Romans 8:6

Romans 8:6 says, For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  There is no way to follow the desires of the flesh, which lead to rebellion against God, without that rebellion or sin being dealt with before we can be fully restored to a right relationship with God.  If we choose these desires over the sacrifice of Christ, spiritual death awaits us.  If we choose to follow Christ, to be spiritually minded, then we find life and peace through Christ.  Verse seven adds, Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Choosing our will, the will of the carnal mind, puts us at enmity with God.  Even as followers of Christ, if we allow sin, the desires of the flesh, to invade our thoughts, we are at that point once again at war with God.  We are not once again lost, as we are sealed to God by His power, but we are indeed rebelling against God's will for our lives. Paul says that the carnal mind cannot be subjected to the law of God. As long as we believe that we can follow our earthly desires, we cannot follow Christ as we should.  This definitely applies to those who refuse to even acknowledge Christ as Savior and Lord, but it also applies to those who accept Him as Savior and Lord but forget to allow Him to be Lord.  We cannot condemn those who are lost while at the same time refusing to live under complete control of the Holy Spirit.  As followers of Christ, we should find peace in our lives, and this is not based on the circumstances of life.  When we are truly following the direction of the Holy Spirit, our soul is at peace with God.  Verse eight continues, So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.  This applies not only to those who have never accepted Christ, but to those who have as well.  When we become followers of Christ, we still have our free will, which at times will lead us to thoughts or actions that are based on the desires of the flesh.  While we are following the desires of the flesh, we cannot please God.  It doesn't matter how much good we may do in the world, as long as we allow sin to rule even one aspect of our lives, we cannot please God. We can never have the attitude that since we are saved by the sacrifice of Christ, if we do sin the penalty is already paid, so it is not important.  When we allow sin back into our lives, we cannot please God.  Verse nine concludes, But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.  Paul says that through Christ we no longer live by the dictates of the flesh but by the dictates of the Holy Spirit.  He says this is true because the Holy Spirit indwells those who belong to God, and if the Holy Spirit does not live in us, we do not belong to God.  Having the Holy Spirit indwell us is not a second blessing for a few, but an accomplished fact for all true believers.  When we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord of our life, the Holy Spirit immediately resides in us to guide and strengthen us.  The sin of the flesh is defeated, as long as we follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:1

Romans 8:1 says, There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.  After lamenting the war between what he knew to do spiritually and what he was tempted to do through the flesh, the old human nature, Paul here states the reason to celebrate.  There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.  We do not lose our relationship with God when we tempted to walk after the flesh, but we are covered by the blood of Christ forever. Paul may have still had the temptation to follow his own will, but he knew that he should always follow the will of God.  It would indeed be much simpler if once we were saved, we lost all pull to sin, but as long as we have this old mortal body of flesh we will face temptation.  The more closely we walk with Christ in the spirit, the less power temptation will have over us.  We need to cling to the promise that through Christ we have no condemnation, and this should lead us to an ever-closer walk with Him.  Paul, one of the greatest Christians of all time recognized this war between the flesh and the spirit in his life, and we must also.  If we begin to think that as a follower of Christ we are immune to the temptation of sin, we are likely setting ourselves up for a fall.  Verse two adds, For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.  Paul states that the Spirit of life in Christ made him free from the law of sin and death.  The same is true for us.  Through Christ, we are made truly free to be in a right standing with God.  The law could not do this because it depended on our ability to live up to the very spirit of the law.  Faith in Christ though depends not on our ability, but on His. We are simply required to come to Him by faith and live by faith through Him.  We are made free from attempting to find redemption through the law, which we could never do.  Verse three continues, 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:  Paul here states again the good news, that God sent Christ into the world as a man Who lived without sin that He would therefore be able to redeem all of mankind.  Christ condemned sin in the flesh. We can only blame our sins on our own free will.  Verse four states, That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. This is a continuation of the statement in verse three, that through Christ sin was defeated.  Through Christ, the righteousness of the law was fulfilled, and we can now choose to walk after the flesh by choosing our will or after the Spirit by choosing God's will for us.  Verse five adds, For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.  We have the choice of being ruled by the things of the flesh, which lead to sin, or by the things of Christ, which lead to following the will of God.  Even as followers of Christ, it is a daily choice.  It should become easier to follow Christ the longer we serve Him, but it is still too easy to allow sin to creep in.

