Galatians 5 gives us a partial list of the production of the sin nature associated with spiritual death. Galatians 5:19-21, “Now, the works [actions] of the flesh [sin nature] are plainly seen such as [a representative list of sinful passions leading to sins] fornication [pornea: including adultery], mental and moral defilement from wrong doing [akatharsia] and sexual sins related to abnormality and criminality [the Greek word aselgeia: extreme indulgence in sensual pleasure related to alcohol, drugs and sexual perversions including sexual sins related to idolatry and human sacrifice]. (20) Idolatry, sorcery [witchcraft; drug users], antagonisms [hostile feelings and actions toward others related to pettiness], strife [discord, contention for superiority], jealousy, outburst of anger, selfish ambition [rivalry, competition], dissensions [trouble makers such as the Judaizers], religious factions [self-seeking, contentious groups; heresies], (21) envies, drunkenness, carousing [orgies], and similar things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you, that those who keep practicing [throughout their lives] similar things as these shall not inherit [the rewards in] the kingdom of God [the eternal state].”

 

Romans 7:6 But now [at salvation] we have been released from the Law [as the marriage counselor of first marriage] through having died to that by which we were bound [divorced from sin nature], that we might serve in a new marriage [to Christ] by the Spirit and not in the old marriage by the letter [of the Mosaic Law].

 

νυνὶ δὲ κατηργήθηµεν ἀπὸ τοῦ νόµου, ἀποθανόντες ἐν ᾧ κατειχόµεθα, ὥστε δουλεύειν ἡµᾶς ἐν καινότητι πνεύµατος καὶ οὐ παλαιότητι γράµµατος.

 

A few points for clarification:

 

1.  The Law counselled that mankind has a bad marriage in relationship to the old sin nature. The Mosaic Law counselled that as unbelievers, we

needed to divorce that bastard.

 

2.  The Law also points to the solution by revealing salvation through the Levitical offerings, the various articles of furniture in the tabernacle, the holy days, the modus operandi of the Levitical priesthood.

 

3.  Once mankind has believed in Christ the Law can do nothing further as a marriage counsellor since the believer is married to Christ through Current Positional Truth and the new marriage counsellor is God the Holy Spirit.

 

4.  Therefore, the believer has been released from the Law as the marriage counsellor of the first marriage as per Romans10:4, “For Christ is the termination of the Law [The Christian is under a higher law namely the spiritual life as found in New Testament epistles taught through the Filling of the Spirit] with reference to righteousness to that one because he believes.”

 

Romans 7:7

 

Therefore, to what conclusion are we forced?  Is the Law sin [Is there anything wrong with the marriage counselor]?  Definitely not!  On the contrary, I was not cognizant of the sin nature except through the Law; for instance, I did not understand the lust pattern except the Law kept on saying, "You will not lust."

 

Τί οὖν ἐροῦµεν; ὁ νόµος ἁµαρτία; µὴ γένοιτο· ἀλλὰ τὴν ἁµαρτίαν οὐκ ἔγνων εἰ µὴ διὰ νόµου, τήν τε γὰρ ἐπιθυµίαν οὐκ ᾔδειν εἰ µὴ ὁ νόµος ἔλεγεν, Οὐκ ἐπιθυµήσεις.

 

Literally, the phrase of the first three words is translated, “Therefore what shall we say?” But this is an idiom and you do not translate idioms literally. The idiom actually means, “Therefore to what conclusion are we forced?” Doctrinal teaching leads to a correct inference, but there is always the danger of coming to a false conclusion through poor workmanship namely that the Mosaic Law is no good. Paul uses the rhetorical debater’s idiom in asking the question “is the Law sin?” to refute a distortion that there is something wrong with the Law. The rhetorical question in the Greek is used to introduce a false assumption in order to set it up as a straw man and then knock it down. In asking this question Paul recognizes the believer’s failure to rightly divide the Word of truth, and it also indicates a certain prejudice against the Law as having no value of any kind when in fact it is a gift from God; an instrument created by God.

 

A few points for clarification:

 

1. In Romans chapter 6 the writer, the apostle Paul states that the believer is dead to the old sin nature and death is tantamount to divorce. When a divorce occurs between two people, they are dead to each other. In Romans 7:1-6, Paul emphasized the believer’s death to the Mosaic Law. Once the advice of the Mosaic Law is followed, namely to believe in Jesus Christ, then the divorce of the sin nature has occurred and also death to the marriage counsellor. 

 

2. Since both the Mosaic Law and the old sin nature are placed in the same category of being dead to the believer a misconception on the part of some has arisen. Paul, in dealing with this misconception that the Mosaic Law is no good. 

 

3. Many of the believers in Rome to whom this was originally addressed erroneously assumed that the Mosaic Law is evil since it is associated with the old sin nature. However, they failed to remember that it is the Mosaic Law which exposes the old sin nature. So, it is not evil, but necessary for our instruction.

