WWUTT 147 Romans 7: An Argument for the Unregenerate

Romans chapter 7 verses 13 through 25. Is Paul describing himself before he became a

Christian? Or is he describing himself as a Christian in something that all Christians experience? Or is he talking about something else entirely?

There's a lot to be discussed when we understand the text. This is when we understand the text, a

Bible commentary to help encourage your time in the Word. Here's your teacher, Pastor Gabe. Thank you, Becky.

We are reading Romans chapter 7 verses 13 through 25 today. If you want to open up your

Bibles and join with me there. I want to go ahead and read this section of Scripture. And then we'll go back and I'll tell you how

I want to go about digesting this. Alright, so first of all, Romans chapter 7 starting in verse 13.

Did that which is good then bring death to me? By no means. It was sin producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.

For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions.

I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what

I do not want, I agree with the law that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

For I know that nothing good dwells in me that is in my flesh, for I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.

For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.

Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.

Wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our

Lord. So then I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh

I serve the law of sin. Now this is one of the more contested sections of Scripture in the book of Romans.

Is Paul talking about himself before he was regenerated in the Spirit, or is he talking about himself after he was regenerated in the

Spirit, and he's relaying a circumstance or a situation that all Christians struggle with.

I desire to do what pleases God, but as I inhabit this flesh, I am still drawn to temptation.

Wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death? So here's what

I want to do to explain this section of Scripture, because there are men who are much smarter than I am, who have studied over this for a much longer period of time.

I want to offer you three perspectives, and we're going to do these three perspectives over the next three days, today and tomorrow and Thursday.

First of all, I want to give you the perspective as presented by Dr. Thomas Schreiner, who is the professor of New Testament Studies at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

The second opinion, which I will read tomorrow, comes from John Piper. I don't think I have to give his qualifications.

And then the third opinion comes from Dr. Martin Lloyd -Jones, which I'll read that one on Thursday.

But first of all, here is Dr. Thomas Schreiner writing for the Gospel Coalition on his explanation of Romans 7, verses 13 through 25.

He says it is one of the most disputed and controversial passages in the Bible. Augustine changed his mind about its meaning, so we have precedent for swinging back and forth in our own interpretation.

I recognize that I can hardly give the last word on a text that has been argued over for thousands of years.

Indeed, some of us have had a Romans 7 kind of experience with Romans 7. We can't decide what the verses are really about and conclude, wretched interpreter that I am, who will set me free from this interpretive quandary?

Though in a short article, I can't discuss all the issues that arise in these verses, I'll defend why

I believe Paul is discussing his pre -Christian experience. It's also important to see that Paul describes his pre -Christian life retrospectively.

In other words, as Paul looks back as a Christian on his life before Christ, he recognizes he wasn't a believer.

So here are four reasons that Dr. Schreiner presents for a pre -Christian experience.

Number one, the structure of the passage. When we look at Romans 7 as a whole, we find a clear structure.

This is outlined in verses 5 and 6, which we read yesterday. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions operated through the law in every part of us and bore fruit for death.

But now we have been released from the law since we have died to what held us, so that we may serve in the new way of the

Spirit and not in the old letter of the law. Verse 5 depicts pre -Christian experience, describing a time when we were in the flesh and explains that the flesh produced death.

Verse 6 refers to Christians in four terms, but now, released, died to our old way of life, and spirit.

Virtually all commentators agree that verse 5 refers to unbelievers and verse 6 to believers.

But here is the key point. Romans 7, 7 -25, unpacks verse 5, and Romans 8, 1 -17, unpacks verse 6.

In verses 7 -25, we see how sin via the law brings death to those in the flesh, and in Romans 8, 1 -17, we see how the

Spirit grants life to those who belong to Jesus Christ. Romans 7, 5 -6 forecasts what

Paul is about to say in remarkably clear terms. Here is

Dr. Schreiner's second reason, the Holy Spirit. If we shake the kaleidoscope, we can look at the passage from another complementary perspective.

The Holy Spirit is never mentioned in Romans 7, 7 -25, but Paul refers to the

Spirit 15 times in Romans 8, 1 -17, suggesting that the person described in Romans 7, 7 -25 is one who doesn't have the

Spirit in his life. The essence of what it means to be a Christian is to be indwelt with the

Spirit, Romans 8, 9. We see in both Romans 7, 14 and 7, 18 that the one described is of the flesh, one who is still in the old

Adam, one who is unregenerate. Here's Dr. Schreiner's third reason, the question asked in Romans 7, 13.

Paul's argument advances by the questions he asked. We've already seen that in Romans 7, 5 -6.

It structures and forecasts the ensuing discussion. But notice the question posed in Romans 7, 7.

What should we say then? Is the law sin? The question arises because of the wording of Romans 7, 5, since Paul had said that our sinful passions were aroused by the law and produced death.

So the question in Romans 7, 7 naturally arises. If sinful passions were provoked by the law, is the law sinful?

