Spiritual Law, but I am of flesh (2) (Romans 7:14-16)

Spiritual Law, but I am of flesh (2)

 

 

 

 

[Romans 7:14-16]

 

 

Romans 7:14 says: “For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.”  Here, "the Law" refers to the Ten Commandments and the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy), and even the Old Testament from Genesis to Malachi.  I want to reflect on the statement that the Ten Commandments are "spiritual." The reason the Ten Commandments are spiritual is because the holy God Himself wrote them on two stone tablets (Exodus 31:18).  Therefore, God commanded that the two stone tablets, on which the spiritual Ten Commandments were written, be well preserved.  Moses kept the two tablets in the ark he made, as commanded by God (Deuteronomy 10:5).  Hebrews 9:4 says: "The gold incense altar and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant."  Here, "the tablets of the covenant" refer to the two stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written.  Thus, for the Israelites, the spiritual Ten Commandments, written personally by God, were precious and important.  In addition to the Ten Commandments, another important and precious item for them was the bronze serpent (Numbers 21:4-9).  The Israelites valued and revered the bronze serpent, made by Moses, to the extent that they continued to offer incense to it even during the time of King Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:4).  Because the Israelites valued and carefully preserved the two stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written, there is no record in the Bible that the ark, which contained the two tablets, was burned when Jerusalem was later set on fire.

 

When we apply this message to ourselves, we too should consider the Ten Commandments as precious and important, just like the Israelites did.  I pray that the Holy Spirit will personally engrave these Ten Commandments on the tablet of each of our hearts.  Moreover, by meditating on these commandments and living a life in obedience to them, I hope and pray that we can lead a life of faith that is beautiful in God's sight.

 

Here is the latter part of Romans 7:14: "... I am of the flesh, sold into bondage to sin."  Here, the "I" refers to the Apostle Paul, who has already been justified by God.  When he says, "sold into bondage to sin," it means he is a 'slave to sin.'  The phrase "sold into bondage to sin" is in the past tense, indicating that Paul is acknowledging he was already sold under sin.  However, the interesting point is that "I am of the flesh" is in the present tense.  In other words, Paul is saying that he is currently of the flesh.  To summarize, Paul is stating that he has already been sold under sin and is now of the flesh.  Here, "flesh" refers to a person corrupted by sin.  The reason for becoming a slave to sin and of the flesh is that when God created man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, Adam, who became a living being (Genesis 2:7), sinned against God by eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thereby breaking God's covenant (v. 17; 3:6).  As a result, Adam, who was made from dust, had to toil and sweat for his livelihood and eventually returned to dust (3:19).

 

Romans 7:15 says: “For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.”  Paul, who is of the flesh and a slave to sin, says that he does not do what he wants to do, but rather does what he hates.  Despite being a person of profound faith, Paul confesses that he does not live the good (good deeds), righteousness (righteous life), or holiness (holy life) he desires; instead, he practices the evil (evil deeds), unrighteousness (unrighteous life), and ungodliness that he despises.  If even the Apostle Paul acted this way, what about us?  Do we also fail to do what we want and instead do what we do not want and even hate?  Therefore, Paul says, "For what I am doing, I do not understand ..." (v. 15).  This means he does not understand why he does not do what he wants and instead does what he does not want and hates.

 

The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy before his death, saying, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7).  We too should follow Paul's example and fight the good fight of faith until the end.  Romans 7:22-23 states, "For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members."  We must fight against what we do not want and hate, so that we no longer live as slaves to sin in the flesh and commit evil (vv. 21, 23).  Instead, we should, by faith, practice what we desire, that is, good works (vv. 18-19).  In other words, we should live in obedience to God’s law, which our inner being delights in.