Romans 8:1 // Like Him Not Sin

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

He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. (1 John 2:6)

And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. (John 17:19)

People typically focus on the no condemnation part of this text, and this is not entirely wrong. It jumps out at us, we do not want to be condemned, and we consider this text to be evidence that we are not. Let us also consider that the reason we are not to be condemned is being in Christ Jesus and therefore (walking) not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

What does it mean to walk after the Spirit? The second passage shows us that we ought to walk as Jesus walked. Does this mean walk in sandals? That is unlikely. The third passage shows that Jesus wanted us to copy him in spiritual disciplines. It seems strange that Jesus would "sanctify" himself, considering he was already sinless. So even a sinless man can be more sanctified, that is a strange thought, maybe I'm missing something here.

I do think that Jesus meaning is clear. Jesus did things that would make it easier for us to avoid sin if we copied him. Jesus spent special time devoted to prayer (and meditation?) as well as praying on the spur of the moment. Jesus knew "his Bible", he knew it really well, I mean, most theology professors would not know their Bible as well as Jesus did even while he was on earth with the weakness of his humanity on him. Jesus lived a simple life and turned everyday situations into opportunities to witness, like getting water from the "woman at the well". There is so much more of course. By studying the life of Jesus we can learn from him how to follow him in more than just name, and by doing this we can "walk" like him and not like sin, and we will not be condemned. Praise the Lord! Amen.

Romans 7:21-25 // Split Personality or Work In Progress

I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 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. 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 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. (Romans 7:21-25)

And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. (2 Peter 3:14)

As I read the book of Romans, this is the point when I start wondering what is going on. The other two references show that the early church taught what people generally call "perfectionism" today: the idea of consistently overcoming sin before the resurrection. The Thessalonians reference, also from Paul shows that he expects God will sanctify them completely, which is exactly what most modern theologians teach cannot be done. He also expects that God will preserve their body blameless, not just spirit and soul. The reference from Peter shows an expectation that the Christians will do something proactively to ensure that they are faultless.

Does Paul contradict Peter, and indeed himself? It is possible of course that I have completely misunderstood these two latter passages, I am no theologian. But these passages are not in isolation, there are references like them all through the Bible. What is more, the latter passages seem much clearer to me that Paul's abstract essay in Romans 7. We must understand parts of the Bible that are unclear by comparing it to the clear Bible passages on the same subject (Isaiah 8:20) comparing spiritual things with spiritual (1 Corinthians 2:13). I am unclear on what Paul is trying to say in Romans, so I am going to accept that he does not mean it is impossible to be righteous in reality, he must mean something else.

The most helpful explanation, I think, is that Paul is putting himself in the place of a young Christian. This fits with the context, since what we have seen so far has been about the reality of our sinfulness, even of the Jews who keep the superficial letter of the law (2 Corinthians 3:6). So this baby Christian, whether Jew or foreigner, has realised that his sins are very real and going to leave him very dead for a very long time. He has come to Jesus and starts wanting to keep the law, his inward man, his reason, judgment and conscience tell him that he must not indulge in that shameful habit any more, that he must start doing more wholesome things. But he can not force himself to do it, it is just too hard. Part of him wants to do what is right but deep down (flesh) he really wants to sin, "just one more time…"

His heart is full of sadness because he wants to be like the people at church who just seem to be spiritually perfect, they are wonderful people, he wishes he was like them but part of him just wants to stay the same and he can't find it in himself to change. But thanks be to Jesus Christ, because even in this state he is completely saved, if he dies he was have a part in the resurrection, because Jesus is able to save him. Even though he serves sin with his body, Jesus recognises that in his mind he is a servant of the King. You may be like this, if you have put your trust in Jesus and hate your sin then you are saved, even if you have sins that are dragging you down. But the story does not end there, if you become content with your sin you will be lost, so we must continue reading.