 

4. Therefore, Paul demonstrated that the Law is not evil and not in any way related to the sin nature. That which exposes or reveals sin, human good and evil is not evil. As the marriage counsellor, it revealed that our marriage to the sin nature was hopeless.

 

Romans 7:8

 

But the sin nature, having grasped the opportunity through the 10th commandment [you will not lust], produced in me every category of lust [Paul understood that he functioned under many lusts after studying the Mosaic Law]. For apart from the Law, the sin nature is dead [unknown].

 

ἀφορµὴν δὲ λαβοῦσα ἡ ἁµαρτία διὰ τῆς ἐντολῆς κατειργάσατο ἐν ἐµοὶ πᾶσαν ἐπιθυµίαν· χωρὶς γὰρ νόµου ἁµαρτία νεκρά.

 

Verses 7, 8, the function of the Law in exposing the old sin nature: All of the genius of the unbeliever cannot discover the old sin nature with its trends toward sin, good, and evil. Only the revelation from God provides this information. And revelation from God in God’s Word, specifically the Mosaic Law, reveals the old sin nature as the sovereign of human life ruling through spiritual death. Satan is the sovereign of this world but the old sin nature is the sovereign of human life. Mankind is blind to the status quo of the first marriage apart from the function of and ministry of the Mosaic Law. Specifically, then, the Mosaic Law is the marriage counsellor indicating a bad first marriage and presenting the solution related to the Lord Jesus Christ in Codex 2.

 

The tenth commandment as literally translated from Exodus 20:17. “You shall not lust for your neighbour’s house; you shall not lust for your neighbour’s wife, or his male servant, or his female slave, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbour.” The tenth commandment not only deals with the subject of lust but it emphasizes the importance of human freedom in terms of property, privacy, and modus vivendi. In other words, you have a right to your privacy, your property, to a way of life that suits you.

 

1. Lust implies an origin or source and that source is the sin nature.

 

2. Since lust is prohibited by the 10th commandment the obvious conclusion is that lusts which bring about the trends of the old sin nature are to be restrained or inhibited.

 

3. Of the Ten Commandments only the 10th commandment mentions lust and obviously is the missing link between the source, the sin nature and the actual sin or function of sin, good, evil.

 

4. The genetically formed old sin nature constantly has desires which are inordinate. The old sin nature throws out impulses. Some of them are directed toward good, some toward evil, some toward sin.

 

5. The old sin nature desires or lusts what belongs to others, whether people, property, possessions, authority, power, recognition, or approbation.

 

6. Having discovered lust through the Law, the marriage counsellor, Paul became cognizant of the first marriage to the old sin nature which marriage took place at birth.

 

Romans 7:9

 

Now at one time, I lived apart from the Law; but when the 10th commandment came [into my consciousness] the sin nature was activated, [became known to me] and I realized that I was spiritually dead. [The Greek is found at the beginning of the next verse.]

 

ἐγὼ δὲ ἔζων χωρὶς νόµου ποτέ· ἐλθούσης δὲ τῆς ἐντολῆς ἡ ἁµαρτία ἀνέζησεν,

 

A few points for clarification:

 

1. The old sin nature used the prohibition of the 10th commandment to assert its authority over mankind through sponsoring disobedience to the 10th commandment.

 

2. The Law as a marriage counsellor says to mankind, ‘Do not lust,’ but the first husband, the old sin nature says, ‘Lust in every category.’

 

3. The Law, by prohibiting lust, was a good marriage counsellor.

 

4. The husband, the old sin nature, by demanding lust was an evil husband ruling through spiritual death.

 

5. Every category of lust refers to the trends of the first husband, the old sin nature.

 

6. The old sin nature indwells the body, being genetically formed in the cell structure of the human body, including the brain.

7. The old sin nature is aggressive and belligerent. Using the 10th commandment as an opportunity to flaunt its sovereignty over life, the old sin nature produces in the human being every category of lust.

 

8. You cannot solve a problem until you are aware that there is a problem. The sin nature was dead in the sense of being unknown as a problem until the Mosaic Law came along.

 

9. The Mosaic Law and the 10th commandment caused mankind to become cognizant of the problem of the old sin nature and spiritual death.

 

A few points regarding Paul:

 

1. Paul, like all of us, acquired the old sin nature at birth.

 

2. Paul, however, was ignorant of the marriage or the presence of the old sin nature until the Law revealed it.

 

3. When Paul’s ignorance was dispelled by the Law, he became aware of the residence of the old sin nature and the resultant problem of spiritual death. He could not solve the problem of spiritual death and the function of the sin nature until he became aware of that problem.

