What is the meaning of Romans 7:22? For • This little linking word anchors verse 22 to the flow of thought that began back in verse 21: “So I find this law at work…” Paul is explaining why the struggle with sin does not cancel true faith. • Just as Romans 6:14–15 affirms that believers are “not under law but under grace,” the word “For” launches a hope‐filled explanation of how grace changes the inner person while the outer conflict persists. • Romans 8:1, only a few lines later, assures that “there is now no condemnation,” underscoring that what follows is not an excuse for sin but proof of new life in Christ. in my inner being • Paul is speaking of the regenerated self—the heart made alive by the Holy Spirit. Second Corinthians 4:16 describes it: “Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day.” • Ephesians 3:16 prays that believers be “strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being,” showing that this is an ongoing, Spirit‐powered reality. • Ezekiel 36:26 foretold this miracle centuries earlier: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you.” That promise is now fulfilled in every believer, giving a capacity to love what God loves. I delight • The verb is personal and emotional—more than bare obedience, it is pleasure in God’s ways. • Psalm 40:8 voices the same joy: “I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart.” • Psalm 119 overflows with similar language—verse 16 declares, “I will delight in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.” • Jeremiah 15:16 shows that this delight springs from intimate fellowship: “Your words were found, and I ate them… they became my joy and my heart’s delight.” in God’s law • Far from dismissing the Law, Paul calls it “holy, righteous, and good” (Romans 7:12). His struggle is not with the Law itself but with sin still clinging to mortal flesh. • Psalm 19:7–11 celebrates the same truth, praising the Law as “perfect,” “trustworthy,” and “sweeter than honey.” • James 1:25 urges believers to persevere in “the perfect law that gives freedom,” confirming that the Law—rightly understood—liberates rather than enslaves. • Galatians 2:19 clarifies that union with Christ means dying to the Law as a means of justification, yet living “for God” in grateful obedience. Thus the Law becomes a path to rejoice in, not a ladder to climb for salvation. summary Romans 7:22 reveals the believer’s true identity: a new heart that genuinely enjoys God’s commands. Though the flesh resists, the inner person, renewed by the Spirit, finds real pleasure in what God says is right. This inner delight proves that grace has triumphed and sets the stage for the Spirit‐empowered victory described in Romans 8. |
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