Romans 7:13-20 // Living the Good Life

Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, 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. 19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. (Romans 7:13-20)

I have once again broken up a train of thought, which I did not mean to do. Paul has trains of thought like a coal train, 99 carriages long, so long you wonder if it is a continuous train all the way from mine to port. I can be guilty of the same thing though, so I won't throw the first stone.
This section starts off by saying that it is not the law's fault that I am a sinner. I would still be a sinner even if I did not know the law, and most people don't know it thoroughly. The point Paul is making in that previous section (which I said I did not understand, and still don't) as well as this one, is that rather than being a source of salvation, the law is actually a source of conviction. The law does not help me correct my behaviour, it simply shows me how bad my behaviour is. The gospel does not (especially) show me how bad my behaviour is, it shows me how to correct my behaviour, through faith in Jesus Christ.
The fact that we regret sinning, that is, we feel guilty, is evidence that we believe in the law. It is not evidence that the law is valid, the law must stand on different evidence because people will feel guilt about anything they have taught is wrong, regardless of whether it actually is wrong, and they will not feel guilty about something they genuinely believe is okay until they find out somehow that it is actually wrong.
When we have experienced conversion and Jesus has put a desire to live righteously into our hearts, we usually continue to sin. But Paul has a good way of dealing with this problem that is practical for us. Paul says that he does not sin, sin does bad things in him like a monster and parasite. This is a useful way of thinking about it, because we often think of sin as "part of who I am" but actually sin is a monster that we need to obliterate.
If sin is a monster that lives inside me, then he must be killed, and as quickly as possible. I like the analogy that if I don't feed him he will get skinnier and eventually starve to death, though he will not die quietly. Whether we can overcome sin before we join Jesus in heaven is controversial, we will definitely continue to be tempted, and Jesus definitely has the power to give us victory over all sin, but anyway, don't feed the monster. You don't like lying. You hate lying. Sin likes lying and tricks you into doing it. Frustrate sin and refuse to lie, you actually like taking the consequences of truth more than you like living a lie, believe it. The same goes for all sins. Live life as it was meant to be, life for Christ and not for sin, live the good life.

Romans 7:7-12 // Law in Self-examination

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. 8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. 9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. 10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. 11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. 12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. (Romans 7:7-12)

Paul can only be posing the rhetorical question "Is the law sin?" because he believes his readers would be likely to react that way to his previous paragraph. In that paragraph he explained that trying to keep laws is the wrong focus. But "no way!" the law is not sin. The law is not the problem, the law is like the mirror (James 1:23-25). A mirror is very useful when I am washing my face, I can see what part I need to focus on cleaning, and without the mirror I cannot see it. But I would be a madman if I tried to clean my face by rubbing it on a mirror. Mirrors were designed to help me clean my face and they are useful for that, but it is not the mirror that cleans my face, it is the water. In the same way the law shows me what I need to change and the blood of Jesus washes my sins away. Simple.

I really don't know what Paul is talking about when he talks about himself having been alive but then died when the law came. Since I don't know I think it's best not to comment. I do get the idea that Satan can use the law for his own purposes, so we need to be careful, but the law is intrinsically (in itself) useful and right.

Do you compare yourself to God's law, or do you compare yourself to other people?

Romans 7:1-6 // The Law Where There Is No Law

Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? 2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. 3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. 4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. 6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. (Romans 7:1-6)

The law cannot touch a dead man. When there is a plane crash and many people die, usually the pilot (who is also dead) is concluded to be at fault. Even though the law cannot touch him personally it is still used to condemn (show his guilt) or vindicate him (show his innocence). The result is relevant to his family who want to remember him as a good man, they want him to be found to be innocent. So the law is still relevant to dead men, but the point Paul is making here is that the law cannot touch him personally because he is already dead. He uses the example of widowhood and remarriage, saying that the husband being dead makes all the difference in this case.
Paul says that this is a similar idea to how we need to live our faith. It's like you have died, your "old life" is gone, the acquaintances that dragged you down, the habits that you couldn't break, the frustrations that wouldn't go away. In their place you have Jesus who will give you love, freedom and peace.
Then Paul goes on to say something a little complicated about the law, which I'm not entirely sure about. This is the sense I make of it:
Before you were converted you were doing things that you knew were wrong (and the fact they were against the law was how you knew), you knew about right and wrong and chose to do wrong and knew you were guilty of death and much of what you did just brought death closer. But now Jesus has forgiven you for breaking the law and given you power to keep it so you have no problem with the law since your law-breaking that condemned you is now over. This power allows you to know God personally and obey him intuitively based on a thorough understanding of who he is and what he wants rather than by studying the details of the law and basing your system of morality entirely on the very specific things that he required and forbade the Hebrews thousands of years ago.

Some of us find it tempting to look for clear rules to follow. Jesus gives some rules and we should follow them, but there is much more to following Jesus than this. To really follow Jesus we must think about what he wants and do it without needing to be commanded. Acts of selfless service to others and witnessing are too complex to specifically mandate but Jesus wants us to do these things.

