Romans 7:21-23 – Experience – Paul’s Third Wave of Lament (Conciliation Series, Part XLI)

 Part IV: God’s Conciliation, Confirmed

Consequently, I am finding the law that, at my willing to be doing the ideal, the evil is lying beside me.

Here the third wave of Paul’s realizations hit. This one is the most painful, because Paul doesn’t need to reiterate his conclusion from the first two sections of the argument. Here, he builds to an emotional cry for help. So, though I’m going to continue breaking down each Greek word, I think it’s safe to say that this final lament will truly feel like just that – a despondent wail of frustration.

This is the third time in the entire letter that we’ve found the word “consequently” used. This is crucial, because he’s drawing a conclusion based off his previous experience with the law. It follows that if his conclusion is based off his previous experience with the Mosaic law, that he is “finding” another law here. The law here is defined as “the law that evil is lying beside me.” Mosaic law, then, is the relative cause of his first two waves of realization, while his third here leads him to recognize another law counteracting his will to follow the Mosaic law. He is recognizing an unchanging principle that his actions are subject to, as opposed to his conscious will. This is not the only time that we will see this law considered throughout the next few verses, so keep it in mind as we chug along, here.

For I am gratified with the law of God as to the man within…

For!

This translation… well, it bothers me juuuuust a tad. The word “gratified” here is synedomai, has the Greek elements “TOGETHER-GRATIFIED” (or “WITH-PLEASURE,” if you’re following the roots documented on the blue letter bible website.) This denotes something stronger than the word ‘gratified,’ so Knoch has the word ‘with’ included after. It shows that Paul’s spirit, the man within, takes immense pleasure with the law of God.

This is yet another important phrase to dwell on. As we covered in that mini education on the law, we are moral creatures. We need to recognize that God is working good, and each and every moral law proves it. The conscience (when not corrupted by demonic doctrine – 1 Tim. 4:1-2,) attests that the law of God is moral, and just, and holy, and good. The only reason we’re launched into this diatribe is because the Jewish objector is pushing the notion that Paul doesn’t believe in the law’s moral justness. Yet Paul has clarified that, even in his insubordination, he recognizes the law’s morality.

Can we not say the same thing? Of course, neither you or myself have followed the law with utmost perfection, but we can recognize the law’s beauty. In the words of Adlai Loudi, in God’s Eonian Purpose (p. 21:)

“There is no other book in all the world like the Sacred Scriptures. In the first place, from the beginning to the consummation, there is a divine unity which can be found in no other writings under heaven. Each book, chapter, verse, word, and letter, forms a necessary part in the unity of the whole, and each is in its divinely appointed place. This statement is verified by the fact that no particular portion of the Scriptures is to be intelligently comprehended apart from some conception of its place and relationship to the whole.”

Sure enough, Paul understands this. For him, the law is spiritual (7:14.) For him, logic agrees that the law is ideal (7:16.) And now, we see his emotional pleasure in the law (7:22.) Notice that Paul’s progression matches the three pillars of an argument? Ethos (7:14,) Logos (7:16,) Pathos (7:22.) Spiritually, intellectually, and emotionally, he is in accord with the law of God.

What’s missing? Oh, that’s right – the flesh.

See, it’s only the inner man that feels this way toward the law of God. Recognizing its validity? Totally fine. But actually following it? No way, Jose.  Some who believe that this is Paul’s experience under grace will make the claim that “inner man” is representative of the “newness of life” that was referenced in Rom. 6:4. I will draw your attention to the fact that “inner man” and “newness of life…” happen to be two different phrases! Look at that! Who would have thought?

The internal man is just that – the internal man. The internal spirit, apart from the flesh. The distinction has been duly noted. The internal man is moral, recognizing the difference between good and evil (Gen. 3:6-7.) It’s the side of us that knows, simply, that they’re doing the wrong thing (in <insert whatever internal situation you’re going through here.>) This is… well, it’s pretty much all of us. Many people do wrong and don’t care. Many people do right and don’t care. Many people do wrong and become depressed, recognizing their flesh’s inability to do the right thing. Many people do wrong and become angry… recognizing their own inability to do the “right thing.” Many people do right, and find themselves feeling the same ways.

Welcome to the hellish reality of Sin.

To adhere to this mind, this natural morality, does not contend as to how much of the truth you recognize. I know that sounds weird to say, but honestly, grace is not here to exercise your moral sensibilities, but to bring a peace to your contention with your moral infirmities. The moral righteousness we all strive for is built in the peace, through faith, in grace, in God. Dwelling on Him, His righteous words of truth of His love, is where your morality grows – nowhere else (Eph. 4:3, 11-14, Col. 3:14.) In this, the manifestation of the truth, being His Word, Christ (Unv. 19:13, John 1:4,) are you commending yourself to anyone’s conscience in God’s sight (2 Cor. 4:2.) Your conscience is only commendable – nay, the mind of your man within is only commendable – because of your Father, the Father of Jesus Christ (Eph. 3:14-16.) Christ is making the man within a suitable inhabitant for Himself, by renewing Him day by day (2 Cor. 4:16, Rom. 12:2.)

