DON’T FEED THE BEARS

“But sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting in every kind; for apart form the Law sin is dead” (Romans 7:8).

Because of the clear directives of the law, Paul became keenly aware of his coveting (v.7). Not only this, it was this awareness that heightened all the more his covetous desires. It’s not unlike the proverbial warning, “Don’t Feed The Bears;” when what you aren’t supposed to do becomes an all-consuming passion. As the force of sin twists and manipulates the law, it acts as does an insidious invading virus, leaving misery in its wake as it reproduces and replicates itself. Don’t feed the bears; run with the Lion of Judah (Rev.5:5).

AN ACQUIRED KNOWLEDGE

“What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, ‘You shall not covet’” (Romans 7:7).

The law has no salvific effect; making no contribution to the work of salvation God is accomplishing in the life of believers, through Christ Jesus. Nonetheless, by the law we gained the knowledge of sin (3:20), of how it brings about wrath (4:15), increases our offenses against God (5:20), and kindles sinful desires (7:5). In other words, the law makes us aware of our sinful state, and awakens us to the need of a saving Messiah, who does what the law could not.

A NEW LOOK

“But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter” (Romans 7:6).

We should not interpret our having been released from the Law as meaning the moral precepts of the law are no longer valid or applicable to this present life. Doing so is but another example of how humanity, under the domain of sin, twists, manipulates, and corrupts the law and, as such, leads to death. In the newness of the Spirit, however, we can now see accomplished what the law could not. Through the newness of the Spirit, alone, we find life and peace (8:6).

THE QUESTION OF FEAR

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread? (Psalm 27:1).

By acknowledging the majesty and glory of the one true God, you recognize the futility of fearing anyone. A simple recollection of his attributes; his abiding presence; his faithful provision; his unfailing protection, can still the most fearful of hearts. In the light of who He is, the answer to the question posed by the psalmist is “No one.”

THE KEY TO “GETTING IT”

“Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12).

The spirit of the world conditions us to believe only in those things that we can see, hear, or imagine within the realm of human experience (2:9). The Spirit of God, however, exceeds these limitations and introduces us to a life of faith that transcends the natural order; bringing clarity and understanding to the supra-natural means by which God has acted through the life and ministry of Jesus for our salvation. If you understand this, if you “get it,” thank God for the work of his Spirit in your life.

FLESH: The Anti-Spirit

“For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were brought to light by the Law, were at work in the parts of our body to bear fruit for death” (Romans 7:5).

Paul continues to highlight a defining contrast between what it is to be “in the flesh” and “in Christ.” It is the difference between life and death. Just as Paul understands sin as having a life unto itself, he personifies the flesh in the same way; a corruptible force with an orientation that stands in opposition to the work of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:16-17). As believers, however, we have been reoriented in Christ Jesus, having been buried with him that we may walk in newness of life (6:4); dead to sin but alive to God (6:11).

A LIVING MARRIAGE

“Therefore, my brother and sisters, you also were put to death in regard to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might belong to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God” (Romans 7:4).

In chapter 6, having utilized the metaphors of death and slavery to describe our freedom from the Law, Romans 7:1-6 finds Paul holding forth marriage, and the death of the husband, as an analogy of a believer having been released from the law. Just as the husband’s death changes the legal status of the wife, freeing her from a formerly binding relationship, believers, having been buried with Christ in the likeness of his death, have been released from the authority and condemnation of the law. Only in this new marital status can we bear spiritual fruit.

A PAYDAY TO AVOID

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

The wages to which Paul alludes originally applied to pay given to soldiers. As seen in Romans on many previous occasions, the paycheck earned for serving sin is death. Therefore, we must not allow sin to conscript our services into its war against God. Instead of seeking the wages offered by this present world, we choose to receive God’s gracious gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus. As certain as death is of having its payday, the follower of Christ is no less certain of the greater reward awaiting those who have received the gracious gift of God.

FRUITFUL BENEFIT

“But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life” (Romans 6:22).

Paul began with a question of contrast in verse 21, asking what benefit was derived from the shame of their former life, and the things that result in death. The “benefit” of which Paul writes is the same word translated elsewhere as “fruit” or “fruitfulness.” The fruit we bear will emerge from one of two determinant paths—sin and death or faith and life. One of these two domains will drive every moral and ethical decision, and will determine the legacy of your life.

SLAVES TO SOMETHING

“I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented the parts of your body as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your body’s parts as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification” (Romans 6:19).

After being freed from sin, and having become slaves to righteousness (v.18), there is a stark contrast in results. In an unregenerate state our godless pursuits only worsen in degree; taking us deeper and deeper into the depths of depravity and despair. As a slave of righteousness, however, one’s life is set upon an upward trajectory of ever-growing consecration, holiness, and sanctification; a status granted entirely by the mercies of God.