In
Romans chapter 7, Paul uses the illustration of a marriage to show how the
Lord’s sanctification process is accomplished in us. The Lord’s heart is to gain =
man to
be His wife. The Lord Jesus w=
ants
to be our beloved Husband (Isaiah 54:5, 2 Cor. =
11:2,
Paul
shows us how we are no longer under the law so we can be free to be fully
dependent on our dear Husband, Christ!&nbs=
p;
Since our old husband, the old man, has died, we have been discharged
from the law of the old husband.
Starting
in verse 7, Paul begins to share his own experience of trying to keep the l=
aw
of God by his own effort. Thi=
s is
so helpful for us because we can relate to Paul’s experience. This can help us see that trying t=
o keep
the law by our own effort interrupts our loving relationship with our Husba=
nd,
Christ, and frustrates the Lord’s sanctifying work within us.
The
problem is not with the law. =
The
law is not sin. The law is ho=
ly and
righteous and good (Rom. 7:12). But
the law can only place demands and requirements on us that we cannot
fulfill. Through the law is t=
he
clear knowledge of sin (Rom. 3:20) – “You shall not covet.̶=
1;
When we
respond to the law and try not to “covet,” the sin nature in us=
is
manifested. Instead of not
coveting, the sin nature in us seizes the opportunity to use the law to work
out coveting of every kind. S=
in is
like a sleeping beast lying dormant.
When we turn to the law and try to keep it, the sin nature in us is
stirred up and revived. Inste=
ad of
fulfilling the demand of the law, the opposite happens. We are deceived by our sinful natu=
re that
rises up to oppose our good desire to keep the law. The sinful nature in us seizes the
opportunity to use the law to “kill” us. In other words, we fail in our att=
empt
to keep the law and come under condemnation, guilt, and shame in our consci=
ence
and before God.
Paul is
warning us not to forsake our Husband and turn to the law. If we do, we will only end up in a
miserable and wretched state.