My Dad on Romans 7:
To the believer, it(the law) still serves to keep our
'fleshy self'(carnal)identified....
Beware of the viewing of self as 'this body'. We are not what we see and feel in the flesh
- the body is the interface for the real me to interact with the physical
world….'sin' would have us believe it is our true master, stifling progressive
work by instilling a habitual defensive posture. So, do believers sin and if so, why? Yes they do sin, but there is now a
difference - the 'lusting after the Spirit (Gal.5:16-17) walking and being led
by the Spirit, not the flesh. The law
still serves to make clear the sins still dwelling in our fleshly members but
when looked to for righteousness it still seems defeating!...So, the goal of
the believer is not the perfection of action(law) but perfection of cooperation
with the work of God's spirit in us - a completely trusting submitter…(so what
do) we expect while we live in our bodies…There is a 'law'(principle, truth)
that when I seek(will) to do good, evil will also be at my side seeking to
counter it….Many deem themselves failure even when they obey, not knowing what
to make of that part of them that did not want to…this is that principle at
work in us - accept it as fact so as to be aware of resistance to my submission
to God. ..The war is ever present….Never, never accept a defeatists attitude -
as clarified earlier in Romans 6, the war is won, but as clarified here, the
enemy has not yielded. …When inconsistencies can be accepted as normal and 'lived with' there is cause for concern -
this is not normal…These inconsistencies stir in us a 'groaning' as with
creation for the redemption of our body' )Rom8:21-23…The reality of the
conflict reminds us to be humble - realizing our steady, unending dependence
upon our Savior…What are we actively pursuing now? IS it more the removal of something or the
engrafting of what is better? It is easy
to develop a life of 'do nots' …We are more to be defined by what we do than
what we don't do…We take comfort in the work of the Spirit 'pricking our hearts
not having to fret over the 'probability' of our abandoning the faith.
Don Lambert
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