Can you please explain Romans 7:23? (Q & A)

Q. Can you please explain Romans 7:23?

Answer By: John Spellman
 

Rom 7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
 

The term “law” doesn’t always mean an actual legal document, but can also mean “a principle”. For example the law of gravity is really the principle of gravity. The “law of relativity” and the “law of attraction” are concepts / principles that people believe govern different aspects of life. When Paul says he finds another law in his members, he’s talking about finding a principle not a legal code.

This principle Paul finds in his “members” wars against the principles of his mind. The term “members” is usually a reference to the human body. Elsewhere, scripture states that we are all “one body” but the body has “many members”. This term therefore refers to the limbs and parts of the human body. So Paul finds a principle in his earthly body that is “warring” against his mind. This suggests that there is a conflict between Paul’s mind and his fleshly body. Because of this conflict, he is brought into an imprisonment to the law / principle of sin within his body. This is an allusion to death.

The wages of sin is death and when our fleshy natures cause us to commit sin, it works death in us. Because of this, sin has us in a bondage or imprisonment because once we do it and our bodies learn to sin, we are not free—but destined for death. When Paul talks about his body parts, he is likely referring to his actions: the hands—representing the things he does, feet—the places he goes, the eyes—the things he looks at, the mouth—the things he says, the ears—the things he likes to listen to, etc. Even if we don’t look at each member of the body as symbolic of types of actions, we can still see the how the human body (or members) represents the totality of sin that Paul does in his fleshly body. His mind directs him to do right, while in practice / action he finds contradiction to what he believes. He struggles with wanting to do right, but falling short and making mistakes.

These mistakes make Paul subject to the captivity of the “law of sin”. The basic principle of sin is that sin brings separation from God and therefore works death. So in mind, Paul has the desire to do righteousness and to live, but in practice Paul may fall short of what he desires to do with his mind in serving God.

Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

Rom 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

By verse 24, Paul declares that this conflict makes him “wretched”. He recognizes that because of the sin in his fleshy body, that contradicts what he desires to do in his mind, the body works death by condemning him to death even though he tries his hardest to be righteous and wills to do so with his mind. He concludes in verse 25 that there is hope in God through Jesus Christ for deliverance. Jesus can free him from this conflict. Paul serves God with his mind obeying God’s laws and commandments. He intends to keep them and to practice righteousness even though at times he makes mistakes and falls short.

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Rom 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

When an individual is in Christ, they do not fall under condemnation in spite of the mistakes they have made. Christ frees from condemnation those who walk after the spirit and not the flesh. The term “walk” is a metaphoric term which means the direction or path we set ourselves on. Do we choose to give our hearts to God or do we choose our own path? For those who are in Christ and walk after the Spirit, no condemnation is put to their charge. This is because the “principle / law of the Spirit of life…” makes us free from the law / principle of sin and death.

We understand the principle of sin and death, but what is the antithesis? What is the “principle / law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus”? The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life (Romans 6:23). For those who accept the gift of God, they receive the gift instead of the wages they deserve. Paul makes a clear contrast. Everyone who works earns a wage in one way or another. Our works at best deserve the wage of death. If however, we receive better than our wages demand, this is a gift. Paul states that instead of wages, God gives His people a gift—eternal life. To accept that gift, we must accept Jesus!

Though the law of sin and death condemns the mistake-prone individual to death, in spite of his/her good intentions, those who walk after the Spirit are made free because of the law of the Spirit. By verse 3 Paul states that the law (the Commandments) could not accomplish in the sinner what Christ accomplished. The law condemned people to death because everyone broke it. This is why Paul states that it was “weak through the flesh”. People intended to obey it, but our fleshy natures cause us to make mistakes. Therefore, the law could not lead anyone to salvation because it under its dispensation everyone was condemned to death for breaking it. One could only be saved by the law if they kept it perfectly; yet, all humanity has fallen short of the high standards in this law. For this reason, all are condemned to death. Therefore, God had to accomplish by another means what could not be accomplished through the law. Giving a law informs a person of what makes them guilty or innocent, but it has no power to make a guilty person innocent. Although the law may be perfect and righteous, it doesn’t help a person “in the flesh” because knowing doesn’t give power to obey—it only gives knowledge of what to obey. In contrast, God went a step further, sending Jesus to live as a human being in a sin-prone human body. He lived a perfect life of obedience and “condemned sin in the flesh”. He also died for the sins of humanity.

Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

The purpose of Jesus’ mission was that the righteousness of the law would be brought to completion in human beings that walk after the Spirit (ie. They are spiritually minded). Thus, Jesus came to enable to people with the ability to do what they spiritually desire to do with their minds. The law couldn’t accomplish this, but Jesus could. Without Jesus, we would have a whole bunch of people that desire to keep the law but continuously fall short. With Jesus, there is power to be filled up (or completed) with righteousness.

Rom 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Rom 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Paul is saying that people who are carnally minded are at enmity with the spiritual mindset. They don’t even so much as desire to do the right thing. Those who are spiritually minded, desire it but often can’t find the way to accomplish it. When the Spirit of God dwells in a person, they are no longer carnal but Spiritual. When Christ is in a person, their bodies are technically condemned to death because of their mistakes, but their Spirit brings life because they are made righteous through Christ’s presence within them changing their mindset and making it spiritual.

This brings about a seeming conflict. On the one hand, Christ is at work in that person’s mind changing their heart and mindset, while the body falls short of the ideal and works death. By verse 11 Paul solves this conflict when he states that when the Spirit of God, who also raised up Jesus, dwells in a person He also makes alive (quickens) the mortal body that would otherwise be condemned to death.

How do we interpret this? Does this mean we can live the rest of our lives in sin (though we desire to do right) and Jesus will resurrect us anyway because we had good intentions? Or does it mean something else? What does it mean that the Spirit “make’s alive (quickens)” our mortal bodies?

Rom 8:12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

Rom 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Paul makes his answer clear and allows us to understand the distinctive role the Holy Spirit plays in our salvation experience. This also makes it clear why the Law could not accomplish what Christ accomplished on our behalf.

The Spirit making our bodies alive makes us indebted to live after the Spirit. Living after the flesh means that we are condemned to death. However, through the indwelling Holy Spirit we can mortify the deeds that the body does (our fleshy works). This means that we put to death and crucify our sinful tendencies and actions through the power of the Holy Spirit (not our own strength). In doing so, we have eternal life. The law, in and of itself could not stop us from sinning. However, through what Christ has done for us, the Holy Spirit is provided to every believer and aids us to do what Christ has put in our hearts to desire to do—live spiritually! The law helps us to know what is expected of those who live spiritually, Christ puts in our hearts to desire it with the mind because of our love for Him, and the Holy Spirit helps by enabling us to actually do it.

The Spirit’s power causes us to become sons and daughters of God. As such, we take part of the New Covenant in which God’s law is written on the heart by the Holy Spirit. (Jer 31:33; Heb 8:10; Eze 36:27) This is the only thing that solves the conflict Paul has in Romans 7:23.