Paul categorically rejects such an option, arguing that the law is spiritual and good,

Romans 7, 12. But sin used the law as a launching point in our lives to bring about our spiritual death.

Paul proceeds to ask another question in Romans 7, 13. Therefore, did what is good cause my death?

The good here is clearly the law. But notice the question asked. Did the good law cause my death?

The answer is then given in Romans 7, 13 -25. But this is a powerful argument supporting pre -Christian experience since Paul explains how sin used the law to bring about our death.

The flow of the argument fits perfectly with what Paul says about unbelievers in Romans 7, 5.

The law worked in our members while we were outside of Christ to separate us from God to kill us.

Here's Dr. Schreiner's fourth reason. The total defeat described in Romans 7, 13 -25.

Many Christians throughout history have identified with the despair and inability of the I in Romans 7, 13 -25.

We read these verses and think, that's my story, that's my experience. Their instinct is right, but their interpretation is wrong.

As Christians, we are deeply aware of our continued sinfulness and the many ways we fall short of God's will.

As James says, we all stumble in many ways. James 3, 2 and also 2, 10.

It's clear that the word stumble here means sin. So James doesn't say we sin occasionally, but that we all stumble and sin in many ways.

Every Christian following the Lord recognizes the continuing battle with sin that will afflict us until the day of redemption.

We read about it in Galatians 5, 16 -18 for example. We're already saved, but we aren't yet all we want or need to be.

We must continue confessing our sins daily, just as Jesus taught us in the Lord's Prayer, Matthew 6, 12. Sin continues to bedevil us in thought, word and deed until the day we die.

Yet that's not what Romans 7, 13 -25 is talking about. Yes, we continue to struggle with sin.

Yes, we fall short every day. But Romans 7, 13 -25 is talking about total defeat. As Paul says in verse 14,

I am of the flesh sold under sin. In other words, he is describing complete and total captivity to sin.

We see the same thing in verse 23. But I see a different law in the parts of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and taking me prisoner to the law of sin in the parts of my body.

Paul isn't just talking about struggling with sin with frequent failures. He describes complete and abject defeat, being utterly enslaved to sin.

The I is a prisoner of sin, the I being himself. Again and again in this passage,

Paul says he wanted to obey but couldn't. The obedience didn't come and couldn't come since he was unregenerate.

The total defeat described in Romans 7 contradicts how Paul describes Christian experience in Romans 6 and 8.

Paul proclaims in Romans 6 that we're no longer slaves to sin. Chapter 6, verse 6, that we're free from the sin that enslaved us when we were unbelievers.

Chapter 6, verses 16 -19. Yes, we still sin, but we aren't slaves to it anymore.

As Romans 8, 2 declares, the law of the spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

Such freedom from sin doesn't accord with the person described in Romans 7, 13 -25 since that person is still enslaved to sin.

As Christians, we enjoy substantial, significant, and observable, though not perfect, victory over sin in this life.

Though we fail every day, we are dramatically changed by the grace of God. Now then, here are two objections.

A number of objections surface against what I've said. Let's look at two of them briefly. First, how does a reference to unbelievers fit with Romans 7, 23?

For I delight in the law of God in my inner being. Doesn't such delight and longing for God's law show that a believer is in view?

Not necessarily. Many pious Jews loved God's law and yet didn't know God. Paul himself testifies that the

Jews have a zeal for God, though they lacked knowledge. There can be zeal and delight in the law, witness the

Pharisees, when one isn't truly saved. Second, Paul shifts from past tense verbs in Romans 7, 7 -11 to present tense verbs in verses 14 -25.

Doesn't that prove Christians are in view? Not necessarily. Scholars recognize that present tense doesn't necessarily designate present time.

The temporal nature of an action must be discerned from context since present tense verbs, even in the indicative, may be used with reference to the past or even the future.

The tense of the verb doesn't emphasize time in Romans 7, 7 -25. Rather, the use of the present tense here fits with the state or condition of the person.

Paul is emphasizing one's captivity, subjugation, and impotence under the law. His use of the present tense doesn't denote past time but highlights in a vivid way the slavery of life under the law.

Now here is Dr. Schreiner's final word. If I'm right in the way that I interpret this passage, the difference between me and those who see this as Christian experience isn't great.

After all, we both agree that believers fall short in numerous ways and that we struggle daily with sin.

The reason we differ is that I see Romans 7, 13 -25 as describing total defeat and that isn't our story as Christians since the

Holy Spirit also empowers us to live in a new way. Now when it comes to studying the

Book of Romans, this is me, Pastor Gabe, talking to you now, not Dr. Schreiner. When it comes to studying the

Book of Romans, there is no teacher's notes that I have read more on this particular book than Dr.

Schreiner's. So that is why I present Dr. Thomas Schreiner's view of Romans 7, 13 -25 first.

Tomorrow and on Thursday, I'm going to present two more views. Tomorrow's will be the view of John Piper as he takes a different perspective than Dr.

Schreiner looking at this as something that indeed every Christian experiences. So come back tomorrow as we continue our study of Romans 7.