Romans 6:23 // Self-made Man

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

Much has been made of this verse, but I will make it again. Death is quite a universal thing, there is nobody on earth today who is guaranteed to avoid death. Wages are defined as payment for work done. By doing sinful works we have earned our own death. If I do a good thing surely this is commendable but it doesn't change the fact that I also deserve death. If I died when I first sinned, as I justly ought to have, then I would not be able to do these good things I may have done later. So once I sin, everything I do after that is on borrowed time anyway, it is not to my credit. Anyway, as a creation I am obliged to do good doing it is not to my credit even if I (somehow) did it before I sinned (Luke 17:10).

But Jesus of Nazareth did not sin. Ever. Not only that, he did not need to do good or keep God's law for his own survival. Jesus is God, and as such he answers to no one and for him choosing to do good is purely to his credit, he does not owe the world anything. Let me explain this. We talk about a self-made man, I think Jesus was the only one in history, but I'll get to that.

Imagine a rich man, who left home young and started working two jobs. Once he had some savings he invested them, and his money began to multiply. Soon he began to buy up successful businesses and his wealth multiplied as his guidance caused them to expand and become even more profitable. This man never asked for anything for nothing, he acquired his riches by his hard work and intelligence. We would call him a self-made man. But this is entirely false. Many people work for him every day, if they died suddenly he would be ruined. Clever men set up the companies that he bought, and made them successful enough for him to invest in them. Many people worked hard for years to make his investment stocks profitable. Somebody gave him his first job, before he had any known skills or experience and before he had a chance to prove his good work ethic. His parents gave him everything for years, and even gave him some of what he needed to become the great man he did. They also brought him into the world in the first place. All along the way, God was there behind the scenes. Opening the womb, germinating the plants for food, keeping the sun in place for human survival, sending the rain for drinking, giving forgiveness to the hearts of every man and thus allowing the survival of civilisation. Nobody is a self-made man or woman.

Except Jesus. Jesus was not created, there was never a time that he did not exist. As the commander of Jehovah's angelic armies he co-ruled the universe but willingly came to earth on a mission to save you and me. Why Jesus came may always be a mystery, we call it love, but what does 'love' even mean?What does it really mean?

Jesus never chose to do wrong, not as a supernatural being, not as a natural man. He did not need to  ever die. He did not need to ever forgive anyone. He did not need to go hungry or sleep with a blanket that was too thin. He did not need to put up with bullying. He certainly did not need to be falsely accused of a crime against God (himself!) and tortured and executed for it. But Jesus chose all these things so that no matter what you have done, you can be his friend, you can change. Jesus will change you if you let him, but he needs to be in control. Jesus does not want anyone to claim to be a self-made man. He wants every person to acknowledge the truth, I am a Jesus-made man, so I can return to the manufacturer for repairs, the only person who has the tools to fix me.

Jesus can.

Romans 6:20-22 // Key to Awesomeness

For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. 21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. 22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. (Romans 6:20-22)

As unconverted people, we do not really feel the pain of our sin. We are quite happy carrying on and managing as we are, and religious people don't know what they are talking about when they say absurd things about "a God shaped hole in your heart" or "you can't have purpose or fulfilment without Christ". It does not make sense to us why we need to believe some things or obey some rules so we can live in some strange place forever.

The solution to the unconverted heart that was copied from the Greeks by the Jews and passed to the Roman church from early days was this: the unconverted fear pain though they have no interest in heaven. So it would be taught that unless they were converted they would be tortured forever in the Greek-style underworld. This fear of eternal torture finally scared me into accepting Jesus as my saviour, but it was a hard road from there before I was really converted and accepted him as my lord. I needed to be ground to the dust by inner turmoil and see myself failing at life before I was ready to say to Jesus "okay, why don't you try it then?" I didn't word it exactly that way, but it was a bit like that. I just knew I could not have a "perfect" life with myself in charge, it was actually very good, but not perfect and I wanted "perfect" very badly.

It is the quest for the good life that God uses to motivate us in this passage. Paul asks the converted: did you enjoy sin? The obvious answer is "no, not really". It's true, the stupid sins I was risking my life with did not really give me pleasure at all. But the pure pleasures started coming when I gave my heart to Jesus. Of course I had incredible peace and joy at first, but it didn't stop there. There was a transition period, where things were mixed, but the real joys were coming through and it was undeniable that they were owing to God, whereas the negatives were clearly the result of the policy I had previously pursued.