 

4. Ignorance must be replaced with cognizance. This can only occur through the communication of the Mosaic Law to the unbeliever and the communication of pertinent Bible doctrine to the believer via the teaching ministry of God the Holy Spirit. 

 

5. This is why the Mosaic Law is the marriage counsellor of the first marriage and the Holy Spirit is the marriage counsellor of the second marriage. Both marriage counsellors are perfect. One marriage counsellor is from God, the other is God.

 

Romans 7:10

 

And that commandment [the Mosaic Law], which points to life [as found in the Christology and Soteriology of Codex 2 of the Mosaic Law], the same was discovered by me pointing to spiritual death [as found in Codex 1 namely the decalogue].

 

ἐγὼ δὲ ἀπέθανον, καὶ εὑρέθη µοι ἡ ἐντολὴ ἡ εἰς ζωὴν αὕτη εἰς θάνατον·

 

Romans 7:11

 

For the sin nature, having seized the opportunity through the 10th commandment, deceived me and through the same [10th commandment] killed me [made me realize that I was spiritually dead].

 

ἡ γὰρ ἁµαρτία ἀφορµὴν λαβοῦσα διὰ τῆς ἐντολῆς ἐξηπάτησέν µε καὶ διí αὐτῆς ἀπέκτεινεν.

 

A few points of clarification:

 

1. The deception includes the fact that marriage to the sin nature from physical birth means spiritual death to God.

 

2. Before man can be alive to God, he must be dead or divorced from the old sin nature.

 

3. This is accomplished at salvation through the Holy Spirit identifying the Christian with Christ on the cross in Retroactive Positional Truth.

 

4. Man is deceived by the old sin nature’s trends toward good and evil into the delusion that the old sin nature can actually produce what is pleasing to God.

 

5. Hence, the old sin nature whose function is good and evil deludes the human race into thinking that lust and gratification of that lust is justifiable.

 

6. This is the foundation for every system of good and evil, including socialism, the welfare state, communism, plus all of the Marxist theories.   

 

7. While man thinks that he is accomplishing the greater good for the greater number he is in reality creating evil to satisfy his lust pattern and to serve Satan as the ruler of this world.

 

8. This religious rationalism is the basis for the terrible evils which have come into existence in contemporary history.

 

9. Human good is a deception, a delusion, a rationalization, the function of the lust pattern of the old sin nature.

 

Romans 7:12

 

As a matter of fact, therefore, the Law is holy, also the 10th commandment is holy, righteous, and absolute good.

 

ὥστε ὁ µὲν νόµος ἅγιος, καὶ ἡ ἐντολὴ ἁγία καὶ δικαία καὶ ἀγαθή.

 

1. This verse concludes that the Law is not the culprit. It did a perfect job as the marriage counsellor of our first marriage. In fact, it not only states the problem of our first marriage to the sin nature, but also points out the solution as found in Codex 2.

 

2. Because the Law as a marriage counsellor points out the problem of spiritual death, it does not follow that the Law sponsors spiritual death nor condones it.  Regarding condemnation, God does the condemning through the Law His instrument of condemnation.

 

3. Because the Law as a marriage counsellor points out that the first husband is sinful it does not follow that the Law is sinful.

 

4. In fact, man is sinful because he possesses the sin nature from birth. Man is spiritually dead because Adam’s Original Sin was imputed to his sin nature at birth.

 

5. Man is sinful because he possesses the old sin nature and commits personal sin, not because the Law says he is sinful.

 

Romans 7:13

 

Therefore, did that which is good [the Mosaic Law] become a cause of death to me [spiritual death]? Definitely not! But the sin nature, in order that it might be revealed through the good [the Mosaic Law], made spiritual death a reality to me, in order that the sin nature might become utterly sinful by the commandment [the 10th].

 

Τὸ οὖν ἀγαθὸν ἐµοὶ ἐγένετο θάνατος; µὴ γένοιτο· ἀλλὰ ἡ ἁµαρτία, ἵνα φανῇ ἁµαρτία, διὰ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ µοι κατεργαζοµένη θάνατον· ἵνα γένηται καθí ὑπερβολὴν ἁµαρτωλὸς ἡ ἁµαρτία διὰ τῆς ἐντολῆς.

 

The Mosaic Law is good to us because it reveals to us that we have a problem as an unbeliever in the status quo of spiritual death. The rhetorical question, “Therefore, did that which is good become a cause of spiritual death to me?” is designed to reflect the thinking of those who distort the teaching of the apostle Paul. The rhetorical question is a debater’s technique for anticipating and refuting the erroneous conclusions made by those listening to Paul’s teaching. Obviously then, the intrinsic good in the Mosaic Law did not produce spiritual death in mankind. Something that is intrinsically good cannot suddenly become something that is evil. Good can be turned into evil but not intrinsic good. The function of the Mosaic Law is to reveal the problem and to reveal the solution. Furthermore, the utter sinfulness of the old sin nature is revealed by the Mosaic Law.

