Paul uses human language like slavery and marriage to try and help us understand the great mysteries of Christ. In a way, they will remain a mystery, like how we are joined with Christ by the Spirit dwelling in us.

In Romans 7, Paul talks about marriage. He says we’re dead to the law so that we are free to marry another. Whom? “Him who has been raised from the dead.”

If we are to bear fruit for God, we must be married to Jesus.

If we live in the flesh, we bear fruit for death.

If we live in the Spirit of Christ, being joined to Him, we bear fruit for Life.

Then Paul speaks of sin in a personified way. Sin is like a person. Think of sin as the enemy. This enemy seizes every opportunity to deceive and kill.

Do you think of sin, with every and any little temptation, as an enemy trying to kill you? That’s what sin is to us.

We then get a description of what I call, “The Romans 7 Christian.” I have debated whether or not this person is saved. You don’t want to live in that uncertainty! We can have assurance of salvation, and you want to live in that!

The Romans 7 Christian has a desire to do what is right, but he can’t. He keeps sinning. He has no power over sin.

That’s not the description of a Christian. We just learned that we are slaves of righteousness, not slaves of sin, that in baptism we put to death the old man of sin.

The Romans 7 Christian isn’t walking in their salvation. They aren’t living by faith. They haven’t believed that they are joined with Christ in His death and resurrection.

We are saved by faith. The way out of sin isn’t a ten-step program or psychology. It’s Jesus.

We all need to realize what a wretched person we are, that there is no good in us, that we have no ability to overcome sin. But we also need to realize that by faith, the body of flesh and sin is dead, and I am joined to the holy Body of Christ.