Holiness. It means a bunch of different things to a bunch of different people. I know there's a proper definition related to something being set aside for a religious ritual, but my reading of the Bible suggests to me that can't be all it means. What is a holy person like? Is it a person that always dresses in a white robe and walks around chanting Psalms? I don't think that picture fits the Bible very well. From my reading of the Bible, I would say holy can be a kind of opposite to "sinner". I know that the opposite of sin is actually righteousness, so there is a bit of a difference here. Perhaps holiness is about doing everything for the purpose of the Glory of God (to make God look good), which obviously means abstaining from sin but is it limited to that? I doubt it.

After conversion, we are not able to sin without fear of punishment. We are led to live for Christ. When a man lives for himself, we don't like him. When a man lives for Christ, people my age have only one word to describe that kind of person (forgive our tiny vocabulary) he is "awesome". Being in tune with the ruler of the universe is the key to awesomeness. If you want to be an awesome person, always making the right choices, always saying the right things, knowing how to be happy and make others happy too, your first step is to ask Jesus to be your lord and saviour.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever. (Psalm 111:10)

Note: My first paragraph is not intended to disparage the claim that every person has a deep longing for God. I think this claim is probably true (Eccles 3:11?) in the sense that everyone needs God to be fully satisfied. I was drawing attention to the fact that most non-Christians I meet do not acknowledge a longing for God and seem to be sincere about it. They do have a longing for the real God, but that's different to the God they have heard about. I hope that those of you who relate to the first paragraph see in the other paragraphs that there are good reasons to come to Jesus even if you experience neither fear of hell nor intense spiritual longing.

Contemplate

My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord. (Psalm 104:34)

This psalm is good for meditating on God, that is, thinking, contemplating about God. It is worth doing.

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Thinking, contemplating about God is a sure way to make me more like him. It is worth doing.

Romans 6:19 // Upgrade Your Mind

I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. (Romans 6:19)

Paul speaks (and writes) to people in a way that takes their weakness and sinfulness into account. When I accepted this fact it was quite life-changing for me. I used to be quite sophisticated and enjoy confusing or impressing people with my vocabulary, and perhaps I still get a bit of pleasure from it from time to time. But I have learned that there is nothing good about an excellent explanation if it is not suited to the person being spoken to. It is not correct to say that others should learn more so they can understand me, so a long time now I have realised that it is my responsibility to express myself in such a way that the majority of people can understand.

I have tried to do that on this blog, I avoid large or unusual words, though I am often tempted to use them. Using big words is not a sign of intelligence, it is a sign of a large vocabulary. A large vocabulary usually comes with a broad knowledge, but not always with understanding. Unless I can express something in the way that a twelve year old would understand I do not really understand it. If I need to resort to special theologian words (jargon) it is evidence that my understanding is lacking.

Unfortunately we often measure the wisdom of the man by the length of his words. But this is not logical.

Teachers, speak however you need to so that your students will understand. Students, listen and obey to upgrade your mind and you will be able to understand more and more. Learning experience from the highly experienced is the easiest way to level up.

Romans 6:17-18 // Obsessive Compulsive Legalistic Order

But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. (Romans 6:17-18)

We were the servants of sin. I would say this applies to all of us. Why would we thank God that we were the servants of sin? Because that is not the whole sentence. I just make that point to remind myself to always be careful how you take part of a sentence out of context. Paul thanks God that the Romans have done what was preached to them and done it with all their heart. Not simply believed, but done. Not because they want to be seen to do the right thing but because they want to do it with all their heart.

They have accepted that form of doctrine, that was delivered or preached to them. This is an interesting statement to me. They have not modified what they heard to suit themselves. Or it may imply that the gospel they heard was not quite right but it saved them anyway because they had faith in God. Both could be true I think.

Because they wholeheartedly did what the preacher told them to do, they were made free from sin, it no longer had any hold on them. Instead they became addicted to doing the right thing. Sin is normal for this world, and sinning does not shock people much. But righteousness is exceptional, it shocks people and they respond very positively or very negatively.

You may be struggling with some sin. Is there something achievable that you have been told to do by the preacher but you are not doing?

You may feel like you are in fact saved. Do people think you are strangely addicted to doing right? Do you ever get called a legalist? Ask God to search your heart for sin and to change you by the power of the Holy Spirit living in you.

Being called a legalist is not a problem if it is not true. Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets. (Luke 6:26) Being called a "moderate" is usually a worse sign, though being moderate in reality is a good thing of course.

Decide that you will do anything Jesus tells you to, anything at all. His word is true and will help you to live a good life like you cannot imagine, you will not regret it.