How does Romans 7:16 reveal the struggle between sin and the law? Scripture Spotlight “ And if I do what I do not want, I admit that the law is good.” – Romans 7:16 Key Observations • “Do what I do not want” – highlights the will of the regenerated heart that longs to obey. • “I admit that the law is good” – a settled confession that God’s commandments are righteous, holy, and beneficial (Romans 7:12). • Together they expose a battleground: a renewed mind esteems the law, yet indwelling sin bends behavior in the opposite direction. The Goodness of the Law • Romans 7:12 calls the law “holy, righteous, and good.” • Psalm 19:7-9 echoes: “The law of the LORD is perfect… the commandment of the LORD is pure.” • When Paul agrees with the law, he affirms its divine origin and moral clarity. No fault lies with the law; all fault lies with sin. The Reality of Sin’s Grip • Romans 7:17 – “it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.” • Sin hijacks God’s good law, turning it into an opportunity for rebellion (Romans 7:8). • The law’s demands shine a light on sin, yet cannot empower obedience (Romans 3:20). The Inner Witness of the Believer • The new nature loves what God loves (Ezekiel 36:26-27; 1 John 3:9). • Agreeing with the law demonstrates genuine conversion: the heart is no longer hostile, even if flesh resists (Romans 8:7). • Conscience now sides with the law against sin, proving that failure is not due to ignorance but weakness. The Ongoing Tension • Galatians 5:17: “the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit.” • This clash persists as long as mortal bodies house indwelling sin (Romans 7:23). • Victory is progressive; conflict is evidence of life, not defeat (Philippians 2:12-13). Hope Beyond the Conflict • Romans 7:24-25 points from despair to deliverance: “Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord!” • Romans 8:1-2 assures freedom from condemnation and introduces the Spirit’s power to fulfill “the righteous requirement of the law” in us (Romans 8:4). • The believer’s cry in 7:16, therefore, is not hopeless; it is the doorway to deeper dependence on grace and the Spirit’s enabling strength. |
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