By Pastor James Kimathi
In previous posts, we described the various traits of both the law of the mind and the law of sin and death. Romans 7 does a good job describing the law of sin and death and the law of the mind. The man decribed here has several traits.
Chief among these traits as that this man is aware of the law of the mind. However, he tries albeit unsuccessfully to fulfil this law through his effort and strength. We can tell because throughout this chapter the pronoun ‘I’ is predominant. However, towards the end of the chapter, he recognises that his efforts are fruitless and cries for help leading to a shift in chapter 8.
24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? (Rom. 7:24, NKJV)
Notice Paul’s choice of words and specifically ‘body of death’. Back in Paul’s days in the Roman empire, the punishment for murder was rather gruesome. The corpse of the victim was bound to the murderer and the latter was expected to carry that corpse with him for 7 days prior to crucifixion. No one was allowed to remove that body. You can imagine the utter horror of walking around with a corpse bound to one’s back, sleeping with that corpse, eating with that corpse…
For Paul, the law of sin and death was akin to this grim punishment of carrying a corpse and that too without anyone to help.
Lukcily though, in the next verse, Paul presents a solution and sets the stage for a shift in chapter 7 from relying on the ‘I’ to keep the law of the mind to relying on the spirit of God
25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Rom. 7:11, NKJV)
Jesus Christ alone has the power to help us to overcome evil in the members of the body. The Bible says that whereas through one man sin entered the world, it was also through one man’s sacrifice (Jesus) that salvation came to the world.
We don’t fulfill God’s law because we are instructed to but because there is a love relationship between us and him through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.