Romans 7:20

Romans 7:20 says, Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.  Paul had just stated that he didn't do what he should and did do what he shouldn't in verse nineteen.  Now, he gives us the reason.  It is his giving in to sin that dwelled in him.  We know that once a person becomes a follower of Christ that the Holy Spirit dwells in them, but even when indwelled with the Holy Spirit, God does not take away our free choice.  Paul recognized this in his own life, and we must also.  It would be so much easier if once we accepted Christ as Savior and Lord the Holy Spirit would then keep us from even thinking sinful thoughts, but that is not what happens.  There will come a day, when we do depart this corrupted world that sin will no longer be a temptation, but not as long as we live in this body of flesh.  Verse twenty-one adds, I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. Paul recognized the truth that the ability to give in to evil still existed in Him. We might want to think that as followers of Christ this is not true of us, but anytime we doubt God, evil wins.  This can be as simple as giving in to worry, when God has told us to put our trust in Him.  It could be coveting what someone else has or hating someone or some group because of what they have done to us.  It could also be feeling that we are morally superior to others.  I believe Paul recognized that he was still capable of these thoughts, and even actions, and warned us that the same is true for us. For the Bible to be meaningful, it must apply to the life of each individual.  Verse twenty-two continues, For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:  He delighted in the law of God with the inward, or spiritual, man.  We may delight in the Bible inwardly, or spiritually, but how does that affect our everyday life?  Verse twenty-three states, But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.  I believe Paul was saying that even though he knew what he should do mentally that the lusts of the flesh fought against that knowledge.  We as followers of Christ know what we should do, but we are still at times tempted to give in to sin due to the lusts of the flesh.  We are in a spiritual war, and if we surrender from the leadership and empowering of the Holy Spirit, we will lose.  Verse twenty-four adds, O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?  He saw himself as wretched and asked Who could deliver him from the body of this death.  When we are not following the will of God through the power of Holy Spirit, we are indeed wretched.  We cannot be faithful to God by our own power. Verse twenty-five continue I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.  After asking Who could deliver him, Paul gave the answer: Jesus Christ our Lord.  Christ was not only Paul's Lord, but the Lord of all who believe.  We must make Christ the Lord of all our thoughts, or by the lust of the flesh we will again fall into sin.

Romans 7:15

Romans 7:15 says, For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.   Paul said that he didn't do the things that he knew he should do and did the things he knew he shouldn't do.  When we try to live by our own strength and power, and not by the leadership of the Holy Spirit, we find ourselves submitting to the power of sin once again.  Through Christ, sin has lost its power over us as long as we are firmly rooted in the will of God for our lives.  Yet, even as followers of Christ, we can allow sin to rule our actions if we are not careful.  Verse sixteen adds, If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. When we do the things that we should not do, we agree to consent to the law of God, which is good but can only condemn us.  This does not mean that we are suddenly not saved, but that we once again place our actions under the law, as we temporarily reject God's will. We may know what we should or should not do as followers of Christ, but too often we give in to our old corrupt nature and lusts.  If Paul had this struggle, then we should not be surprised when we do also.  Verse seventeen continues, Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.   Paul said that the reason he did things that he knew he shouldn't do or failed to do the things he knew he should, was because of submitting to sin. He again was following the will of the world and not the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  We do not surrender our free will even in Christ, and in this world we will never become perfect.  Verse eighteen states, For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. We need to understand the importance of accepting the fact that even as followers of Christ we are still very much capable of sinning against Him. Anytime we fail to follow His will for our lives, no matter how small that failure may seem, we are again living by the flesh and not the spirit. Verse nineteen adds, For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.  Paul said he had intentions to do good, but didn't, and yet the evil that he thought he wouldn't do was what he did.  I don't believe we can say this was a continual state for Paul, but that he recognized that he at times acted in the flesh and not the spirit.  He was not perfect, and neither are we.

Romans 7:7

Romans 7:7 says, What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. Paul tells us that we can never make the claim that the law of God is sin.  He says that it only points out our sins.  Paul said he wouldn't have known lust if the law had not told him not to covet.  Again, this goes beyond our actions to our very thoughts.  The law has a very important part in the lives of those who follow Christ. It points out our own weaknesses and points us to God, and then it still serves as a guide to how we are to live.  The law tells us how to relate to God and man.  Verse eight adds, But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.  Paul said that because of sin the law was misapplied, leading to all manner of lust.  Paul had lusted to kill Christians thinking he was obeying the law.  The law is more than simply words written in stone.  It is God's love written in our hearts that we might effectively serve Him. Paul knew the words but had not understood the spirit of the law.  Verse nine continues, For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.  I believe Paul is referring to the commandment of Christ that we follow Him.  Paul was alive under the Jewish law, but was dead under the commandment to follow Christ.  All his zeal for the law did not matter, because he didn't have a personal relationship with Christ. Without that personal relationship, sin revived, leaving Paul dead in his relationship to God.  We can only be alive through that personal relationship with Christ.  Verse ten states, And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.  Christ's death, burial and resurrection will always be intended for life, but to those who refuse to accept His gift, it will be a sentence of everlasting spiritual death.  Verse eleven adds, For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.  Again, I believe this applies to salvation through Christ.  Sin will deceive us into denying the necessity of following Christ as the only way to restore our relationship to God.  Verse twelve continues, Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Paul states that the law is holy, but the commandment of Christ is much more. It is holy, just, and good.  We can never declare the law of God to be bad, but it cannot bring us everlasting life with God.  Only Christ can do that.   Verse thirteen says, Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.   I believe Paul is telling us that the death of Christ for our sins, which was good, will be used by sinful people to attempt to lead us astray.  The Gospel is a stumbling block to many.  Verse fourteen adds, For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.  We are carnal, corrupt beings sold under the power of sin until we allow Christ to set us free spiritually.  Then, we must live under the power and direction of God, having died to the power of sin in our lives.

