THE LAW IS A MIRROR TO GRACE

 

Romans 7:7-25

Holy law exposes the evil of sin and it points us to Christ. God uses a holy thing (Law) to reveal an evil thing (sin) so that a necessary thing (death) might result in the most important thing (life). Chapter 6 defends the grace of God and chapter 7 defends the law of God in the life of the church and the Christian life. God has a standard of righteousness by which He measures character. This standard is God’s holy law, which is given to us as a rule of life. We are called upon to comply with its requirements out of love towards the Godhead. When we do this! We honor the Godhead; for God gave the law, and Christ died to magnify it, and made it honorabe in a new way through the Spirit to love Him.

 

Jesus said “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” John 15:9-11

 

In John’s first epistle he said, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin…..Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” 1 John 2:1-6

 

In the greatest message ever preached the underlining truth is that God demands perfect righteousness of the heart.  “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matt 5:48

 

There are many hearers, but few doers, of the words of Christ.

God’s word may be academically accepted,

but not loved from the heart.

 

In James letter he told Christians to examine themselves in light of  God’s Word. “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” James 1:22-25

 

But….. if they are not stamped upon the soul, and woven into the life, they will have no sanctifying effect upon the character. It is one thing to accept the truth, and another thing to practice it in the daily life. Paul reminds the believers that the law is a mirror into our soul and our sanctification, as we continue being transformed by His grace.

 

The Bible is a mirror not a window.

 

Everyone thinks they’re a good person until they look into the mirror of God’s law and realize how bad they are. Voddie Baucham wrote, “The Law is a mirror. God gives us His perfect Law so that we can look at His Law and see into our souls, so we can see the sinner that we are.” As Paul previously said, “as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one;” Rom 3:10. When a person looks into a mirror they are discovering what they look like. When you look into God’s Perfect Law you are discovering what your life is like. What does a mirror reveal about your life?

 

The Law Reveals The Problem We Inherited. 

(v7-v12)

 

We look around and we say the problem is out there, but if we were honest we would say, “the problem starts with me”. R C Sproul said, “The revelatory character of God’s law is a mirror by which we see not only the glory and radiance of God’s perfection but also ourselves, warts and all.” We have to understand what Paul is saying here and that is “The law is not sin; it makes known to us our sin.” Paul says “I would have not known I was a sinner if it were not for the law.” This is not only a general awareness but a personal one as well. A person can no longer say, “I didn’t know I was coveting” because the law assumes responsibility on the part of the sinner. The “law is was a tutor” as Paul said in Gal 3:24-25. No one comes to the true gospel confession until their own hearts has been exposed by the mirror of God’s holy and perfect law.

 

The law is what the Spirit uses to bring

us to the foot of the cross.

Without the mirror of the law we wouldn’t come to the foot of the cross ever seeking His mercy, and grace, for our sins. Just as Paul says “Produced in me all kinds of covetousness” (v8) Why? The Scripture teach that prior to conversion mankind is darkened in their understanding and they walk in uselessness of mind. Paul’s experience…. mirrors Adam’s and the fallen state of humanity in the way the law reveals our death. In Eze 18:20 we read, “The soul who sins is the one who will die.” Sin is empowered by the commandment of the law…so the commandment puts me to death. This reveals the same argument a child would use with their parents. (v10-v11)

 

“If you hadn’t told me not to cross the street,

I wouldn’t be getting a spanking.”

This portion of Paul’s confession is like “Adam, Paul, and all of us, protest to God, “If you hadn’t told me not to covet, I wouldn’t be dead!”

 

But He did tell us, by exposing our hearts to His perfect

Law, and in return we are dead.

 

The law exposes our darkened hearts to see the grace of the gospel. “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.” Eph 4:17-19

 

Paul says in the opening verses that the law exposes sin in its true colour. (v7-v8) The more you understand the character of God and His attributes the more aware you become of your own sin that is so ever present with you. The more I understand the more I wrestle with the Law’s revelation of a still alive sin nature in me. These are the birth spasms that Paul speaks about in the next chapter. Rom 8:22-23. Paul is sharing about his struggle…this is important because we know we are in good company because we all feel the same way. This testimony of Paul is a picture of what every person who comes to faith in Christ experiences.

 

The law reminded you of who you were, but also

who you are now in Christ Jesus.

As Paul said, “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” 

Col 2:13-14

 

The law is holy and just and no one comes to faith in Christ apart from the recognition of his or her sin. Understand what the law reveals is that it is a gracious things for one to recognize his or her sinfulness. See! The problem isn’t the Law, but our response to the law of God when it’s revealed before us. As Paul says in (v12) the “law is holy” which means it’s never legalism to follow the law of God. God’s law is holy because He is holy and when we are not obeying God’s law we are doing what is unholy. Remember, “God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.” 1 Thess 4:7. Peter said, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." 1 Peter 1:14-16

 

The Law Reveals The Battle The Christian Faces In Their Sanctification. (v13-v24)

The real battle of sin interior of the heart and mind. To feel as Paul feels is a sign of God’s sanctification in your life, which then lead to find that you are secure in His arms. See there is a difference between eternal security and eternal assurance. Security is that you know it’s all of Christ alone, His death and resurrection which leads us to repentance and faith in His gospel. Assurance is day by day of growing as you love and serve Christ, with all your heart, mind, and strength, because of His salvation He so freely gave. And our eternal position gives persevering evidence to our assurance in the gospel of our salvation.

