Fifteen years ago I learned a simple truth from scripture. It’s a truth that explains why Christians commit sin after they are born again. It’s a truth that disagrees with a teaching that goes virtually unchallenged in the Body of Christ.
The teaching I’m talking about is “I am a sinner saved by grace.”
Why do most Christians believe this doctrine? What have they seen in the Bible that seems to support it? I’d dare say that one of the reasons is how they have been taught to read Romans 7. Most believe this chapter is describing a person who is born again but still struggling with the sin nature, hence the phrase “a sinner saved by grace.” But is that the truth that Romans 7 teaches?
How do most Christians interpret Romans 7?
In my preparations for this message, I read Romans 7 in several translations, paying particular attention to the marginal and study notes and I’ll explain why in just a moment. The following excerpts are a sampling of what I found.
“In this passage (Romans 15-25) of profound spiritual and psychological insight, the apostle personifies the struggle of the two natures within the believer – the old or Adamic nature, and the divine nature received through the new birth.” (The New Scofield Study Bible)
“Whether Paul is describing a Christian or non-Christian experience has been hotly debated through the centuries.” (New International Version)
(The NIV presents three reasons favoring the non-Christian view and four that favor the Christian viewpoint. On the surface, the NIV appears to be neutral. However, in reading the additional notes for the chapter, it’s clear that the editors believe Paul is talking about a Christian struggling with two natures.)
“Have you ever wondered why you can’t help but keep on sinning sometimes, even after you’ve given your life to God? Read Romans 7:1-25.” (Contemporary English Version)
All of these translations have a high degree of respect in the Christian community. But do they present the truth concerning what Paul is describing in Romans 7 in their marginal and study notes?
Now you may be asking yourself “Why is this question important?”
Many Christians, if not most, read marginal and study notes and accept them as true and accurate without much question. How many of you have done this? I’ll admit that I used to do this. And most of the Christians who trust marginal and study notes will do so if a particular translation is used by the pastor or someone they respect. Very few Christians model the behavior of the believers in Acts 17:11.
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Ladies and gentlemen, what I’m about to say is critical: If we are to truly understand what is being taught in Romans 7, we must keep the chapter in the context of the entire book of Romans. And, not only that, we must pay particular attention to the chapter that precedes it and the chapter that follows it. So chapters 6 and 8 are crucial in our understanding of Romans 7. This is the only way the truth will be clearly captured and understood.
But there’s one thing we must establish before we dive into Romans – what happens to us when are born again. Most Christians believe they still have a sin nature because they find themselves committing sin. But if words mean anything, then what the Bible says disagrees with this belief.
Turn with me to Second Corinthians 5:17. "Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
The word “new” in the Greek means “something that has never existed before.” When we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we received a nature that we previously didn’t have, a life that did not contain any sin. When we received that life the sin nature that we had before was removed. Now, no longer have a sin nature. It’s not there!
Now, Paul drives home this point with the phrase “passed away”. When a person “passes away” we know that person no longer has life. This is what the Greek communicates. The person ceases to exist, except in our minds. The same can be said of sin.
You see, the born again experience does not affect our minds. And this is important to understand. That’s why Romans 12:1 and 2 tells us to renew our minds and passages like Ephesians 4:24 and Colossians 3:10 tell us to live by our new man – to live by the new spirit that we have received from God.
You see, spiritually we are just like Jesus! And we know He did not sin. So, why do we sin? Bear with me. We’ll see the answer clearly when we take a somewhat detailed look at Romans 6 next month. But for now let’s see the context of Romans 7.
I’m going to tell you this right now. Romans 7 is one of the most misunderstood and wrongly taught chapters in the entire Bible. Hands down. No discussion.
It is used to teach that Christians have a sin nature which is not true. Okay Bro. Barry, what’s the problem? Romans 7 is usually taught all by itself without considering chapters one through six and chapter eight. We can’t do that! It can only be understood in light of these chapters. And there’s a catch. We have to accept and believe what we read in these chapters.
What I’m going to do today is highlight what we see as read each of the first five chapters of the book of Romans. I need to do this to help prepare you for Romans 6, which we will look at next month. And after we spend some time with Romans 6 we will get into Romans 7. So let’s begin with chapter one.
Romans chapter one
In the first six chapters, Paul contrasts what it means to live by faith and what it means to live under the law. For example, in verse 17 of chapter one he says “The just shall live by faith.” The implication is clear: a person cannot earn justification through performing the works of the Law.
Paul says only those who have confessed Jesus as Lord are just in God’s sight. These would have been “fightin’ words” for the Jews. The Law is what made the Jew a Jew! So we see in the very first chapter that Paul has planted his feet squarely on the side of faith. His insistence on faith rather than the works of the Law is the “red thread” that is seen throughout this entire epistle.
A key point to remember from this chapter: A person cannot live by faith and live by the Law at the same time.
Romans chapter two
In chapter two, Paul continues his examination of what it means to live by faith rather than by the works of the Law. Look at what he says in verse 13-15.
(13) (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
(14) For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves.
(15) Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another:)
“The Gentiles,” Paul says to the Jews, “whom you consider dogs, are doing by nature what you’re trying to do by works. Even though they never had the Law, the righteousness of the Law is who they have become because of their new nature! They don’t need the Law to tell them what’s right and what’s wrong. They now have a conscience that is alive with God’s life – something you don’t have – that tells them when their thoughts agree with the righteousness of the Law and when they don’t.”
