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.
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