Paul's struggle with sin and the Holy Spirit in Romans 7:7-25

¶ … book of Romans from the bible as it relates to sin and the Holy Spirit. The author presents examples of the two as they are illustrated in the book of Roman. There were 10 sources used to complete this paper.

Since the beginning of time mankind has been going through a spiritual journey in which a constant quest for truth has been sought out. One of the largest and oldest faiths in modern history is the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholics follow the bible and believe that it is the direct word of God. Each book of the bible tells a story that is meant to guide mankind in the quest for goodness and truth. The book of Romans illustrates several elements of the Holy Spirit as it is held against the temptation of sin. Chapter seven of Romans places a focus on many aspects of the Catholic beliefs that can be correlated to the Holy Spirit and Sin.

The battle between good and evil, right and wrong, the Holy Spirit and Sin has raged on since the beginning of time.

Romans 7:7 through 7:25 provide guidance in the quest for the Holy Spirit and the fight against sin.

THE CHURCH

Before one can begin to understand the importance of those particular verses one must first have an understanding of the Roman church and some of the key elements of that church.

The Roman Catholic Church is one of the largest and oldest faiths of modern history.

Christianity was made legal during the fourth century through an Edict of Milan that was created by Constantine.

The church believes that God is the higher power and creator of all things. They believe that Jesus Christ was the son of God and was sent to earth to spread his Father's word. They also believe that the ten commandments are the laws by which man should live. Catholics take part in many rituals that include confession of their sins, the saying of Hail Rosemary's and the belief that certain people live lives that garner them the status of Sainthood.

Catholics believe that in order be saved the person must be born again in the belief and love of Jesus Christ.

When a Catholic says that he has been "born again," he refers to the transformation that God's grace accomplished in him during baptism."

The beliefs of the Catholic Church are founded in the words of the bible and promote weekly services, daily prayer and confession as often as needed.

Catholics also believe that salvation is possible through baptism and the love of Jesus Christ. The salvation will assure a person a place in Heaven alongside God and in heaven life will be eternal and perfect.

According to the Roman Catholic Church one can be forgiven for all sins, including murder if one truly accepts the Lord Jesus as his or her personal savior and prays for forgiveness.

PAUL

In the telling of the story of Catholicism one must make mention of Apostle Paul.

According to biblical history, Paul was born at about the same time that Jesus was born. He was called Saul at the beginning of life but his name was later changed to Paul.

Paul was sent to a Jewish school of learning in Jerusalem. He was sent there to study law at the age of 13. After he completed his studies he went back to Jerusalem at a time when Christianity was being spread widely about the area. It was after the death of Jesus. He became a key player in the then popular persecution of Christians.

Paul was on the Damascus road to carrying a list of suspected Christians when something happened to him."

According to records Paul was struck down blind in the middle of the road and while in the road he was given the word of God and that word was to follow the Christian faith.

He heard a voice say unto him:

Acts 9:4... Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do."

He immediately began to devote his time to spreading the word of God through the faith of Christianity.

He returned to Jerusalem against the advice of those around him and was captured and placed in prison. He spent two years there without ever receiving a trial and was then given a hearing before the Emperor of Rome. He was released but was arrested again a short time later. It is unclear exactly what happened at that point but is generally believed that he was beheaded shortly after that arrest.

Most all of Paul's writings were done during his times of imprisonment. His true love for the Christ he never physically met is a shining example for all believers today. "

THE BOOK OF ROMANS

One of the things that Paul and other Apostles taught their believers was to read and adhere to the words of the bible. The bible is the word of God and is divided into many books. The book of Romans has been held up as a standard to Paul's words many times throughout history. Some experts believe that Chapter Seven in the book of Romans is actually Paul speaking in the present tense.

In doing so, many are deceived into believing that Christians are enslaved to sin with no hope of living a holy life in this present world."

The thematic message throughout the seventh chapter in the book of Roman is that the laws of the land are not sufficient or good enough to help Christians lead Holy and Godly lives.

This is illustrated by the number of times that the word law is used throughout the chapter.

Throughout the chapter Paul stresses that the keeping of the law of the land is not enough to ensure salvation, though it is one expectation discussed in the bible.

According to the Roman Church and the seventh chapter of Romans within the bible man is flawed by sin and the sin is something that man must fight constantly in order to love and come to know the Holy Spirit.

Romans 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. "

As people read the chapter in relation to their study of Paul they are often confused because of the first person discussion that takes place. It is important to remember that God would not appoint a vessel by which to spread His word that was unclean, therefore Paul is not tagging himself as a carnal or sinful person but is explaining the sins of mankind.