 

A few further points for clarification:

 

1. Personal sin is not the basis for condemnation of the human race.

 

2. Only one sin is the basis for the condemnation of the human race namely Adam’s original transgression in the garden. This original sin of Adam is imputed to each one of us at birth resulting in spiritual death and subsequent condemnation from the integrity of God.

 

3. Here a contrast begins. God creates soul-life at birth which he then imputes to biological life resulting in man having a soul possessing human life as per Genesis 2:7. Simultaneously, Adam’s original sin is imputed to its genetically-prepared home, the old sin nature resulting in spiritual death.

 

4. Therefore, personal sin is a manifestation of the old sin nature’s sovereignty over human life, but not the means of condemnation from the justice of God.

 

5. Therefore, the true ministry of the Mosaic Law is to reveal the existence of the old sin nature through the perfect norms and standards of God stated in the Mosaic Law.

 

6. These standards reveal both the lust pattern of the old sin nature and the status produced by the old sin nature namely spiritual death.

 

Romans 7:14

 

Certainly, we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am fleshly [the sin nature residing in the cell structure of Paul’s body] when I have been led astray under the authority of the sin nature.

 

οἴδαµεν γὰρ ὅτι ὁ νόµος πνευµατικός ἐστιν· ἐγὼ δὲ σάρκινός εἰµι, πεπραµένος ὑπὸ τὴν ἁµαρτίαν.

 

1. The Law is spiritual because it comes from God and fulfils the divine purpose in human history related to the angelic conflict.

 

2. The Law is a counsellor of the first marriage to the old sin nature which it exposes as tyrannical and evil.

 

3. At this point comes a great shift of emphasis. Up to this point the emphasis has been on the culprit, the old sin nature. Because of the transition from the first marriage to the second marriage, a new emphasis is placed on the wife. Will the wife in her second marriage to Christ be faithful to Christ her new husband or will she go back to her Ex?  

4. Since the former husband, the sin nature has tremendous influence over the Christian who is now in his second marriage, the only power strong enough to deal with this influence is the spiritual life. Only when the Christian functions under the two power options will he ever be able to resist the influence of the sin nature on a consistent basis.  ***

 

Romans 7:15

 

For what I accomplish, I do not understand, because what I desire to do, these things I am not accomplishing; but what I detest, these things I keep doing.

 

ὃ γὰρ κατεργάζοµαι οὐ γινώσκω· οὐ γὰρ ὃ θέλω τοῦτο πράσσω, ἀλλí ὃ µισῶ τοῦτο ποιῶ.

 

When Paul wrote the book of Romans, he was either in spiritual maturity or very close to it. However, for our benefit, he writes in retrospection regarding his difficulty as a new believer. Paul represents himself as resolving to advance spiritually, desiring to please Christ and wishing to take in doctrine in order to achieve the objective, but all these good intentions were neutralised by the machinations of the first husband, the old sin nature, with its trends toward sin, good and evil.

 

The new believer has very little power in his soul to resist the sin nature. The only power more powerful than the sin nature is metabolized doctrine in the soul and this takes time to accomplish. The more the Christian advances in the spiritual life, the more power he has available to him to defeat the sin nature.

 

1. This verse indicates the successful attack of the first husband in the realm of volition.

 

2. The Sin Nature has overcome the determination of the believer by leading him into a modus operandi which he does not understand, which he often despises, but nevertheless continues in it.

 

3. Therefore, the attack of the first husband succeeds apart from the believer’s use of the Recovery Procedure and advancing spiritually.

           

4. To do things you do not desire to do and to keep on doing them is an obvious warning of the inner conflict between the two husbands.

 

5. The first husband is the old sin nature, and though divorced through retroactive positional truth, he desperately continues his activity inside of every believer. He is trying to seduce the believer by bringing him under his authority and under the trends of sin, good, and evil.

 

6. To experientially place yourself under orders to the second husband requires spiritual growth and patience.

 

7. There is no way for the believer to break out of this dilemma apart from the Filling of the Holy Spirit and the daily perception of the Word of God.

 

8. Only the Filling of the Spirit and Bible doctrine resident in the soul can break the power and the influence of the old sin nature in life.

 

Let’s briefly review the Spiritual Life which alone is able to defeat the sin nature.

 

1. The use of the Recovery Procedure to enter the spiritual life.

2. The Filling of the Spirit.

3. The Faith-rest Drill.

4. Grace Orientation

5. Doctrinal Orientation

6. Personal Sense of Destiny/Spiritual Self-Esteem

7. Personal love for God the Father

8. Impersonal love

9. Sharing the happiness of God

10. Occupation with Christ