Romans 7:1

Romans 7:1 says, Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?  Paul said that he was speaking to the Jews, God's people who knew the law.  He said the law had dominion over a person as long as they lived.  They could not claim that after being obedient to the law for many years, they were now exempt.  The wages of disobedience to the Law of God is death, and will be no matter how long we live, unless we accept God's free gift of grace.  Verse two adds, For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.  Paul used the example of marriage, and he used the woman in the example.  This may be because the woman had fewer rights than the man, but really should apply to both equally.  As long as her husband was alive, she was bound to him.  Once he was dead, though, she was freed from the marriage.  Verse three continues, So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.  Death of her husband frees from the law of marriage, just as death frees us from all laws.  Paul was using marriage as an example that those who knew the Law of God could freely understand, but he was pointing to a bigger truth as we will see in verse four. Verse four states, Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.  Once we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, we are no longer married to the Law, but we are married to Christ.  It is a now and an everlasting relationship.  Death does not free us from that relationship with Christ but frees us from all that separates us from the perfect will of God.  The Law of God is not dead, but we are freed from the end result of the Law, which is death.  As long as we are married to the Law, we cannot be married to Christ.  I believe this means as long as we attempt to prove ourselves worthy of God by our own merits, we will never humbly accept the gift of grace.  Verse five adds, For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.  I believe Paul was simply restating the truth of the flesh which will lead us to sin, which is made manifest by the law.  The result is death, both physical and spiritual.  We must come to God by faith in the spirit of truth. Verse six continues, But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of the spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. We serve in a newness of spirit of the law, not attempting to justify ourselves by the letter of the law.  The purpose of the law was to point out our inability to save ourselves and to point to salvation through Christ by grace.  Through God's grace, we are freed from the power of sin.

Romans 6:18

Romans 6:18 states, Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. Paul again points out that we are either the servant of sin or the servant of righteousness.  We do not like to think in terms of being a servant.  We want to be the master or at least the equal, but the truth is, we either serve Satan through sin or God through righteousness made available by Christ.  If we are to look to the true original sin, it was when Satan and a third of the angels decided they would be like God and rule, and they have been attempting to rule at least over people ever since the creation.  They are already defeated, and so will we be if we follow the way of sin. Still, the devil can never make us do anything, in spite of what we may say. Through Christ, we are made free from sin, and with it spiritual death, and because of that, we are to live in righteousness. Verse nineteen adds, I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.   Paul said he spoke to us after the manner of men.  We have yielded to sin, to iniquity as a way of life, but through Christ we are to yield all that we are to the righteousness of God. The choice is always ours.  We yield, either to Satan and sin or to God and righteousness.  Verse twenty continues, For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. When we serve sin, refusing to acknowledge God and His gift of grace through Christ, we cannot be made righteous.  It is not a matter of how good or bad we are in relationship to other people.  We cannot be made righteous except through Christ, and when we are, we are to live in righteousness.  Verse twenty-one states, What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.  We should be ashamed of the sinful things we did before we became followers of Christ, and more so those that we have done since.  We did not sacrifice anything for Christ, but He sacrificed everything for us.  When we start to speak of what we gave up to follow Christ, we can only claim to have given up spiritual death.  Verse twenty-two adds, But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. Paul tells us that once we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord we begin to bear fruits of holiness.  The result of this faith in Christ is everlasting life with God.  We are not called simply to go through life awaiting that everlasting life in heaven, but to bear fruits of righteousness while we are here.  God created mankind with a purpose, and He redeems us the same way.  We are to carry out God's will for our lives.  Verse twenty-three continues, For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  This is our message to the world.  We can either choose the death we earn through sin or everlasting life that God's grace gives us with Him through Christ. There are no more options.