Devotional Romans 7: Freedom from the Law and the Struggle with Sin Reflection on Romans 7: how death in Christ frees us from the Law and the need for the Holy Spirit to overcome the internal battle against sin. Topics: Devotional, New Testament.

Devotional Romans 7: Freedom from the Law and the Struggle with Sin

Today’s devotional is found in the book of Romans, chapter 7, and this is what happened.

Synopsis: In this chapter, Paul continues his explanation to the Romans, showing that subjection to the Law lasts only while we live, as well as the internal conflict that all human beings experience with sin.

Observations

These were my observations:

1. One is subject to the Law only during life. This observation by Paul is something that one does not easily realize in their walk with Christ, because it is not very obvious. I myself did not know about this condition between the Law and life. But Paul, once again with his wisdom, reveals to us that this holds true by using marriage as an example. He explains that a woman is only considered an adulteress as long as her husband is alive—regardless of whether they divorced (Romans 7:1–3). For to God, only death can separate two people who have become one in marriage (Genesis 2:21–24). That is why Jesus told the Pharisees who were trying to trap Him with dilemmas of the Law that the woman who had multiple husbands in her life will not be married in the coming kingdom. For marriage exists only in life here on earth. In the kingdom of God there are no marriages, no distinct genders, no death, no aging, and many other things that we have in earthly life (Matthew 22:25–30). However, this principle does not apply solely to marriage; Paul only used this example to facilitate explanation and understanding, as it is a concrete and familiar example to everyone. But the principle applies to the entire Law. Before the crucifixion of Jesus, we were subject to the Law. However, after His crucifixion and placing our faith in Him as our Lord and Savior, our sins and our old lives were put to death on the cross with Jesus. Therefore, we are no longer subject to the Law, but to faith. For it is faith that will justify us in Jesus and, consequently, before God.
2. The conflict with sin. This is the observation that everyone who begins the journey of purification and holiness, sooner or later, comes to realize. Our nature is sinful from birth, as we are descendants of other sinful human beings (Romans 5:12). We are incapable of freeing ourselves from the slavery of sin (Romans 7:18). Only with the help of the Holy Spirit can we begin to fight and overcome the temptations of sin with greater ease and frequency (Ezekiel 36:26–27). That is why Jesus Christ was able to overcome all the temptations of the world as a human being—because He was filled with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 4:1–11). We are not God and human at the same time as He is (John 1:1, 14). However, if we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and receive the Holy Spirit, we have the power to combat the temptations of the world. That is why, even knowing with our mind what we ought to do, our body and nature do the opposite. That is to say, the good we want to do, we do not do, but the wrong we do not want to do, that we do (Romans 7:15). Therefore, we desperately need to put our faith in Jesus Christ and be filled with the Holy Spirit to have the power and help to win these tough battles against sin.