A key point to remember from this chapter: The nature of your human spirit determines whether or not you can live by faith. If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior it will be impossible for you to live by faith.
Romans chapter three
Chapter 3 doesn’t get any easier for the Jews who insist on holding on to the Law and, as a result, reject the gospel of Christ.
(20) Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
(21) But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets.
What Paul has just done ladies and gentlemen is hit the Jewish mind with a stinging left hook! Jewish males are raised to believe that keeping the Law provided right standing before God. But Paul, in two verses, dismantles this teaching.
Paul says that even the Law itself testifies of a time when people will not need it to be justified. And just to make sure they didn’t miss the key point of this chapter, he writes in verse 28, “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”
Here in the first three chapters, Paul repeatedly confronts the Jews with the fact that their dependence on the works of the Law to earn justification righteousness is misplaced. It’s only through simple faith in the gospel of Christ – in the completed work of Jesus – that men and women can enter into the Father’s throne room of grace.
Paul brings out the big gun in this chapter – Abraham. Do you remember in John 8 how the Jews boast about being Abraham’s offspring? If you’re taking notes you read verses 31 through 59. They put unwavering and unapologetic confidence in two things: being the seed of Abraham including having his covenant, and the Law of Moses. But Paul says there is a difference between living as Abraham lived and living under the Law.
The Jews recognized Abraham as having special standing with God and thought it was because of what he did. Nope. Abraham’s special standing with God was based on who he believed. Paul emphasizes this by using the words “counted”, “reckoned”, and “imputed” 11 times throughout the chapter. He was letting the Jews know that Abraham did not receive the promise when he died.
Paul says that Abraham had to wait. And Luke 16:19-31 talks about where he waited. It was a place called “Abraham’s Bosom” – the place where those who had put their faith in God and the promise He made about the coming Messiah – Jesus – waited. The promise was laid to Abraham’s account. “Abraham,” Paul says, “received the promise when Jesus died and rose from the grave!”
“Abraham’s life,” Paul says, “was lived by faith in what God promised. And what he received was not earned through works ‘but through the righteousness of faith’. He simply believed that God would keep His Word.” Isn’t that something? Abraham simply believed that what God said He would do.
Romans chapter five
Now that he has shown the Jews that Abraham’s righteousness was imputed to him through unwavering faith in what God had spoken and not through the works of the Law, Paul emphasizes this point in the first two verses of chapter five.
(1) Therefore being justified by faith [just like Abraham], we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
(2) By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Ladies and gentlemen, what Paul is saying is nothing short of astounding to the Jewish mind.
“We are justified through our faith in Jesus Christ and nothing else” he says. “And this same faith is the reason why we’re no longer at war with God. But you have rejected Jesus and you are still His enemy. You think you are living in harmony with God because you perform the works of the Law. But you are no more in harmony with God than the Gentiles!”
Now look at verse 10. “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”
Paul says Jesus reconciled us to God through his death. The Law could not then and cannot now perform this reconciliation.
Now pay attention to what Paul says next in verse 11. “And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.”
He says it’s through our faith in Jesus that “we have now received the atonement [for sin].” Notice Paul doesn’t say “an atonement” but “the atonement” for sin. Ladies and gentlemen, there will never be another sacrifice for sin! Jesus is the final sacrifice. Period.
We’re not going to read this verses 12-21 but I highly encourage you to do so. In them, Paul shows how every man, woman and child has been condemned or sentenced to spiritual death because of Adam’s rebellion.
A person is not a sinner because he sins. A person is a sinner because of the death nature operating in her. What Paul is saying to the Jewish mind is, well, mind boggling! A person is born a sinner and that is why he sins. In the same way a person becomes a sinner – through Adam’s spiritual death – a person can also be made righteous through Jesus’ spiritual death and resurrection life. That’s why a person must be born again to receive spiritual life! Do you see this?
Now, in closing, let's see what have we learned in the first five chapters of the letter to the Romans?
? Living by faith and not by the works of the Law is the “red thread” that runs throughout the entire book of Romans [Romans 1]
? The only way to live by faith is to have God’s life operating inside of us. When we have God’s life, we have the capacity to live according to the righteousness of the Law. [Romans 2]
? The Law itself testified of a time when it would no longer be necessary. [Romans 3]
? Abraham’s life was based on faith – simply believing God would do what He promised. [Romans 4]
? We are justified in God’s sight because of our faith in Jesus Christ. [Romans 5]
Next month we will spend some time in Romans 6 and we will answer the question: “Now that we are born again and have God’s life and nature, why do we sin?” All of this is necessary foundation before we can turn our attention to Romans 7.
And while I’m thinking about it, here’s something I’d like for you to consider: Read the book of Romans at least once a week. Give the Holy Spirit, the Teacher, an opportunity to minister to you. As you read don’t be surprised if He “pulls back the curtains” on truth that, in the past, you have misunderstood. Yeah, I’m speaking from experience!
You are blessed ladies and gentlemen. You are highly favored too! After you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, this is who you became. Son of God. Daughter of God. Let’s give the Lord some praise!