 

How do I know that’s true in my life? Let me ask you!

 

Do you desire to please Him?

Do you desire to walk in holiness?

Do you desire to honor and obey His word?

Do you desire to know Him?

Do you desire that He would know you and love you?

Do you desire to love Him?

 

We would all say, “yes”, but our response would be “ I can’t do this on my own” Exactly! That is what Paul is reminding us this morning in this text of Scripture. It’s all of grace, that’s what it’s been all along. Law exposes, where grace forgives in the gospel. Our greatest assurance in this battle of the flesh is when we love Him, serving Him, and worship Him. Why? Because the natural man or women doesn’t have these desire that you and I have. Paul knew it, and so do you and I know all too well the battle we face with our own flesh.

 

The best way to describe this battle is what the Romans did to those who wrongfully took another person’s life. It is said in ancient world that when some murdered someone, the body of the victim would be tied or strapped around their waist and they would have to carry that body for the remainder of their days. And it is said over time as the body would begin to decay it would attack the flesh of the one carrying the corpse and that person would eventually die as well. This is perfect illustration of our natural flesh that is trying to bring our minds into captivity.

 

Our dead sinful nature is trying to kill us and the only thing that keeps that from happening is the work of Spirit in your life. Paul had such torture of mind when he expressed his longing to be free from this body of death. Paul is writing in the “present tense”, he talks of a painful, ongoing struggle in his life. What Paul is expressing is a state of unhappiness or blessedness. When Paul looks at his sin, he saw wretchedness and this threatened and overwhelmed him by the power of this misery. He could see nothing in himself in which to delight in. The struggle was real. (v24). The struggle of walking according to the Spirit and surrendering to the useless remnants of the flesh.

 

There are no short cuts or easy steps to

godly and holy living.

 

This cry of Paul comforts us, as we cry out this same longing. Again we are in good company. Isaiah witnessed, and felt the same way, “And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!" And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!" Isaiah 6:3-5. Though we are nowhere where we should be, we know that we are completely dependent on Christ through this.

 

And free from the bondage that once held us captive I know what I want to be, and I know where I need to be; but I still struggle with this war of my flesh daily. This also reminds us of what we are not anymore, lost, blind and depraved children. We are born again and we are declared His, despite that our natural flesh wants to wage war on our minds. One thing we always need to remind ourselves as we take the pilgrims road. We are never to evaluate the Christian life by our failures and short comings. Why? We know our weaknesses and temptation, we know we fall into patterns of sin or possibly been taught wrongly about His grace.

 

We know that if we endeavor to live a holy life apart from….. The power of the indwelling Spirit and independently of the grace of the gospel that has been given…… It Will End In Ruin. “All such efforts are sure to end in wretchedness. We can no more sanctify ourselves than we can justify ourselves.” The divine deliverance from the power of sin and death is the gift of God’s grace, as we are forgiven in the gospel of His Son.

 

The Law Points Us To Christ (v25)

 

As one theologian said “It is only when we have come to the very end of all our strivings and resolving’s, and have abandoned ourselves to the Savior, He should do in us and for us what we cannot do for ourselves, that we are led to cry, “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” If we have problems walking in this Christian life, inconsistencies in our journey…… we can look to Christ. The only answer to our problems is found in (v25)

 

Paul is acknowledging his inability to save himself and cry’s out a question! Who has the power to delivery me from this body of death? Its interesting Paul doesn’t say “What must I do?” but “Who will rescue me? Paul is making it very clear that the cause of his frustration and torment is this body of death and that he is helpless against it in his own strength.\

 

“Who can set us or deliver us free?”

 

“Set free” has the basic idea of rescuing from danger, as a solider would go out on the battlefield to save his wounded comrades. Paul’s cry is that longing for the day when he would be rescued from the last remnant of his old, sinful, unredeemed flesh. Answer to his question? (v25) “I Thank God, through Jesus Christ!” All our praise goes to Jesus Christ, though we still live in these sinful shells. Understand! We are safe and secure in the Sovereign arms of God through the Lord Jesus Christ as will see in the next chapter. We are no longer the wretched people we once were, though we will battle this flesh until our last breath on earth. John Newton said, “I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am” Why could Newton say that? Because Paul said this, “…I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Phil 1:6. 

Though our enemies are many, we have one (the flesh), who is trying to take our minds captive off of the promises of God. When you feel defeated in battle and doubt God’s goodness in your life come to this portion of Paul’s open confession and rest here. We have a Redeemer a Deliver, whom promises to deliver us fully and finally from this body of death that wages war against us in this life. And God’s holy Law keeps us in check as we look into the mirror of His divine character. The Law is good, for it reveals to us the righteousness He demands. The Law reveals the utter pervasiveness of sin and for the believer this is grace. The Law reveals that when we try to live a life that pleasing to God in our own strength we will fail every time. The Law reveals to us the answer to all our struggles and warfare….”Praise be to Christ”

 

We can find comfort in the storms of life and the flesh; as

God refines us for eternity.

 

And our victory is in Him as Paul said to the Corinthian believers. “The first man was from the earth, a man of dust (Adam); the second man is from heaven (Christ our Redeemer and Lord). As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” 1 Cor 15:47-58