THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS
The Gospel In Its Fullness

By Dr. David L. Cooper, Th.M., Ph.D., Litt.D.
Biblical Research Monthly

Installment 9
Romans 7:1-8:11

"Or are ye ignorant, brethren (for I speak to men who know the law), that the law hath dominion over a man for so long time as he liveth? For the woman that hath a husband is bound by law to the husband while he liveth; but if the husband die, she is discharged from the law of the husband. So then if, while the husband liveth, she be joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if the husband die, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress, though she be joined to another man. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ; that ye should be joined to another, even to him who was raised from the dead, that we might bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were through the law, wrought in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that wherein we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter" (Romans 7:1-6).

The Apostle Paul, in these verses, repeats the grand and glorious truth of our liberation from sin and from all law through being united with Christ. The same thought in a different analogy can be seen in chapter 6, vss. 16-19. Verses 5, 6 above are parallel with 6:21-23. The apostle presents our deliverance from sin and from law by comparing it to the married woman who is bound to her husband as long as she lives. When he dies, however, she is released from him and is privileged to marry whomsoever she wishes.

Law, which is but the common consent to that which is recognized as proper and right, has dominion over a person so long as he lives. The married woman is bound to her husband by this law and the Word of God tells us that if, during his lifetime, she becomes united to another she is an adulteress; but if her husband dies she is at liberty to marry another. Originally, when God made man, He said that he should leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife and they two should become one flesh. God has not rescinded this order. Because of the hardness of man's heart He permitted Israel to put away a wife, but from the beginning it was not so. The principle thus laid down in the first three verses of this chapter is to be taken literally. Unfortunately, in our modern world decency, morals and ethics have been cast to the wind; people disregard God's instructions, divorcing, remarrying and thinking nothing of it. But God will deal with those who deliberately ignore the plain teaching of His Word.

In a manner analogous to the wife's being released from the marriage vows by the death of her husband, those who die to sin are released from all obligations to the flesh and are privileged to be united to the living Christ. One is dead not only to the old nature but also to the law because our Lord died in the body and was quickened in the spirit, coming to life again. Having broken all ties between the fleshly life and the Law by dying to them through the body of Jesus, we are made alive again so that we might be united to the living Christ. We are then to bear the fruit of the Spirit which is thought of in terms of this spiritual marriage with our Lord. Looking back upon the kind of fruit which we bore prior to our conversion, we are ashamed of it.

"What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Howbeit, I had not known sin, except through the law: for I had not known coveting, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet: but sin, finding occasion, wrought in me through the commandment all manner of coveting: for apart from the law sin is dead. And I was alive apart from the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died; and the commandment, which was unto life, this I found to be unto death: for sin, finding occasion, through the commandment beguiled me, and through it slew me. So that the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and righteous, and good. Did then that which is good become death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, by working death to me through that which is good; -- that through the commandment sin might become exceeding sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I know not: for not what I would, that do I practise; but what I hate, that I do. But if what I would not, that I do, I consent unto the law that it is good. So now it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwelleth in me. For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me, but to do that which is good is not. For the good which I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I practise. But if what I would not, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwelleth in me. I find then the law, that, to me who would do good, evil is present. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members" (Romans 7:7-23).


The personal pronouns I, me, mine probably occur more often in these verses than in any other Scripture passage of equal length. Was Paul giving his personal experience? If so, was it before his Christian experience or after he accepted Christ? To answer this question, let us note vs. 9: "And I was alive apart from the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died ..." Obviously Paul is thinking back, prior to the giving of the Law, and speaking as though he had been living when Moses led Israel from bondage to Mount Sinai--over fifteen hundred years before writing this letter! Let us remember, Paul was a prophet--as much so as any of the Old Testament seers, who frequently used the personal pronouns of the first person in their impersonation either of God or of King Messiah. Therefore we believe that Paul was giving the common experience of men before the coming of the Law and after its reception.

When God made man He created him holy and perfect. When, however, he disobeyed the Lord, a nature foreign to his own entered the world, corrupted his being and, figuratively speaking, destroyed the image of God in his soul. This corrupted nature rebels against doing the will of God and living in holiness. Paul transfers the universal experience of man to himself, saying, "That which I do I know not: for not what I would, that do I practise; but what I hate, that I do." From this we see that there is a power in man that drives him on to do things that he knows in the depths of his soul he should not perform. At the same time, welling up from the better element of his nature, is a desire to do that which is good, but this evil force or principle within his being curbs him. Now, declares the apostle, if this is my daily experience, "it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwelleth in me."

Analogous to the invisible force or law of gravity, there is a spiritual force in the world that pulls people downward from doing as they should, driving them to do what they should not. It is because of sin in the flesh that sins in the life occur.

Is the Law sinful? Never! It was through the Law that men became cognizant of sin. When the Law was given, sin--taking advantage of the situation--wrought in the human heart a desire to do all kinds of evil and to refuse to yield to the will of God. Men did not recognize and experience the awfulness of sin prior to the giving of the Law of Moses. When it came with its austerity and uncompromising spirit, the flesh rebelled and drove men to lengths of disobedience and, as the apostle declares, sin beguiled and slew them. Was the Law imperfect then? Never. It was holy, righteous and good. As David declared in Ps. 19:7, "The law of Jehovah is perfect. ..." Did the Law which was good become death to the human family? No. What then caused death? Sin, the depravity of the human heart. Why was the Law given? It was that sin "might become exceedingly sinful"--that people might realize their hopeless condition and come to Christ who alone can save.

