Every Day Devotion

Romans 7:13 [13] Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. (ESV) The opponents of the Apostle Paul's doctrine of grace would claim that he had disdain for the Law. Paul was no longer adhering to a religious system that the Jews had followed for centuries. Paul himself was a "pharisee of pharisees." He was one of the most devout followers of the Law that had ever been. Now, it seems like he is abandoning the Law and treating it with contempt. Paul's response is to defend the Law. Did that which is good bring death to me? When he says, "that which is good" he is referring to the Law. The answer? By no means! Paul's defense of the Law is emphatic. In Paul's efforts to explain the sinful nature of mankind and God's means of salvation he is in no way impugning th...

Romans 7:12 [12] So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. (ESV) When your child is punished for doing wrong there are a couple ways that they can respond. A child may look at their punishment and resent their parents for the discomfort brought to them. They can blame the parents. After all, if they would not have punished them they would not be in discomfort. This view assumes that the "law" given by the parents is evil because it brought them pain. That childlike view is foolishness. As a parent I am sure that if your child responded to the punishment they received by resenting you, you would not be impressed by their folly. You would likely explain the reason for their punishment in greater detail so that they can understand just how proper your rules were that were broken. Consider our view regarding God's Law. We sin against God and receive the natural punishment that is due those who violate God's Law. We can either resent...

Romans 7:10–11 [10] The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. [11] For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. (ESV) I have heard parents say to their children, "Child, you are going to be the death of me." It is usually the reckless behavior of children that would cause a parent to say that. The worry and concern that comes along with parenting can be intense. We want what is absolutely the best for our child and yet they often choose the very thing that would destroy them. Paul is speaking of the Law and says, "You were going to be the death of me." Why is he saying this? Let's look at the idea that the commandment promised life. If it were possible for someone to fully keep the Law the promise would be holiness and life. What is the reality that Paul experienced? The Law was the death of him because it was impossible for him to keep it. Sin enters the picture for Paul in rela...

Romans 7:9 [9] I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. (ESV) I am not a doctor. Nor do I play one on TV. I can calculate that the distance between a person's head and their heart is roughly twelve inches. The distance between the head and the heart in a spiritual sense might as well be thousands of miles. There are many people who only have an understanding in their heads. That understanding never reaches their heart. Let's look at Paul himself. We know from his own account in the New Testament that the Apostle Paul was a "Pharisee of Pharisees." When it came to head knowledge of the Law there was no one who could compare. In Philippians 3:5 Paul gives a list of all his qualifications regarding the Law. He even refers to himself as blameless as to righteousness under the Law. Head knowledge. This is what Paul is talking about when he says that he was once alive apart from the Law. He is saying that he di...

Romans 7:8 [8] But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. (ESV) I love bonfires. There is nothing like a cool crisp fall day in New England with a bonfire roaring outside at night. Truth be told I should probably not be allowed anywhere near flames. I am accident prone and I do not always follow proper fire safety guidelines. I want the fire to be big and I want it to be big right now. What do you do when you want a fire to get larger? Some foolish people like myself apply gasoline to a fire. Consider a smoldering pile of coals when wood soaked in gasoline is applied. Not only are you going to have a large fire, you are going to have it immediately. I do not recommend that anyone try my methods. Paul is telling us that sin is kind of like my picture of smoldering coals. Sin lies dormant, until the Law is applied. The Law is like gasoline. It fuels the fire of our rebellious heart. W...

Romans 7:7 [7] What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” (ESV) It would be easy for Paul's readers to be confused. He spent a few verses talking about how the Law held us captive. He mentioned that the Law aroused in us every desire to do evil. The natural conclusion may be for someone to think that the Law itself is evil if it stirs up a desire in us to do evil. In today's verse Paul makes clear that the Law is by no means sin! The Law is anything but evil. Rather, it is the perfect description of God's holy standard. It is the very thing that stops us from saying, "I did not know I was in violation of God's Law. As soon as we look at the Law we immediately feel the guilt that comes from being exposed as the actual sinners we really are. Paul uses the illustration of coveting. In th...

Romans 7:6 [6] But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code. (ESV) When Jesus came the Earth the "spiritual leaders" had a really hard time with him. He was speaking of a new way to be made right with God. This new way was in Him! The Jews had only known the Old Testament Law for many centuries. Jesus had more authority than the Law because he was before the Law. He was the author of the Law. And in his life and death he fulfilled the Law for us. The Law had rules and obligations. There were judgments and punishments for those who broke the Law. Before a person took too many steps on a Sabbath day they were thinking about whether or not they would be breaking the Law. Eating a ham sandwich was not going to happen. Ever. A person's life was regulated by the Law. Imagine what would happen to a person who was bound by the Law if they no longe...