are before God as to our nature.

Paul says: “for without the Law sin was dead” (v. 8b). That is, before the Law has an effect on a person's soul, he is unconscious as to the presence and activity of his sinful nature. In that state, he is not aware of the works of sin within him because his conscience has not been penetrated by the voice of authority of God's holy demands. The person lives according to the irresistible energy of sin and is unconsciously carried along by its power. In that state, it is not possible for him to be sensitive to the presence of the sinful nature, because he is “absolutely identified” with it.

Ch. 7:9-10 – He says (hypothetically): “For I was alive without the Law once”. That is, in the condition of “sin being dead”, he was alive for life here on Earth under the dictates of sin, but quite unconscious of its power and its enslaving character. But when God began to work in his quickened soul, everything changed. He says: “but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died”. When the authoritative voice of God in the Law reached his quickened soul, it set sin in action – “sin revived”. The Law drew a line and forbade him to cross over the line. It said: “Thou shalt not covet”. Sin promptly responded by crossing over it, and he desired in his heart the very thing that the Law forbade. And, as a consequence of breaking the Law, the Law condemned him to death as a transgressor, and so he says, “and I died”. He concluded: “And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death”. That is, the Law sets life before us, saying: “this do, and thou shalt live” (Luke 10:28), but since he did not keep the demands of the Law, it condemned him to death.

1. C. G. said: “Like a swimmer peacefully floating on the

the current. He does not feel the force of the current while floating in it, for he is temporary and absolutely identified with it. Every movement of that current is also his movement; for him, the amount of living energy of the current is unknown and lifeless. But while he indifferently enjoys the passing moments, a voice from the bank reaches him with serious and authoritative warning about the falls that are hidden from view, toward which the treacherous current certainly carries him. And now? Put it again in terms of the Scriptures: ‘but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died’. Once the warning is heard, indifference is quickly banished. The swimmer, alarmed by the danger suddenly discovered, strives to exert all his muscles to advance against the current that once carried him in its bosom perfectly undisturbed; he has now become perfectly conscious of the living energy of the current; it is alive with an invincible power for him now, and with it the sentence of death, namely, that self-effort was proven useless, ‘I died’” (The Christian Friend, vol. 23, p. 157).

Chap. 7:11-13 – Paul says (hypothetically) that sin had “deceived” him totally, making him insensitive to his deplorable condition. Also, by the 10th commandment, it “killed” him. The question is: “Who is to blame for this death?” We might think that if the Law provokes concupiscence in the soul and causes death, then it must certainly be something bad. Far from being bad, Paul says that the commandment is “holy, just and good”. Thus, the Law is not to blame in this death. He then asks: “Was then that which is good made death unto me?” That is, was it the Law that died? He answers : “God forbid [far be the thought – JND]”. The Law had not died; it was he who died! The Law (particularly the 10th commandment) only caused sin to “show” itself as it really is; it brings to light the true character of the sinful nature as being “exceedingly malignant”.

Thus, the Law will not only cause a man to discover that he has sinned, but if properly understood, it will also show him that his state is exceedingly sinful. J. N. Darby said: “The Law applies to man in the flesh; but we died, we are not in the flesh: when we were, it applied. This, applied to the flesh, provoked sin and condemned the sinner. But he died when he was under the Law – died under it in Christ” (Collected Writings, vol. 10, p. 10). This shows that the Law serves a purpose; by condemning concupiscence in the human heart, it manifests the fact that all men have a sinful nature – who has not coveted? And, in a person's failure to keep the Law, it condemns him to death. But having wrought death in the person, the Law then has no more application for him, for it has nothing to say to a dead man. Thus, he is free from it! (chap. 6:7) This knowledge is important in the process of obtaining deliverance, for it will not be through the Law. It detects concupiscence, but it cannot free a person from it.

1. HE DISCOVERS THAT HE HAS NO POWER IN HIMSELF TO

CONTROL HIS SINFUL NATURE (chap. 7:14-19) Having discovered the presence and activity of the sinful nature in our souls, we are often slow to accept the true character of the flesh – that it is incorrigibly bad. Thus, we have to learn this sad fact by experience – and it can be bitter and terribly humbling. Being a quickened soul, the person seeking deliverance will have a genuine desire to please God, and will respond with an honest effort trying to control the activity of his sinful nature. Having at this stage of his experience a limited light as to the principles involved in God's way of deliverance, he will think that it is his duty to struggle against the flesh to keep it under control. Thus, the conflict begins in sincerity. But invariably, in fighting, he discovers – as Philip Melancthon (Martin Luther's closest friend) – discovered and said, “Old Adam is too strong for young Philip!” While Melancthon uses “Adam” – substituting it for the flesh – which is not doctrinally correct, we understand well what he meant.

The real picture portrayed in these verses is that of a person (as to his conscience) being under the Law, and struggling in the flesh to keep the requirements of the Law – but continually failing. Instead of finding deliverance by fighting the flesh, the more conflict, the more it leads him into captivity. The person finds no deliverance along this line. In his failure to meet the requirements of the Law, he correctly justifies the Law, affirming that it is “spiritual” (v. 14); the problem, the person correctly concludes, is with himself – because he is “carnal” and “sold (as a slave) under sin (his master)”.