Romans Seven - Believer or UNbeliever

Q. Who is the man described in Romans Seven? Is this the experience of an unbeliever or a believer?

A. A Believer for the following reasons:
-The use of the personal pronoun “I” even emphatically in verse 25 “I myself.”

-The moving from past tense indicating Paul prior to conversion and present tense indicating Paul now, the believer.

-Though some things are so dark we wonder how this could be a believer, yet others can be said of none but the believer.

See v 14 “Carnal, sold under sin” and v 22 “delight in the law of God” and v 25 “with the mind I myself serve the law of God,” There is a law “in my members, warring against the law of my mind.”

-Context of Romans Seven within the book of Romans. See “the connection to what came before” above. Romans Seven showing the nature of sanctification further explained. Sin though broken from the reigning power yet remains and is not fully eradicated. There remains the harasser - and we are at war with sin.

ROMANS SEVEN - INTRO

ROMANS KEYWORDS THROUGH CHAPTER SIX

Keywords:
Chap 1: Without Excuse
Chap 2: The Law Condemns
Chap 3: There is none righteous
Chap 4: Imputation/Logizomai
Chap 5: Headship/Representation and 1st Adam - 2nd Adam, or 1st Adam - Last Adam.
Chap 6: Dying and Living, Mortification and Vivification
Chap 7: Oh Wretched man that I am, who will deliver me.

Alternate Keywords:
Chap 1: The Indictment Begins (Rom 1:18)
Chap 2: (open for suggestions)
Chap 3: All have sinned, Total Depravity
Chap 4: Counted Righteous
Chap 5: Federal Headship (the theological term)
Chap 6: Dying to Sin and Living to Righteousness (or Living to God)
Chap 7: Remaining Sin or conflict between grace and corruption

Memory Verses:
Rom 1:20
Rom 2:13
Rom 3:10
Rom 4:3
Rom 5:19
Rom 6: 11
Rom 7:19


Extended Memory Verses
Chap 1: Rom 1:1, Rom 1:8, Rom 1:16-20
Chap 2: Rom 2:12-16
Chap 3: Rom 3:10-12, Rom 3:18, Rom 3:21, Rom 3:23, Rom 3:28-29
Chap 4: Rom 4:23-25
Chap 5: Whole Chapter (If I had to select only two more Rom 5:8, Rom 5:14)
Chap 6: Rom 6:1-2, Rom 6:11, Rom 6:22-23
Chap 7: Rom 7:18, Rom 7:21, Rom 7:24-25


Overview Chapter Seven discussed thus far:

The connection to the what came before: Romans Six laying out both the Nature and the Necessity of Sanctification showing that sanctification consists both in our dying to sin and living to God, v 14. Also that as we are baptized into his death we must be conforming to it as Christ died for our sin we should be dying to it, v3. And as Christ rose and we also raised up to walk in newness of life we must be conforming to his resurrection living unto righteousness, v4. We are no longer under the law but grace and are receivers of great and gracious promises in Christ thus necessitating our sanctification for shall we sin against so much goodness, v 14. Our state is known by that to which we yield our obedience, v16. Sanctification and justification are two separate truths, two things that are not the same and are not to be confused but YET THEY ARE INSEPARABLE. We shall not continue in sin. But this is a high calling, this is a hard calling. And though sin no longer reigns over us and shall not have dominion over us as a tyrant and king we yet find that SIN still remains in us and can say as in ROMANS CHAP 7:19 we are not doing the good that we would but the evil that we would not. OH WRETCHED MAN THAT I AM WHO SHALL DELIVER ME FROM THE BODY OF THIS DEATH? I THANK GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD.

Several things we may yet learn in our Study of Romans Seven some as follows:
-There is here a further encouragement to holiness.

-Though sin no longer reigns as formerly, it yet remains and so WE ARE NOT TO TRUST in ourselves.

-Romans Seven teaches us that sin is not yet wholly eradicated in the believer.

-And so we learn further the nature of Sanctification.

-And so also, even for the regenerate believer the law cannot justify. Justification is not by works even in the believer but by faith.