Sin is a spiritual force that dominates the lives of unregenerate persons. All too frequently, these do not avail themselves of the deliverance Christ offers. Unwilling to yield to His will, they are guided by these low impulses of the fleshly nature. The apostle looks within and declares there is nothing good that dwells in the flesh. He sees within the human heart the law of sin and death warring against the law of the higher element of his nature, bringing one into captivity and making a spiritual slave of him.

The apostle sums up the condition of the one dominated by the flesh by saying, "Wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me out of the body of this death?" (vs. 24). One cannot enjoy peace, comfort or consolation when dominated by the flesh. Its evil passions destroy all satisfaction and upset the equilibrium, leaving the person in a wretched, miserable state. Is there any deliverance for such a one? Yes!--"I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (vs. 25a). Christ vanquished Satan, death, the grave and the powers of the unseen world. He became a triumphant conqueror and gives the victory and deliverance to those who will accept His assistance and trust Him. As the Apostle Paul says in Gal. 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me."

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Romans 8:1-4)

When our Lord went to the Cross, He conquered Satan and wrought deliverance for all who accept Him. By offering Himself for sin He perfected forever those who are now being sanctified (see Heb. 10:10-18). Christ did the will of the Father by offering Himself as the one all-sufficient sacrifice to accomplish man's eternal salvation. In view of that, our Lord said that those who believe upon Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life and, having passed out of death into life, they shall not come into judgment. The sentence of death fell upon Christ. By His stripes we are healed. Thus, the entire Scriptural teaching concerning the all-sufficiency of the sacrifice of Christ is summed up in the first verse of this chapter.

There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ because "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made [us] free from the law of sin and death." What is "the law of the Spirit of life"? Certainly law is not used here with reference to some legal code or document, for none could be made that could give life. Christians are not under law, but under grace. The word law, therefore, has a different meaning in this verse from that of some legal enactment. In the preceding chapter we have seen that the word law is used to indicate a power or force. For instance in Rom. 7:22 "the law of God" refers to the law that was given by Moses. But in vs. 23 the apostle declared, "I see a different law in my members," which he said was warring against the law of his mind. The law of his mind was the bent and desire of the higher element of his nature to do the will of God. But there was what he called the law in his members which was fighting against the law of his mind and bringing him into captivity to the law of sin and death. This law was that principle of sin which entered the human family when Adam transgressed God's one command. It is not simply a principle but an evil force or power that drives people to do and act contrary to the will of God. Thus it is clear from the preceding chapter that the word law is used in different senses.

The power of the Spirit of God in the heart liberates anyone in Christ from that power of sin which is in his members--whenever he turns his case over to Him, trusting for this deliverance. The Holy Spirit never forces Himself upon anyone, nor does He act in the believer's life contrary to his willingness to surrender.

Those who lived under the Law of Moses, considering it simply as a legal code without trusting personally in the Lord, did not receive deliverance from their wretched, miserable lives of defeat. The Law could only prohibit men from doing certain things or command them to act in accordance with the expressed will of God; but it did not give power enabling them to keep the letter and spirit of the legislation. Man, being in the flesh and having the fallen nature, could not carry out the requirements of the Law. Therefore God sent His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to deal with the problem of sin in the souls and lives of humanity. Paul carefully worded his sentence to show that Christ, though He was here in the flesh, did not have the fallen nature. But being in the flesh to champion man's cause, He condemned sin in the flesh and rendered inoperative Satan who had the power of death. Thus our Lord was a complete victor over Satan, sin and the forces opposing man. Now it is possible for the believer to surrender himself to God and to allow the Holy Spirit to have full sway so that he, by the divine aid, actually carries out the spirit of the Law of Moses (Rom. 3:31). Rejoicingly, the Apostle Paul declares that those who are in Christ and who yield to the Spirit of God, allowing him to have His complete sway in their lives, fulfill the requirements of the Law.

"For they that are after the flesh mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace: because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be: and they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his" (Romans 8:5-9).

In these verses we see that the fleshly nature is opposed to the things of the Spirit of God. Those following the mind of the flesh are not subject to the law of God for such a thing is impossible; those minding the things of the Spirit of God are disregarding the things of the flesh. But what is meant by "the mind of the flesh," and "the mind of the Spirit"? To have the mind of the flesh is to allow the impulses, passions and desires of the flesh to dominate the thinking. To have the mind of the Spirit is to subject the thoughts of the mind to the leadings and promptings of the Holy Spirit and to yield to the teachings of the Spirit, as found in the Word of God. One is not in the flesh but in the Spirit if indeed the Spirit of God is dwelling in him. He who accepts Jesus Christ in sincerity and faith is baptized in the one Spirit and drinks of the one Spirit:

For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free, and were all made to drink of one spirit (I Cor. 12:12, 13).

The Christian should be very careful not to grieve the Spirit or to quench Him (Eph. 4:30; I Thess. 5:19).

"And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies through his Spirit that dwelleth in you" (Romans 8:10-11).

Paul declared that if Christ is in a person "the body is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness." Life--divine, spiritual life--is imparted to the one who accepts Christ and in whose heart He and the Holy Spirit dwell. The Christian is spiritually alive because he is clothed with the righteousness of Christ. At the same time the body is still subject to death; and unless the Rapture occurs during his lifetime, death will claim his body.

But the apostle hastens to affirm that "if the Spirit of God who raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you," God will raise your body to life again in the resurrection by the power of the Holy Spirit. The believer will survive death and may look forward to the resurrection and the union of his spirit with his body. We shall see Christ in His glorified body because "we shall be like him," possessing a glorified and immortalized body of our own.