The apostle had shown, in chap Romans 4:15, that "the law worketh wrath," and is unable to give justification and salvation. He had further said, in chap Romans 6:14, that believers are not under law, but under grace. This latter idea he proceeds in the present chapter to unfold, in verses Romans 7:... [ Continue Reading ]
LOOSED FROM THE LAW OF HER HUSBAND; from the law which, so long as he lived, bound him to her as her husband, and thus bound her to him.... [ Continue Reading ]
SHE IS FREE FROM THAT LAW; the release of her husband from it by death, is her release also.... [ Continue Reading ]
YE ALSO ARE BECOME DEAD TO THE LAW; in carrying out the comparison, the apostle necessarily changes its form somewhat. He could not well say that the law, which may be here regarded as their former husband, was dead. Instead of that, he says, Ye are become dead to the law; the essential idea being t... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE FLESH; in their natural state, with no ground for justification except obedience to law, and under the necessity of perfectly obeying it or suffering its curse. Its strict requirements and its awful threatenings, instead of leading them to love and obey it, were the occasion, through their wi... [ Continue Reading ]
WE; Christians, who have seen that by the works of the law we cannot be justified, have given up dependence on obedience to it, and are trusting in the atonement and righteousness of Christ for salvation. ARE DELIVERED FROM THE LAW; not as a just measure of obligation, but as a ground of justificat... [ Continue Reading ]
IS THE LAW SIN? is the law answerable for sin because no one can be justified by it, and because it is made the occasion of increasing the wickedness of those who break it? By no means. NAY; on the contrary, I HAD NOT KNOWN SIN; I had not understood my own exceeding sinfulness, had I not seen mysel... [ Continue Reading ]
SIN; his sinful inclination led him to resist the commandment, and the more to indulge evil desires in opposition to its requirements. Resistance to its restraints increased his wickedness, and showed, beyond what he had before seen, his depravity of heart. SIN WAS DEAD; was in a slumbering state,... [ Continue Reading ]
I WAS ALIVE; in my own estimation, and thought I was blameless as touching the law. Philippians 3:6. THE COMMANDMENT; that which extends to all the thoughts and desires of the soul, and requires them to be holy, just, and good. CAME; came to be apprehended in its spirituality and extent. SIN REVI... [ Continue Reading ]
ORDAINED TO LIFE; to give life to all who should perfectly obey it. UNTO DEATH; because I had broken it and fallen under its curse.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR SIN; sin reigning in my soul. TAKING OCCASION BY THE COMMANDMENT; as Satan in Eden took occasion of the prohibition to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge. DECEIVED ME; as Satan did Eve, and thus seduced me into disobedience. The apostle has in view the blinding and deceiving nature of sinf... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT WHICH IS GOOD; the good law of God. MADE DEATH UNTO ME? Was it the law which caused his ruin? By no means. It was his own wicked violations of it. SIN; this was the cause of his ruin. WORKING DEATH IN ME BY THAT WHICH IS GOOD; by leading me to resist the law, to sin against greater light and... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LAW IS SPIRITUAL; it requires perfect holiness of spirit; that men should love God with all their heart and soul and mind and strength; and that whatever they do, they should do all to the glory of God. But not even Paul, after his conversion, and after he had been preaching the gospel for years... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT WHICH I DO; in violation of the law of God. I ALLOW NOT; I do not love it, delight in it, or approve of it. WHAT I WOULD; to obey perfectly the law of God, THAT DO I NOT. WHAT I HATE; to act in violation of it, or in any respect to fail of perfectly obeying it, THAT I DO.... [ Continue Reading ]
I CONSENT UNTO THE LAW; by disapproving and hating all violations of it, and condemning myself on account of them, I show that I approve the law as wise, holy, just, and good.... [ Continue Reading ]
NO MORE I-BUT SIN; it is not my habitual inclination, my prevailing desire, to break the law. I do not love transgression, but abhor it; yet in many things I offend, and in all come short of perfect obedience, through the power of temptation and the strength of my own evil propensities, which are no... [ Continue Reading ]
IN ME; by nature. IN MY FLESH; my natural heart, as it is under the influence of law merely, without the grace of God. NO GOOD THING; nothing spiritually good; even now, under the influences of the Spirit and grace of God, much evil still remains. TO WILL IS PRESENT; I desire to be completely con... [ Continue Reading ]
A LAW; a constant tendency to evil, when I desire to be and do that only which is perfectly good.... [ Continue Reading ]
I DELIGHT IN THE LAW OF GOD; love it, and desire perfectly to obey it. AFTER THE INWARD MAN; inwardly, from the heart. I not merely approve of it in my conscience and judgment, but through the grace of God, I love it as the transcript of infinite perfection. Psalms 1:2; Psalms 119:24; Psalms 119:77... [ Continue Reading ]
ANOTHER LAW; different from my prevailing inclination, my earnest desire. WARRING AGAINST; opposing, hindering, and thwarting the full accomplishment of my wishes. THE LAW OF MY MIND; the desires of my heart, inspired by the Holy Ghost. Galatians 5:17. BRINGING ME INTO CAPTIVITY; a loathsome, hat... [ Continue Reading ]
WRETCHED MAN; on account of remaining proneness to sin. WHO SHALL DELIVER ME; not the law, not my own efforts, or my abhorrence of myself on account of disobedience-not any expedients which ever have been or can be devised by creatures. Left to these merely, he who is filthy will remain filthy stil... [ Continue Reading ]
I THANK GOD; for his unspeakable gift. 2 Corinthians 9:15; 1 PETER 1:8. There is deliverance-complete, everlasting deliverance from all evil, and all propensity or liability to evil, THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD; who, though he was rich, for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might... [ Continue Reading ]