Principles of living a godly life [54] – Deliverance through the free kindness and favour of God by means of Jesus the Messiah

 ‘Rejoice! The free kindness and favour of God by means of Jesus the Messiah our Lord! So then, indeed I am willingly serving God’s law with the mind, but flesh, fundamental principles of self-forfeiture and loss’, (Romans 7 v 25).

Paul has led us to a point of helplessness, even despair, concerning our inability to set ourselves free from, or to overcome the inherent impulses within our fleshly constitution. By means of God’s law we know that God disapproves of certain behaviours – but in knowing God’s Law we begin to perceive our self-forfeiture in every aspect of our being. As we are by nature, our fleshly impulses lead us to self-forfeiture and loss – to divine disapproval and judicial condemnation. Even as Christians who are persuaded of the good news of the Messiah and desiring to live a godly life day-by-day, the intentions that arise within our enlightened mind are being frustrated and opposed by these impulses and energies within our physical flesh. Paul asks, ‘What will rescue and deliver me from out of this, the death body?’

Then, suddenly, Paul talks about rejoicing and giving thanks. Why? Because the answer to his question is, ‘the free kindness and favour of God by means of Jesus the Messiah our Lord!’ We get a sense I think that he cannot contain himself any longer. He thanks God for effecting a deliverance that is beyond his own ability. There is a way of divine approval and Paul places it completely in God’s free favour by means of the Lord Jesus, Messiah. What divine Law cannot do, and what our human constitution cannot do, is being accomplished by means of the Messiah as a result of God’s free favour. 

Paul then succinctly restates what he said earlier in verses 20 – 23. ‘So then’. He sums up the position that he has arrived at thus far. He returns to the polarising dichotomy between his godly intentions as a result of his enlightened mind, and the opposing impulses of his fleshly constitution. This is where he is as a Christian at this present time. On the one hand, ‘I [‘ego’ as governor/controller/regulator] am indeed willingly serving God’s law with the mind’, in my ‘inner man’ or the ‘inside of the cup’. I am agreeing alongside good, clean, praiseworthy divine law and my intention is to honour and praise God in my speech and behaviour. But my ‘flesh [my death-body], is serving fundamental principles of self-forfeiture and loss’. So I sometimes fail to do what ‘I’ [ego/governor/regulator] intend. Because impulses inherent in my fleshly constitution working in opposition to God, are taking me captive and working themselves out from within, They are carrying across into self-forfeiting speech and behaviour that Covenant law condemns and God disapproves of.

Paul maintains the important concept of separation between ‘ego’ – ‘I’ as inner controller/governor/regulator – and the raw energies inherent within his fleshly constitution. He established this position in Romans 7 v 17 - 23. He says, as a Christian, ‘I’ [ego] am not deliberately originating these raw impulses in my flesh from out of nothing by using my mind. Nor am I closely identifying with them. Rather, these impulses and inclinations are inherent within my earthy, sensuous, fleshly constitution, within the fabric of my flesh. Therefore, as a Christian, when I see myself behaving and speaking in ways that God disapproves of, ‘I’ [ego] am not fully, completely and wholeheartedly co-operating with bringing these impulses to fruition. They have taken me captive within self-forfeiture and loss and ‘I’ am grieved by such behaviour. 

Principles of living a godly life [53] – Christians and deliverance

 ‘I am a wretched, afflicted man! What will rescue and deliver me from out of this, the death-body?’ (Romans 7 v 24).

As Paul has reasoned through and analysed the process that leads him as a Christian to speak and behave in ways that God disapproves of, and the situation seems to be depressing and hopeless. And that is indeed the sub-conclusion that Paul reaches in this verse. Paul refers to his physical body as ‘the death-body’ or as it is in some translations, ‘body of death’. Even now, as a Christian, he does not simply desire to speak and act in a particular way and it then happens without fail. As a Christian he does not merely intend to avoid a certain manner of speech or a particular behaviour and then it simply happens as he chooses. This contrariness is certainly my experience as a Christian and I am sure that it is your experience too. What is causing this problem? It is not divine law itself that is at fault, but his physical, fleshly body - his human constitution inherited from his ancestors. His physical flesh possesses raw passions, desires, impulses, energies and inclinations – in short, an impetus that seeks to work itself out to completion by carrying across to the other side from within so as to be manifest in his speech and behaviour. These energies within our fleshly constitution are working in opposition to God such that they lead us away from life. If we follow these impulses and inclinations, they produce increasing levels of blindness and ignorance with regard to spiritual realities, and a hardness or callousness deep within us with regard to spiritual realities, and this in turn leads to further wayward speech and behaviour. These energies, inherent within the fabric of our flesh, lead us to ignorance, insensitivity and unresponsiveness to God – to withering away, dying away and death – hence Paul calls it our ‘death body’. Paul has outlined this process for both Gentiles and Jews in Romans 1 v 18 – 3 v 20 and thus he says, ‘I am a wretched, afflicted man!’. Even as a Christian, enlightened and illuminated with regard to God, the Messiah and the gospel, and closely identifying with delight in the Law of God down from the man within, he still does not manage to live a life of perfect godliness. This is because the contrary impulses within the fabric of his physical flesh take him captive.