-We gain a right estimation of ourselves knowing that sin yet remains though no longer reigning.

- Romans seven speaks to the assurance of the believer alarmed to find that sin yet remains.

Faithful's Defense continued - Superstition

Continuing on from our previous post, we consider Faithful's defense against the charge leveled by one Superstition.

Superstition: My lord, I have no great acquaintance with this man, nor do I desire to have further knowledge of him. However, this I know, that he is a very pestilent fellow, from some discourse that I had with him the other day, in this town; for then, talking with him, I heard him say, that our religion was naught, and such by which a man could by no means please God. Which saying of his, my lord, your lordship very well knows what necessarily thence will follow, to wit, that we still do worship in vain, are yet in our sins, and finally shall be damned: and this is that which I have to say.

Oh, for such grace to speak so plainly. Superstition understood somewhat from faithful that according to his religion he could never PLEASE GOD. And if God is not pleased the he will surely and finally be damned. We know that if Faithful said such things he said them in love. In hope that the words of his counsel would work to life in the hearer.

FAITHFUL's response to this Charge:

As to the second, to wit, Mr. Superstition, and his charge against me, I said only this, that in the worship of God there is required a divine faith; but there can be no divine faith without a divine revelation of the will of God. Therefore, whatever is thrust into the worship of God that is not agreeable to divine revelation, cannot be done but by a human faith; which faith will not be profitable to eternal life.

The Worship of God requires a divine Faith. We cannot devise whatever seems best to us and offer that up. But a DIVINE FAITH is required. What does the scriptures say:

Heb 11:6 Without Faith no man can please GOD.

But, note the further connection made by Faithful. There will be no divine faith without a divine revelation of the will of God. Again the Word of God is paramount. Those who would eschew the holy scripture have not a divine revelation and if no divine revelation there will be no DIVINE Faith. And no divine faith no TRUE worship of God.

FINALLY Faithful adds that whatever is THRUST into the worship of GOD not found in holy scriptures - not agreeable to divine revelation -- cannot be done but by a HUMAN FAITH - and such a human faith is not profitable to eternal life.

What superstitions are thrust into the worship of GOD? I was reminded of so many things some held very tightly even among evangelical churches.

SELFISMS:
"The most important thing is that you love yourself. You cannot love God or others until you first Love yourself."

PROSPERITY GOSPEL:
"God only wants to make you rich, Name it and claim it, positive confession, you are god."

TRANSUBSTANTIATION:
"Bow down and worship that wafer for it is now Christ offered again a sacrifice."

PURGATORY:
"Christ paid for part of your sins but you must yet make up by suffering in purgatory for those that remain."

FOOLISHNESS:
I once had a friend in his early twenties who went to church camp, had a great time there, and at the conclusion of the week made some vows and together with the other campers they braided a string together and solemnly put it around the wrists of all campers as a means to strengthen their vows, the string of power. Remove the string lose the power. Oh boy. My friend wore that string for months on end - it was filthy, but how could he take it off, solemnly the string was placed around his wrist. Where is this in the word of GOD?

SO CALLED DELIVERANCE MINISTRIES:
Jesus can save you from your sin, but subsequent to this you need to be delivered from all the demon strong holds. Salvation is good, but deliverance even better. And how to accomplish this? Research your ancestry, find out what a wicked person your great-grandmother was and REPENT FOR HER, break the bondage. Why do you still sin? Because you have yet to be delivered. REPENT for the sins of your ancestors and break that strong hold. (same friend with the string was caught up in this also.) This wasn't your typical charismatic power encounter but a kind of psychological/deliverance technique popularized by Neil Anderson and Mark Bubeck. SUPERSTITION! When I protested my friend said simply "you just don't understand the deep things of the word of God like my Pastor." My reply: "your pastor doesn't understand the gospel and the power thereof."

EMERGENT CHURCH:
"Don't tell me things about Jesus, I just want to follow him."

SUPERSTITION - HUMAN FAITH

GOOD COUNSEL FROM FAITHFUL:
"whatever is thrust into the worship of God that is not agreeable to divine revelation, cannot be done but by a human faith..."

