Puzzled and troubled by the Law

Romans 7:15-17 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. But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. Even after we have been regenerated, the Law still reveals the powerlessness of the flesh, which Paul illustrated in these verses. He was puzzled and troubled by his relationship and experience with the Law. Having a new heart and a desire to obey God, he agreed with the Law’s requirements that they were good. He also had come to hate sinning or breaking the Law. But the part that was puzzling was that although he wanted to practice obeying the Law and doing what was good, and he hated doing what was wrong, he still found himself falling short and doing what he hated. Here’s Paul’s conclusion to the puzzle. Ok, If I don’t want to do it, then it’s not me who’s doing it. It’s sin which dwells in my mortal body. In other words already used, it’s the flesh, sold into bondage to sin that’s causing the problem. What stirred up or aggravated that indwelling sin? The Law. This emphasizes for us an important truth as we walk with Jesus. Walking with Jesus was never intended to be a fleshly attempt at religion or spirituality. Righteousness isn’t something we can do or attain by our own efforts (this was a major point in Paul’s letter). Rather, righteousness is the gift of God through Jesus Christ. We attain to righteousness by grace, not by the works of the Law. We live to love with Jesus as a result of the gift of righteousness. Here’s how this works out. God declared us righteous in Christ. According to His timetable and through His appointed means, the Holy Spirit is sent into our hearts producing new life (regeneration) the effect of which is faith in Christ. Knowing that it is a God-produced faith, our consciences have proof that God is for us, that we are forgiven and cleansed of all our sin through Jesus Christ. We know by experience that we are loved! The Holy Spirit then sheds God’s love abroad in our hearts. That tsunami of the love of Christ is the fountain of our love for others, which is the fruit of righteousness. All believers are familiar with the puzzle and trouble experienced by Paul when they try to relate to God on the grounds of the commandments of God and try to attain to the righteousness of God in their own strength. This reminds us to pursue love through Jesus Christ by trusting in His righteousness and His indwelling power as we live to love with Jesus. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com