This gives rise to Paul’s rhetorical question – ‘What will rescue and deliver me from out of this, the death body?’  Who is able to leave their body in order to be free from these raw passions and impulses so as to serve God in perfect purity? The answer is self-evident, no one has such ability and power. But that is not quite the question that Paul asks. He is no longer looking to himself and his own ability to observe divine law, because he has shown how weak and lacking in ability he is. Instead he looks outside of himself. In effect he asks, ‘Is there anything ‘out there’ that will rescue me from out of my physical constitution, my death-body?’ Every translation reads, ‘Who will rescue me?’ The Greek word can mean ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘which, or ‘why’ – but the word ‘what’ fits better with the next verse than ‘who’. What can deliver Paul? ‘The free kindness and favour of God’, (verse 25a).

Principles of living a godly life [52] – Christians and divine law [5]

 Let’s stand back for a moment to summarise what Paul is saying and to look at the implications for seeking divine approval by means of divine law. 

Paul is saying that –

 

Divine Law is good, clean, honourable and praiseworthy

By means of divine law we gain knowledge of –

No share of divine inheritance, 

Self-forfeiture, and

Divine disapproval

But a polarising distinction exists –

Divine law is related to the realm of breath and the heavenly realm, 

Whereas we exist as a physical, fleshly entity

Before God brings us forth we follow or bring to completion our fleshly impulses

Self-forfeiture takes hold of divine law and the knowledge it presents

Self-forfeiture uses the law as a starting point to increase and become apparent in every aspect and facet

After God has brought us forth as Christians we find two opposing fundamental principles within us –

 

Our illuminated mind agrees that divine law is good, clean, honourable and praiseworthy

‘I’ closely identify with delight in God’s Law with my mind

Our intention is to speak and behave in agreement with it

But

An opposing energy, impetus and movement exists within our flesh

This impetus, existing in my members, takes me captive within self-forfeiture and loss

The result is that

I speak and behave in ways that ‘I’ do not intend

I say and do the very things that ‘I’ despise

This means that

‘I’ as governor/controller am not fully and wholeheartedly doing this, 

Rather, 

It is the energy and impetus of self-forfeiture inherent within my fleshly constitution that produces the behaviour that ‘I’ do not intend

This means that IF I as a Christian turn to seeking to obey divine law in order to promote my divine approval moment-by-moment, THEN I gain knowledge and confirmation of my self-forfeiture, loss and divine disapproval. My knowledge of self-forfeiture spreads into every aspect - into my behaviour, thoughts, passions and intentions - so that my self-forfeiture increases and is clearly seen. ‘Because Law is working down settled anger’, (Romans 4 v 15a).

But Paul has not finished his explanation and reasoning yet, so before I say any more I will continue to look at what he has to say next.

Principles of living a godly life [51] – Close identification with delight in the law

 ‘I closely identify with delight in the Law of God down from the man within; 23 but I perceive another law or principle within my members, waging war against the principle of my mind and taking me captive within the principle of self-forfeiture and loss existing within my members’, (Romans 7 v 22, 23). 

The Apostle Paul introduces another fundamental and vital concept, that of ‘close identification’. He uses the Greek word ‘synédomai’, from ‘sýn’, meaning ‘to closely identify with’ and ‘hēdomai’, ‘to experience delight’, hence the meaning ‘to closely identify with delight’. It occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. He closely identifies with delight ‘in the Law of God’ down from the ‘man within’ or ‘inner man’. He is referring to the ‘inside of the cup’ of the renewed man, the man brought forth by God. The general sense of the whole passage here in Romans 7 leads us to understand that Paul is referring to the rational aspect of Christians, the principle of the Christian’s enlightened mind, (verse 23), which is in opposition to the earthy, sensuous impulses of their fleshly constitution. 

