Chrissy's Day 14:

Summary of Romans 7:1-12

You guys know the law. So you know that law only has authority while you're alive.

A good example is marriage. As long as a woman's husband is alive, she has to obey the laws concerning marriage. If she has an affair, she is an adultress. But when he dies - she's free!

It's the same with us and sin. Now that we have died to sin, we are free from the law. We're free to live a new life of the Spirit.

So what then - is the law sinful? Of course not.

Infact, if there was no law we wouldn't have a clear understanding of what sin is. Example: if the law didn't say "don't covet" I wouldn't have known what it was.

The thing is, the law started out as something really good but, sin got hold of the law and perverted it. Sin made it in to something to tempt me. The very law that was meant to bring me life, brought me death!

The law itself is great. It's holy and righteous and good.

Reflection

I'm getting in quite a pickle here. I'm all tangled up in sin and law and life and death. (The concepts of it!) In this passage it seems like everything is alive then it dies then it comes alive again!

We really see that sin is a force in this passage. Mike and I talked about this the other day when I was complaining that I thought sin had to be 'bigger' than my individual bad deeds. We talked about how sin seems to be a living breathing force with a mind of it's own.

And we certainly see that here. Listen to this language, it sounds like a person.

"...got a hold on me and aroused and stimulated all kinds of forbidden desires."
"...beguiled and entrapped and cheated me..."

So sin is alive - or is it?

Verse 8 says "For without the Law sin is dead". The Amplified version of the bible expands on the idea of death by saying "the sense of it is inactive and a lifeless thing".

Eh? How can sin be so active and alive sometimes but inactive and lifeless at other times?

Verse 9 "but when the commandment came, sin sprung to life".

So it seems that it is the law that gives sin life. It is the law that makes sin active.

Oh dear, and now Paul is living and dying... v9 "sin sprang to life and I died."

I'm not really sure Paul made anything clearer here - my head feels more muddy than when I started. Perhaps all will be clear tomorrow...

Prayer

Lord,

Your word is so confusing. Why couldn't it be plainer?
It makes me wonder how people with less education than me manage to read and understand your word.

I guess the important thing is that you speak to our hearts and illuminate your word to us.
Please speak to my heart. Please illuminate your word to me.

Thank you for the journey I'm on. Thanks for what you're trying to teach me about sin.

I want to be your servant, your vessel.

Amen

x
Chrissy