Do you see where this is going? The “inner man” isn’t, then, a “newness of life.” It’s something that needs strengthened by Christ (Phil. 4:13.) Otherwise, it cannot, absolutely cannot resist the law of Sin, as we’re seeing in Paul’s experience here. His inner man understands that the law is righteous, good… but cannot find it in himself to personally see to following it by works in the flesh. It is the spirit of you, your inner man, that is being crafted, conformed, to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:28-29.) The inner man is you. Not a concept, but you. The newness of life can describe the nature of this inner man, sure. But that makes it ‘adjectival.’ To be living is the quality of your inner man, now, to God, because you were baptized into the death of His Son (Rom. 6:3-4,) not the literal inner man himself.

yet I am observing a different law in my members, warring with the law of my mind, and leading me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

Notice that he is observing this. Unlike faith, which is not being observed, Paul can literally see this manifesting on the earth. The inner man knows better, but he just knows that something is wrong with his literal action. He is observing a different law in his body parts, that effect separate actions.

Many would turn around and claim that Paul is not taking accountability for his actions, here. Yet this is not what’s happening. In order to ‘not take accountability,’ Paul would have to deny that he is performing these actions at all. No, here he’s saying, “No, I did do these things, but… you know, it’s not like I wanted to do these things, and my inner self understands that these things are wrong.” Funnily enough, this is the mark of a true man – a man that can admit to his faults, while conceding that he is not in authority of his flesh, but Sin is (at least, under law.) This is a different law, separate from that which we have covered before. There is undeniable proof, with this verse, that there are two separate laws now being discussed in Romans 7. Paul, within, is gratified by the Mosaic law, and the different law in his body is the law of Sin, which will be referenced a few more times in this epistle.                                                                                 

Here is a mini summary: We now have a full scope as to Sin’s active rule over the body. We have seen that Sin is not caused by the law, but man comes to sin more under law, because of the separate law of Sin working in the body. This, in actuality, forces man to recognize that they are sinning constantly. Sin, as we covered, started with Adam, of which we are the flesh’s byproduct (Rom. 5:12.) The law does not cause Sin, but it causes you to Sin more (Rom. 5:20.) The law is not sin (Rom. 7:7,) but it brings awareness to the law in your body, which drives your sinful action (Rom. 7:23.)

These two laws are at war with each other. No, not the ‘law of God’ and the ‘law of Sin.’ But the ‘law of my mind’ and the ‘law in my members.’ The law in his members is the ‘enmity in the flesh’ (Eph. 2:15.) The law of his mind, however, is distinct from the law of God (Rom. 2:14-16.) If the law of his mind were righteous, then Mosaic law would be called ‘the law of Paul.’ The law of his mind is not identical to the law of God, but it does agree in every way with it. The law of his mind speaks to the man within – it’s his inner conscious self, which is gratified by the law of God.

Yes, we are now considering three different laws so far:

1)    Law of God (Mosaic law)

2)    Law in our members (law of Sin)

3)    Law of the mind (the morality of the inner man that is gratified by God’s law.)

This third law is the moral nature of our mind. The phrase “of my mind” used here is in the genitive case, highlighting that it is a descriptor of ‘law’ here, so we should consider this descriptor. The mind is separate from the conscience; here’s Titus 1:15 to prove that:

All, indeed, is clean to the clean, yet to the defiled and unbelieving nothing is clean, but their mind as well as conscience is defiled.

Both the conscience and the mind are defiled, in the context, showing us positively that these are two different things. As we covered in Rom. 2:14-16, the conscience testifies, and as such it is a record of man’s account, of man’s actions, which will be displayed at Judgment Day. The mind, on the other hand, is either influenced by either the flesh, or the spirit. We are called out in Christ, so our mind is not fleshly anymore (which we will be discussing in the first part of Romans 8.) Our mind is renewed by God daily (Rom. 12:2.) “Spiritual” philosophers, on the other hand, have the mind of the flesh. Observe Col. 2:18–

Let no one be arbitrating against you, who wants, in humility and the ritual of the messengers, to parade what he has seen, feignedly, puffed up by his fleshly mind…

We would also do well to remember the context for Romans 7. He is speaking to those who know law (Rom. 7:1.) This is Saul’s experience, specifically. He was not a part of the vanity of the nations (Eph. 4:17,) so it’s not considered here. It is the Hebrew/proselyte community that Saul was a part of, and as such it is the mind of one under law, in agreement with the law of God, that is being considered.

It’s important to keep this in mind, because there are many who will quote Eph. 4:17 and Col. 2:18 to try and prove that, in its natural state, the mind is inherently unable to be gratified, or find solace or comfort or beauty in, the law of God. This, simply, isn’t the case, and there are billions who have studied the law of God as sinners (myself included,) who can tell you otherwise. The only reason that one’s mind is perverted so as not to appreciate the law of God is in itself only because God has given them over to a disqualified mind (Rom. 1:28.) That is, their moral sensibility has been corrupted by Him.

This fact, that one is warring with their flesh, and losing, has led Paul to his realization that his flesh has led him into Sin’s captivity. He is not merely a soldier, under law, but a prisoner. His inner man is trapped under Sin’s thumb, trapped in this body, with no way to escape. His flesh is already subjected by Sin, and his mind, which is gratified by the law, has been made aware of this. This leading “me” into captivity is Paul’s inner self. It’s the person who said, in Rom. 7:14, that he is ‘fleshy,’ and he has now come full circle, fully proving how he is fleshy. Though his inner self agrees with God, his members are subjected to Sin, causing him to be captive to Sin’s whims. His members have been taken over, abusing and raping the man within.

Thus, through these three waves of lament, Paul has thoroughly proven that he is under Sin. This final wave has built to a crushing despondency – he is fighting a war that he has already lost. For him, there’s no way out. What could rescue his inner self out of this body of death?

- GerudoKing