It becomes clear in the following passage that Paul believed himself to be filled with the spirit of the Lord instead of the wretched individual that he used to be.

A wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin."

CHAPTER SEVEN

There is a battle going on and it is the battle of sin against the righteous good of the Holy Spirit. The seventh Chapter of the book of Romans helps to illuminate that battle and the expectations of mankind regarding the Holy Spirit. In addition it addresses the sin that is within all man and how that sin impacts those that choose to live only by the laws of the land and not the laws of God.

Deliverance from the law

In the seventh verse of the seventh chapter of the book of Romans Paul provides deliverance from the law in his words. He examines the law and proclaims that the law is not sin. However, he underscores the fact that without the law he would not have known sin.

In examining this passage it can be said that the law provides the boundaries so that man is aware of what is right and wrong. In much the same way tiny children and babies do not know right from wrong and are baptized because it is something that will provide their passage to heaven the law allows man to understand right from wrong.

If one does not have the boundaries and laws that declare certain behaviors unlawful how else would man know what was against the law? Telling mankind that murder is against the law not only of the land but also against the laws of God clearly defines what behavior is expected and what will not be tolerated.

This is what is meant that the law is not sin however, without the law man would not sin. If it has not been deemed and declared wrong, it would not be wrong therefore could not be called a sin.

The purpose of verse seven is to illuminate the fact that the law simply exposes the sins committed by man.

The chapter explores exactly how the laws and commandments of the Lord provide sin to be exposed. " But sin, finding opportunity in the commandment, wrought in me all kinds of covetousness. Apart from the law sin lies dead (Romans, 7:8). I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died (Romans, 7:9).

This passage provides strength for the argument that until man has an understanding of God and the commandments, man is not breaking them however once the commandments have been outlined and spoken they are law and sin becomes alive dwelling within man.

The battle is founded in the serious nature of sin as is illustrated in verses 8-11. Verse 10 goes over the fact that until the commandments was written, spoken and commanded sin was not in existence because man did not know it was wrong.

A it is interesting to note that this passage is not unlike the story of Adam and Eve. They were unclothed and felt no embarrassment or shame. Once Eve ate from the forbidden fruit and cast a shadow of sin upon the entire world they understood that they were to be clothed and not show their flesh to the world.

This is a similar situation in the book of Romans Chapter Seven. It provides this knowledge of sin and the importance of understanding sin and its battle with the Holy Spirit when it proclaims, "The very commandment which promised life proved to be death to me (Romans, 7:10)"

The fact that sin dwells within man is also exposed during this chapter as it explains sin has always been within but was not defined until the commandments made it so. It is at this point according to the bible that sin found opportunity to move from within and create sinful acts and thoughts because of the commandment allowing for the boundaries to begin existing.

For sin, finding opportunity in the commandment, deceived me and by it killed me (Romans, 7:11)."

Expressions of God's Righteousness

The expression of God's righteousness is clearly illustrated in this chapter and dovetails with the message of the battle between sin and the Holy Spirit that dwells within mankind.

The 12th verse in the chapter explores the reason the law is to be obeyed. It states that the law is holy and the commandment is also holy and they are both just and good. It is important to remember instructs mankind to obey the laws of the land. The Ten Commandments are direct from God and lead mankind in the basis expectations of the Lord and the way mankind conducts his life.

So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good."

In stating that the law is just the Lord is letting mankind know that it is there to provide balance in what should and should not be done in life. It provides fair boundaries in that it asks man to follow what is fair and just and is now boundaried by the laws and the commandments of God.

The Two Laws

The law of sin and the law of my members are sometimes in conflict. Verses 21-25 wrap the concept up of the fight between sin and the Holy Spirit that constantly goes on within mankind. The speaker speaks of wanting to do right but the more he wants to do right the more closely evil lies nearby. Whether it is lust, coveting or other things that should not be allowed within a Christian life the more the speaker wants to ignore such feelings the more they push through.

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand (Romans, 7:21)."

The speaker knows that he indeed has the Holy Spirit within as he talks about wanting to do what is right and obey the laws of God deep within his heart. "For I delight in the law of God, in my inmost self, (Romans, 22)."

CONCLUSION

The Holy Spirit and sin both dwell within each person. The book of Romans explores both entities and examines how they are in constant conflict and battle with each other. The speaker of verses 7-25 illustrate the battle by discussing the desire to do the right thing but the fact that man does the wrong thing because sin takes over. In addition the verses explore the fact that sin would not be acknowledged without laws giving it definition.

There is a battle going on and it is the battle between sin and the Holy Spirit. Chapter seven of the Book of Romans provides an explanation about how it happens.