I believe these verses 14-25 as outward expression of Paul's state of mind 'subsequent' to his conversion. He used the words 'I am carnal' in the present tense referring to the state of humanity he found within himself he could not excape from on his own power.
After all he was filled with the inspiration of the Spirit of God to write the whole epistle to the Romans in one letter to the church at Rome so his being was already renewed with the power of the Spirit who had already given him the gifts of the Spirit needed to be an Apostle and Evangelist at the time of writing. Really, I have no theological theory to support. I say what I see here in my open bible and how I am impressed with the words as I read them.
The first context of verses Paul exhorted upon in Ro 7:5-13 was indeed about his former unconverted life. The period of time indication changes at verse 14 and onwards. Mind you, I am not clear if the santification comes only by keeping the law or not. I tend to think that we are made sanctified by God and He puts us in a schooling of sanctification where we keep the law by his power in us.
Actually I see verses 14 and onwards in the first person singular of Paul talking about himself but in accord with the experience of regenerated new Christians, like us, who have made a confession of faith in Jesus as Savior. Sinners wouldn't have this struggle because their conscience is seared and they don't care if they sin or not. We Christians have often expressed such feelings of struggle with temptation and disgust with out wanting to serve God in our hearts but the flesh is weak.
Paul was a renewed man. He wrote here telling us how he is exposed to temptations from his strong native appetites and passions. The old habits distressed him which showed kept showing up in him but he certainly wasn't wholly under their influence anymore. The Holy Spirit influence was now in him giving him new insight as to what sin really is. He struggled with the tendency of a natural inclination to indulge in that which is contrary to the law. This is the experience of my christian walk until I learned what the filling of the Spirit meant and began to practice living in the Spirit filled life. I still must be sober and watchful because the prowling Lion is out to gobble me up. And he can because my natural bent is more prevailing to carnal living than spiritual living. The threat of being sold to being a slave to Satan again is a real one. I can so fall that if I don't repent I loose my connection with Jesus for ever. That happens to Christians who dabble in little sins to often which lead to big sins which leds to slavery to sin again.
The more we live out the law of God in our daily lives the more we begin to see how spiritual, just and holy it is. To delight in the law of God, as Paul mentions he did in verse 22, gives evidence that he was converted, regenerated, born again and that the Spirit puts a love for the law of God in his heart. As Pharisee it was a religious act or like a business deal with God as he then forcefully outwardly gave the impression he was fullfilling the law of God. Now he says in these last verses of Ro 7 that he now hates evil. That could only come out of a man who had been convicted of sin by the H.Spirit like Paul had been already.
I never met a unregenerated person who had such a struggle with fleshly wishes and a spiritual life. Only regenerated, renewed Christians have this struggle. Paul had a fleshly problem of serving sin at times even while as an Evangelist called of God. He was authenticly a saved child of God. His serving sin was not voluntary but involuntary. The testimony of the spirit filled life is given in the next chapter. That was also his experience. He was not actively planning to sin as a christian. The wickedness just came out of him out of habit from his old nature. The old man, or old nature, is not eradicated and thus can be ignored or will never causes us problems. Then Satan wouldn't be a threat to us. We would be immune to his cunning. No, it is still on board but can be laid to rest when we live consistantly under the governing influence of the grace of God. When we walk in the Spirit we are capable of yielding spiritual obedience. When for some reason or other we as saints decide to walk in the flesh we are incapable to give God spiritual obedience. Instead we yield our members to the law of the flesh and sin when we go against the law of Love.
Santification in my opinion is a state of schooling where there are struggles of saints with a renewed sanctified soul who haven't attained perfection of habits in serving God in obedience.
The unregenerate doesn't give a poof about wether or not they are dead in tresspasses and sin, so Paul's insights were spoken from one who the Spirit was already working in for recognizing sin in his life. Paul was speaking in this context of verses 14-25 of knowing the will of God but not doing it, him seeing the holiness or good of the law but living in conflict to it's requirements. He is writing in these verses to a build up of the answer in Ro 8.
The more I think about it, the more I must be honest and confess that I've observed there are lots of us people around who have been illuminated by the H.Spirit to the point of actually experiencing conviction of sins in one's doings. We might even carry around a self-accusing conscience for having done something in service to the devil. Such ones also give honor that the law is right, just and good and delight to know God's ways but can't get that required holiness functioning in their lives. We are being overpowered with the love to favorite sins. I think of practicing SDA homo's, or drunks, or smokers, or those prone to temper tantrums wherein they sin against others.
In 1John 1 we are taught that we, believers of the kingdom, in declaring we have no sin deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. There is a struggle between grace and corruption in our members. This school of santification we saints are in, is there to let us stive against these sins and tendencies. God is expecting us to live a sin free overcoming life. Galation 5 teaches that the flesh lustesth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary one to the other so that you cannot do the things that you would.
Paul breathed out the wish to attain a perfection in holiness. He testifies to pressing on to the goal which is his high calling in Christ but he never gave testimony of having attained it. Paul sees into himself, sees his carnal flesh and recognises that there is nothing good there. I can testify to the same. The new nature in him, in us, in me, is the receiver for the possibility of the power of God to work His grace so to live a sin free life. WE are totally dependant on Him for such a process. WE are still in the flesh but can be so led by the power of God to live spiritual lives free from sin.
In Romans 7:23 Paul had the spiritual insight to see the conflict of a believer having two govenments of laws to choose from within his members now that he has the law of the kingdom come into his heart. Yes, I believe Christ had set up His throne in the heart of Paul as he nevertheless spoke of the struggle to resist the pull of the flesh.
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Joan
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