Part 2 - Paul's Own Experience with Sin & The Law

This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called Contrasting Two Ministrations.

As the lineage of Adam, all unregenerate non-believing men have NO possibility of genuinely living in accord with the righteous demand of "the Law" for righteousness.

Then also, even the genuine regenerated (born-again) Christian who chooses to turn back and try to live by "the Law," has NO possibility of living a genuinely righteous life.

You see, when believers live by "the Law"... they are living independent of Christ's life, wisdom, and power within them. Such self- trust is self-worship; a form of idolatry. When believers persist in embracing "the Law" to achieve righteousness or win God's favor, it only serves to energize "Sin in the flesh." (Rom 8:3) all the more. Men honor God when they take His way, which is the cross of Christ to take away their sins and Christ's life as their new, righteous, life; to energize and guide them from within.

Thus, "the Law," after exposing our sinfulness and prompting us to receive Christ as Savior, is of no help to us in living righteously. "The Law" then is contrary to righteous living because

"... The Strength (Gk., dunamis, power) of Sin Is The Law." (1Cor 15:56b). I will explain this in more detail as we go along.

Paul wrote of his own experience as a saved regenerated man trying to keep the Old Covenant based upon "the Law" for righteousness. It was then that Paul recognized that it was "Sin" in his flesh body members that prevented him from living a genuinely righteous life. In (Rom 7:15-24) Paul says, when he wanted to do good and not do evil, by the strength of his self "will" (v18), he failed. Paul saw that "Sin" was actually empowered by his attempts to live by "the Law" (Rom 7:11).

"... what I would {like to do}, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17 Now Then It Is No More I That Do It, but... SIN That Dwelleth IN ME. 18 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. (Romans 7:15-18)

Paul initially tried to live according to "the Law" by his own human will-power, and failing. Then he recognize that the problem was the "Sin-nature" that dwelled in "the flesh" of his "body"; so he cried out.

"O wretched man that I am! who shall Deliver Me From the 'BODY' OF THIS DEATH?" (Rom 7:24).

Since all men are sinful, God's Holy Law demands their death. "The soul that sinneth, it shall die...(Ezekiel 18:20) Therefore all men, including believers, have at least "once to die" (Heb 9:27). Only the unbelieving lost will die a "second death" (Rev 21:8).

1) The unbelieving lost will die once, and then die again a "second death" after they are resurrected to  appear at the "Great White Throne" judgment.

2) By contrast, every regenerated believer has already died "with Christ," and now literally possesses Christ's righteous and eternal resurrection life (cf., 2Tim 2:11). After the physical death of a "member of the body of Christ" they will be resurrected at the Rapture, never to die again.

Paul's cry of " who shall Deliver Me From the 'BODY' OF THIS DEATH?" (Rom 2:24) is answered as seen in the next chapter, in Romans 8:1-2. These verses reveal the new paradigm for Christian living under the grace terms of today's "dispensation of the grace of God."

In Romans 7 we note Paul's use of the word "I" thirty-three (33) times, indicative of his trying to serve the Lord by his self-effort. By contrast, in Romans 8 we see that word "I" replaced by the words "Christ," "Spirit" and "life." It is here, by these elements that Paul records the source of victory for believers who go onto trust the indwelling "Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" to be their new life source.

1) "THEREFORE, [there is] Now NO CONDEMNATION (no adjudging guilty of wrong) For Those Who Are IN CHRIST JESUS, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit." (Romans 8:1 AMP)

By Faith In The Fact... That Believers Now Are Never To Be Condemned Under Grace:

2) "For THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE [WHICH IS] IN CHRIST JESUS [the law of our new being] Has FREED Me from the Law of Sin and of Death." (Romans 8:2 AMP)

By Faith in the Fact... that believers are freed from Sin's dominion by their co-death with Christ (Rom 6:3-4, 6-7), and they are empowered to live righteous overcoming lives by Christ's indwelling Life.

The key elements of Paul "mystery" and "gospel" that he called "my gospel." Paul says his gospel of "the grace of God"  (Act 20:24) would "establish" the Christian. The details of Paul's "the grace of God" gives believers a fixed understanding of "the mystery (Gk., musterion, secret plan of God)" concerning who they are "in Christ" and the resident "power" of Christ's limitless indwelling life when they operate under the new paradigm of God's unconditional love and pure, continuing, "grace."

"Now to him that is of POWER TO STABLISH You According To My Gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, According to the Revelation Of The MYSTERY, which Was Kept Secret Since The World Began" (Rom 16:25)

It is by the core truth's of Paul's gospel that God has made a way for helpless mankind to live in victory. The victory began when we received Christ's salvation and His inherently righteous everlasting divine life.

"God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever BELIEVETH IN HIM should not perish but Have (Christ's own) Everlasting Life. (John 3:16).

Paul wrote; "...Ye Are Sons (of God), God Hath Sent Forth The Spirit of his Son Into Your Hearts..."(Gal 4:6).

Then, placing ones faith in the truths that Paul sets forth in Rom 8:1-2 help us to actualize our freedom from the "power" of "Sin in the flesh" (Rom 8:3). The victory was won for us 2,000 years ago at the cross. Successful Christian living after being saved and regenerated by grace through faith is based on the believer knowing and then continuing in "faith" in these key grace-age "truths." Victory over "Sin in the flesh" is actualized when we stand upon these two points.

The regenerated believer who is "saved by grace, through faith" in Christ has come to a new way of living in this age of the pure "grace of God." Every believer should know that they are risen to new life with and in Christ, and... that they now continue under the Lord's unconditional "Grace" all the days of their life on earth. Paul proclaimed;

"... ye are NOT under the Law, but UNDER GRACE. (Rom 6:14).

Believers can and should actually ignore the external written "Law" that God gave Moses for Israel. "The Law" is for sinners, having an important function; its not for believers. Paul here proclaims the believers freedom from the Law's ritual requirements, he lists several specific items in this one verse, including the 4th Commandment under "the Law," to "keep the Sabbath Day holy."

"Let No Man Therefore Judge You In meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:" (Colossians 2:16)