Rom 7:15-25 | Family | STEP | That which I do ; in violation of the law of God. I allow not ; I do not love it, delight in it, or approve of it. What I would ; to obey perfectly the law of God, that do I not . What I hate ; to act in violation of it, or in any respect to fail of perfectly obeying it, that I do .

Romans 7:15-25

That which I do; in violation of the law of God.

I allow not; I do not love it, delight in it, or approve of it.

What I would; to obey perfectly the law of God, that do I not.

What I hate; to act in violation of it, or in any respect to fail of perfectly obeying it, that I do. I consent unto the law; by disapproving and hating all violations of it, and condemning myself on account of them, I show that I approve the law as wise, holy, just, and good. No more I--but sin; it is not my habitual inclination, my prevailing desire, to break the law. I do not love transgression, but abhor it; yet in many things I offend, and in all come short of perfect obedience, through the power of temptation and the strength of my own evil propensities, which are not yet entirely done away. Jas 3:2; 1Joh 1:8. In me; by nature.

In my flesh; my natural heart, as it is under the influence of law merely, without the grace of God.

No good thing; nothing spiritually good; even now, under the influences of the Spirit and grace of God, much evil still remains.

To will is present; I desire to be completely conformed to the will of God.

But how to perform; to do that which would be perfect.

I find not; I do not do it; on the contrary, I do as stated in verse Ro 7:15. Therefore it is true as stated in verse Ro 7:17. A law; a constant tendency to evil, when I desire to be and do that only which is perfectly good. I delight in the law of God; love it, and desire perfectly to obey it.

After the inward man; inwardly, from the heart. I not merely approve of it in my conscience and judgment, but through the grace of God, I love it as the transcript of infinite perfection. Ps 1:2; Ps 119:24,77,174. Another law; different from my prevailing inclination, my earnest desire.

Warring against; opposing, hindering, and thwarting the full accomplishment of my wishes.

The law of my mind; the desires of my heart, inspired by the Holy Ghost. Ga 5:17.

Bringing me into captivity; a loathsome, hated bondage, which makes me abhor myself. Job 9:31; 42:6.

Law of sin--in my members; propensities to evil which, notwithstanding all that grace has done, are not entirely removed. Christians of the greatest experience and highest attainments in the divine life, are not what they ought to be; not what they desire to be; not what they hope to be; not what God has promised that they shall be; and not what through grace, in fulfilment of his promise, they for ever will be--perfect even as their Father in heaven is perfect. Wretched man; on account of remaining proneness to sin.

Who shall deliver me; not the law, not my own efforts, or my abhorrence of myself on account of disobedience--not any expedients which ever have been or can be devised by creatures. Left to these merely, he who is filthy will remain filthy still. What then? Must I perish, or drag on for ever this body of death? No. I thank God; for his unspeakable gift. 2Co 9:15; 1Pe 1:8. There is deliverance--complete, everlasting deliverance from all evil, and all propensity or liability to evil, through Jesus Christ our Lord; who, though he was rich, for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich, being filled for ever with the fulness of God.