Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  2024  Day 69

March 9;        Romans 7:10;          124/260;         ‘Two Laws’

 Romans 7:10 And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death.

Romans 7 is fascinating and needs some explanation.  The Old Testament Law is good, in that it teaches us what we should do.  We should desire to keep the Ten Commandments.  What Paul tells us here is that the Law is good, but we, by our own strength are unable to keep the Law.  The Law serves its purpose in that it proves to us that we are sinners, unable to live the way the Lord would have us to live and need Someone to help us.  To our dismay, the Law which is good, again being what we should do, actually brings death since we cannot do what it requires.  The Law is holy, teaching righteous moral principles, but it does not have the power to make us righteous.  There is another law working in us called the law of sin.  The law of sin is the indwelling depravity of human nature which rebels against God.  Paul and all humanity struggle with the conflict between these two laws.  During our lifetime, this struggle between the new nature and the old nature continues.  Paul concludes this passage by telling us that we can have victory over the old, sinful nature through Jesus Christ.  The indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, prayer and worship can make our new, Christ like nature strong enough to be victorious over the law of sin.  This passage was written by Paul, one of the greatest men in the Word of God.  This great man of God had to deal with the sin nature, as anyone else does.  Be diligent to learn of Jesus through the Word.  Talk to Him in prayer.  A close walk with Him will greatly help keep you free.