Paul is talking about Christians here. Bible commentator John Gill is correct when he draws out the polarising difference between Christians and unbelievers. He says of this identification with delight in Gods Law down from the man within that ‘an unregenerate man cannot [closely identify with this delight in the Law]. He does not like its commands, they are disagreeable to his corrupt nature, and as it is a threatening, cursing, damning law it can never be delighted in by him. The moralist, the Pharisee, who obeys it externally, does not love it, nor delight in it. He obeys it not from [out of] love to its precepts, but from fear of its threats. Or from a desire for popular esteem, and low, mercenary, selfish views, in order to gain the applause of men, and favour of God. Only a regenerate man delights in the law of God, which he does as Christ fulfils it, who has answered all the demands of it’. (Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible, with slight paraphrasing of his comments on this verse).

But in verse 23, Paul describes the other process or principle that is at work within him, within his flesh, existing within his members, that he does not closely identify with and that is ‘taking him captive’. The Greek word means ‘taken by the spear’, like a prisoner of war, captured within the principle of self-forfeiture and loss. Hence his earlier statement in verse 20, ‘I [ego] am no longer fully working it out to completion, but on the contrary, the self-forfeiture sitting and dwelling within me’. He is being taken captive under duress. It is not his intention to be taken captive. It is happening but this does not mean that he is fully compliant, or happily willing to work for the enemy. In World War 2, if the Nazis captured someone, it did not mean that their captive suddenly became a Nazi – they did not suddenly identify with Nazism. That is a fairly clear illustration or image of Paul’s situation.   

‘I’ [ego] as governor/regulator/controller, stand as an intermediary between the impulses that are inherent and at work within my fleshly constitution, and what is carried across into my speech and behaviour. In other words, as a Christian ‘I’ [ego] act as an enlightened ‘regulator’ of what I allow to carry across from within. But imagine the attention of a guard at the guard post, or even the guard himself, being captured or waylaid for a moment. The guard post is then insufficiently unregulated and undesirable material gets carried across to the other side. The Apostle is not giving us freedom to say ‘It wasn’t me!’ or ‘Look what you made me do!’, which in effect is an attempt to say ‘I am not responsible’. No, the injunction of the Apostles is to maturity of understanding and to constant, vigilant watchfulness.

Principles of living a godly life [50] – Christians, ego and divine law [4]

 ‘Now if I [ego] construct this, that I am not intending, I [ego] am no longer fully working it out to completion, but on the contrary, the self-forfeiture sitting and dwelling within me. 21 Therefore I am finding the law or principle that my intention is to manufacture and construct the good, [but] that inner malice and harm is at hand, present with me. 22 Because I closely identify with delight in the Law of God down from the man within; 23 but I perceive another law or principle within my members, waging war against the principle of my mind and taking me captive within the principle of self-forfeiture and loss existing within my members’, (Romans 7 v 20 - 23). 

In verse 20 Paul restates what he said in verse 14, and in the light of what he has said in the intervening verses, he now states it as a sub-conclusion. Self-forfeiture is creating energy, impetus, inclination and movement within his fleshly constitution, within the members of his physical body. This impetus brings to completion speech and behaviour that is not his intention, or even speech and behaviour that he despises. In other words, he is not always completely successful in exercising enlightened self-control and bringing his godly intentions to completion. 

So what is the process and situation that he is describing and how does it relate to good and praiseworthy divine law, and to divine approval moment-by-moment? In verse 21 Paul says that he finds a fundamental principle or process. He says - 

I am desiring and intending to do good in the inner man

Foulness and malice is dwelling within me, in my fleshly constitution

This leads him to a sub conclusion in verse 21. ‘Therefore I am finding the law or principle that my intention is to manufacture and construct the good, [but] that inner malice and harm is at hand, present with me’.  

He then explains this a little more. ‘Because I am closely identifying with delighting in the Law of God down from the man within’. Paul reaffirms not only that the Law down from God is good, but that he is closely identifying with it, agreeing with it and delighting in it. He says that this is coming down from the ‘man within’ as a Christian. In other words he is talking about the intangible realm within him – the ‘inside of the cup’ – and he confirms this in the next phrase, where he refers to his mind. 

This next phrase, (verse 23), is complex, so I will break it down into its parts. He also perceives another fundamental principle or process taking place within him. But this other principle is not taking place within his mind, but rather within the limbs and organs of his body – within the fabric of his fleshly constitution. This fundamental principle of energy, impulse, inclination, impetus and drive within his physical flesh is working in opposition to the first principle that is at work in his mind – in his ‘inner man’. These two fundamental principles within him are in opposition to one another. 

The result is that the impetus within his fleshly constitution is sometimes taking him captive. At this present time, as a Christian, Paul exists in his physical constitution and he is not able to fully, totally and completely live a perfectly clean, godly life day-by-day, because the principle or impetus existing within his fleshly constitution is sometimes taking him captive within self-forfeiture and loss.