Chapter 2 - The Riddle of Romans 7: The Analysis

Romans 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

Romans 7:18b ...for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

Romans 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

Romans 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

These verses show one of the foremost universal dilemmas of the human experience. We first experienced this painful perplexity in our youth. In subsequent years, we confronted it over and over again, but not always consciously. Most of us have great personal familiarity with this quandary long before we read about it in the Bible. The pains of increasing life experiences tend to sharpen our focus and awareness of this riddle’s existence. The implications and consequences of our decisions and behaviors mount and lead to larger and larger internal anguish and pain. The larger the anguish of life a person experiences, the greater his or her capacity to identify with the lament of verse 24.

Counseling offices are filled with people trapped in the throes of the Romans 7 riddle with its attendant suffering. Many people seeking counseling already know the course they should take. But some cannot find it in themselves to follow the godly path, and others consciously do not wish to follow the path because to do so would, in their perception, cause more unbearable pain. Conversely, others are on ungodly paths they know they should abandon. However, they either cannot find it in themselves to step off the path or they perceive that doing so would cause more unbearable pain.

Let us begin our analysis of the Riddle of Romans 7 by looking at the positive qualities of the narrative. The speaker seems to be a sincere person who loves God and wants to do the right thing. In other words, he wants to be walking on a godly path. In order to delight in the law of God, we must assume that the person has a measure of knowledge of both God and His law. The speaker also possesses both the faculty of will power and the desire to do right. Alas, in spite of all these positive qualities, (sincerity, knowledge, willpower, and good intent) the speaker simply can’t live in a God-honoring manner. Verse 24 is the consummate lament of a person who is squarely facing this critically important Riddle Requiring Resolution, “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”

If we examine the Romans 7 passage further, we would find three significant elements the speaker is missing:

1. A “way” to be successful is missing.

2. The person is hopeless and functioning in bondage (lacks freedom).

3. The person is experiencing “death,” not “LIFE and Peace.”

The resolution of the Romans 7 riddle would require access and possession of these three missing ingredients. It is the purpose of this book to acquaint the Christian reader with these necessary elements for success.

Where did all this trouble begin? When did the riddle of Romans 7 emerge? The answer is the Garden of Eden. The rebellion of Adam and Eve had catastrophic implications for the entire human race that would follow. Adam and Eve were gravely altered as a consequence of their rebellion, and the changes that occurred to them are passed along genetically to the whole human race. It is essential to have a clear understanding of the ways in which what happened in Eden affects everyone born afterwards. Let us examine what happened in Eden and its implications for the riddle of Romans 7.

The Consequences of Eden’s rebellion:

1. Lost “LIFE”

2. Universal Bondage

3. Changed Thinking

4. Changed Emotions

5. Changed Behavior (Lost Way)

1. Lost “LIFE”:

1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Disobedience severed Adam and Eve from their “Life” source (God). As a consequence of their actions, all of their offspring were born dead. When you were born, you also were born dead. I have a dangling vine in my office that has suffered greatly to demonstrate this point to my counselees. When needing to illustrate how life is lost, I have frequently reached up and pulled a leaf from the vine, held it before my client, and asked,” Is the leaf before you alive or dead?”

It is true that the chemistry within the individual cells of the leaf continues to function for a period following the leaf’s being severed from the life source and, in a sense, the leaf appears to be alive for a time. However, the instant the leaf was severed from its life source, it died. Forces were set in motion at that instant which make it absolutely certain that unless the leaf is reconnected to a life source, it will most assuredly die. Because of Adam and Eve’s disobedience, they were disconnected from the “Life” source and consequently lost their “Life.” You, however, have already been reconnected to the “Life” source through your faith in Jesus Christ, although being reconnected to the “Life” source does not automatically lead to the experience of abundant “Life.” The lack of the experience of the “Abundant Life” is an element contributing to the riddle of Romans 7.

If I were to leave the severed leaf on my desk for a week, it would begin to look like it is dead, which it would be. It takes people 70 years, more or less, to look the way they are when they arrive here, which is also dead. Christians have been reconnected to the “Life” source. However, that does not mean they automatically walk in “Life.” It only means that “Life” is there for them.

2. Universal Bondage:

Hebrews 2:15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime

subject to bondage.

Bondage is another of three elements creating the Romans 7 riddle. Disobedience plummeted the whole human race into bondage to what the Bible defines as the fear of death. The manner in which this bondage manifests itself primarily and secondarily will be discussed in the subsequent section designated: Changed Behavior. The fear of death relates to the fear of not acquiring “Life.” The person who is bound is entrapped in an endless stream of lies. The most significant and incredible lie will be discussed in the next section.

Most of us do not spend a lot of time contemplating the implications of this universal bondage upon our lives. In fact, since the bondage is universal, most of us don’t even have a conscious awareness of its existence. It would be a wise endeavor to be aware of its existence and its daily effects upon our lives so we can take corrective action. Many Christians seem to believe that trusting Christ has automatically led to freedom from the genetic legacy of Eden’s disobedience. Indeed, they have been judicially and positionally been set free. Functionally, however, they are still bound by the riddle of Romans until they appropriate their freedom.

3. Changed Thinking

Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof

are the ways of death.

As a result of their disobedience Adam and Eve’s thinking processes were dramatically changed. They began to think in a way that seems right to man, that leads to death. The scripture calls this kind of thinking “carnal” or “natural” thinking.” Let me give you some examples of how their thinking was changed.

There are Degrees of “Life”:

People began to believe that there are degrees of “Life.” Join me anywhere people congregate and together, we could select people at random and ask them, “How much life do you have?” Most people would respond to us as if to add up the columns regarding their current life circumstances. It seems obvious to most that the happily married, healthy millionaire has more life than the recently unemployed person who is separated from their spouse and has health problems.

All “normal thinking” persons function as if there are degrees of life. People tend to look at the status of their family, their material possessions, their career status, etc. as an indication of how much life they have. According to a normal worldview, how much life you have is directly related to your circumstances. As a consequence of their thinking, circumstantial losses are equated to a loss of life. Circumstances begin to control how a person is experiencing life and how they feel.

Reality:

“Life” is all or none! Life is composed of a whole series of constituent elements which, when taken together, make up “Life.” So if a person has “Life,” they must have all the constituent elements that make up “Life.” A person cannot be half-alive!

Life is a Do-It-Yourself Project: