When you speed and get stopped by Mr. (or Ms.) Police do you blame the police, or do you blame yourself?
Reminder, Paul is writing to the churches in Rome. There are Greek and Jewish mindsets creating division in the church. Paul is using rhetoric. He asks 3 rhetorical questions in this chapter alone then takes time to answer them.
“Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives?” Romans 7:1a
“What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not!” Romans 7:7a
“Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not!” Romans 7:13a
Paul is making the case the law helps us to see sin that is already present in our lives. We are born with a sin nature and the law helps us to see that. We read in Galatians, “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” The law isn’t to blame for us doing wrong, we are to blame. It can be easy to shift blame when we are wrong, to blame others instead of taking ownership of our sin and shortcomings.
Paul concludes this chapter by saying, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Romans 7:24-25a
Let’s recognize that we aren’t perfect, we make mistakes, we have sinned. Yet, live a thankful life, for if we have put our faith in Christ, we’ve been delivered through Jesus. Instead of blaming others, let’s take ownership, let’s look to Christ, and live thankful for His redemption.
- To Know Jesus. To Live on Mission