In connection to Faithful's response to Superstition's charge my girls and I discussed those who claim: "You make an idol of the bible." "The bible is not God." "This is idolatry to worship a book." "Jesus is the word of God not the bible."

Certainly we know the bible is not God. But also, when we read the bible, God is speaking to us. The Spirit of God by the Word of God is communicating to us truth and Divine revelation. We don't worship paper and ink, but we do worship a God who has revealed himself to us via the Word and Spirit.

Faithful's Defense to the Jury of Vanity Fair

The girls and I have read through Vanity Fair and past up to Hopeful and Christian's meeting with Mr. Byends from the city of Fairspeech. But this morning before we could begin our conversations returned once again to Faithful's trial. First we thought of Mr. Blindman's humourous but deadly charge, "I see clearly that this man is a heretic. The rest of the jury followed suit according to their names as in Mr. Malice who hates the very looks of him and Mr. Live-Loose charging that Faithful would "always be condemning my way."

So with such fond memories we backed up and revisited the trial. And once again the same defense made by Faithful Cheered, instructed and edified us.

FOR EXAMPLE consider the Charge made by ENVY:

"And in particular, I heard him once myself affirm, that Christianity and the customs of our town of Vanity were diametrically opposite, and could not be reconciled. By which saying, my lord, he doth at once not only condemn all our laudable doings, but us in the doing of them."

Faithful is on trial for his very life. His testimony is at stake. His life here is threatened.

How did Faithful respond? How would you respond? You talk with your acquaintances in the world and before you know it they are quite incensed with you. They rightly conclude that if what you say is true then you call into question there very religion for you make their "customs" to be diametrically opposite to Christianity itself.

Faithfuls wise and faithful response:

"I say, then, in answer to what Mr. Envy hath spoken, I never said aught but this, that what rule, or laws, or custom, or people, were flat against the word of God, are diametrically opposite to Christianity."

And so we learned this morning also, that what is FLAT OUT AGAINST THE WORD OF GOD is indeed diametrically opposite to Christianity. This truth should sink into us -- enter the ears and eyes and flow down solid into our hearts. We must be concerned to find our rule in scripture and to oppose God's counsel found there is opposed indeed to Christianity itself.

We learned also not to think lightly of the Word of God. What seems right in our own eyes matters not but what God has declared this is rightness itself.

I liked Faithful's answer - he is not their judge nor did he pretend to be. Simply this what is FLAT AGAINST THE WORD OF GOD IS diametrically opposed to Christianity.

Salvation Poem

Sunday morning, May 30, 2010 my 10 year old and 12 year old were both baptized after standing in front of our congregation and relating the miraculous divine work grace that brought them to saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. A couple of days later I received the following Poem/possible Rap song from my twelve year old. I really liked it and hope you do to. I've read it several times and believe she built in some wonderful depth of meaning and with the theme of "walking" it also reminded me of our studies of Pilgrim's Progress as Christian walks through this world headed for the world to come.





Walking from today
We walk on Saturday to Sunday to Monday.
We walk from today to tomorrow
In fact everyday
we haven't much to say
but in each & every way
we walk from today
to Tuesday to Wednesday
in the doorway
I see a buffet
I walk away
I keep on walking to Thursday to Friday
then back again to Saturday to Sunday
to Monday Monday Monday..................
It turns to Midday I walk to the hallway
and suddenly I'm Shattered
I realize my life is tattered
sinful & disgusting
I pray that the Lord will send his love
from up above
I didn't think it'd happen
but then I saw the one
and then a bright shining sun
and something happened
I felt sort of differently
my eyes just went blurry
I was told not to worry
then I opened my eyes
I was different
Some didn't really notice
but then someone said that's bogus
you should really know this
I hoped I wouldn't blow this
I was glad wasn't sad
I'd been bad
you know I hit my sister
Guess what he paid for that
He's the king
I sing
for Christs eternal reign
you see the pain
he's the one the only one
and guess what, I'll never leave him
I have only just received him!