I Am Unspiritual Do you ever do things you do not want to do - or know better than to do - and wonder why you do them? Well, I know I do - and if you do - you do not have to feel alone - as the Apostle Paul also experienced this "conflict" and had a great bit to say about it in his Letter to the Church at Rome. We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. Compared with the holy rule of conduct in the law of God, the apostle found himself so very far short of perfection, that he seemed to be carnal; like a man who is sold against his will to a hated master, from whom he cannot set himself at liberty. A real Christian unwillingly serves this hated master, yet cannot shake off the galling chain, till his powerful and gracious Friend above, rescues him. The remaining evil of his heart is a real and humbling hindrance to his serving God as angels do and the spirits of just made perfect. This strong language was the result of St. Paul's great advance in holiness, and the depth of his self-abasement and hatred of sin. If we do not understand this language, it is because we are so far beneath him in holiness, knowledge of the spirituality of God's law, and the evil of our own hearts, and hatred of moral evil. And many believers have adopted the apostle's language, showing that it is suitable to their deep feelings of abhorrence of sin, and self-abasement. The apostle enlarges on the conflict he daily maintained with the remainder of his original depravity. He was frequently led into tempers, words, or actions, which he did not approve or allow in his renewed judgment and affections. By distinguishing his real self, his spiritual part, from the self, or flesh, in which sin dwelt, and by observing that the evil actions were done, not by him, but by sin dwelling in him, the apostle did not mean that men are not accountable for their sins, but he teaches the evil of their sins, by showing that they are all done against reason and conscience. Sin dwelling in a man, does not prove its ruling, or having dominion over him. John MacArthur Study Bible Commentary - Highlighted considerations in Romans 7:14-17: As Christians (believers), we need to understand that while Sin no longer controls us - it does hold captive our fleshly body - a captivity that contaminates and frustrates our inner desire to obey the will of God. However, as believers we also do have hope in this state, as we can be confident, just as Paul was confident, that Jesus Christ will ultimately rescue us from our fleshly bodies (and its captivity to sin) - just as he has already rescued our minds from the control of sin. Dear God, Thank you for providing us as believers - through Jesus Christ Your Son - both deliverance from the "control of sin" and the knowledge of future deliverance from the "captivity of sin" - the captivity we experience as a result of the falleness of our fleshly bodies. Thank you also for sharing through Paul in his letter to the Church at Rome the fact that he also experienced conflicts resulting from his fleshly captivity to sin. We are heartened that we are not alone in the experience of this conflict caused by fleshly captivity to sin and are thankful that you are so compassionate that you had one of your greatest followers share his conflict in this area so that we might be aware of the basis of this conflict and be able to discern when the accuser is using this conflict to create doubt in our minds about the completeness of your deliverance of your children from the control of sin. Amen.
10:44:52 PM 
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