Serving the Law

“I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So^G686 then^G3767 with the mind I myself serve the Law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” (Rom. 7:25).

“G686 ara Probably from G142 (through the idea of drawing a conclusion); a particle denoting an inference more or less decisive (as follows): - haply, (what) manner (of man), no doubt, perhaps, so be, then, therefore, truly, wherefore. Often used in connection with other particles, especially G1065 or G3767 (after) or G1487 (before). Compare also G687.” Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries.

I looked to see if “so then with my mind…” could mean “now with my mind...”. Connecting those words might help me understand Romans 8:1 which uses, “There is therefore now no more condemnation....” Connecting those two sequential verses would give me something to work off of for understanding both verses. But what I found is that G686 always referred to only an intellectual action. And those Greek words did not refer to an experience of a change of nature with the Spirit, but to a conclusion of judgment.

G686 with G1487 “if then”

G686 with G3767 “therefore”

G686 with G1065 “if perhaps”

Rom 7:3  So^G686 then^G3767 if,^G1437 while her husband^G435 liveth,^G2198 she be married^G1096 to another^G2087 man,^G435 she shall be called^G5537 an adulteress:^G3428 but^G1161 if^G1437 her husband^G435 be dead,^G599 she is^G2076 free^G1658 from^G575 that law;^G3551 so that she^G846 is^G1511 no^G3361 adulteress,^G3428 though she be married^G1096 to another^G2087 man.^G435

Rom 7:25  I thank^G2168 God^G2316 through^G1223 Jesus^G2424 Christ^G5547 our^G2257 Lord.^G2962 So^G686 then^G3767 with the^G3588 mind^G3563 I^G1473 myself^{G848 (G3303)} serve^G1398 the law^G3551 of God;^G2316 but^G1161 with the^G3588 flesh^G4561 the law^G3551 of sin.^G266

Both Romans 7:3 and 25 speak of a change in conditions with regard to the two issues referred to. And a change in conditions meant a change in freedoms. Both verses spoke of an alteration within a law, making use of a stipulation built into each law, resulting in a different disposition before each law.

There is a connection between Romans 7:25 and 8:1, in that in the original text there were no chapter separations. But the identical “So then” phrases refer not to practical life experience—i.e. spirituality or fidelity and propriety in marriage—but to intellectual conclusion. Therefore, Paul’s victory does not come from an intellectual “So then” all by itself, but from the divinely controlled, spiritual situation within which the “So then” springs. That divinely controlled situation is the change of conditions before the Law, using the proper, respective stipulations built into the Law of God, just as the conditions changed surrounding the law of adultery. This resulted in a different disposition before the law of adultery and before the whole Law of God. In Romans 7 neither law is set aside; the inherent stipulations were patiently and properly made use of.

With regard to the law of adultery, the old man was allowed to die first, and not murdered. And with regard to the Law of God, the old self and the old life were allowed to die, and not forced to die. However, that old, sinful self was required to die, as well the old, sinful life had to be renounced. Likewise the old husband with regard to the issue of adultery. Otherwise, the new husband of the woman, and our new self and life with God, both would be completely inordinate and inappropriate, as unacceptable in earth as they are in heaven. If we seize upon a righteous life before the old man dies, then we've broken the Law. And the fruit shows badly, as Paul's exercise in futility ended in hopeless misery! Pure drudgery! So, our Lord so appropriately appealed, Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden.

Many wives have experienced Romans 7:1-3. Their old man was unloving and unbearable. Their old men snuffed and grumbled over everything. But with patient loving kindness and tender mercy their old men died and new men took their place. I heard of a woman who waited 30 years for her husband to change. For 30 years she served and prayed for the man she loved. Finally, one day he woke up to acknowledging the abuse he had shown her, after all that she had done to make him comfortable and happy. His goliath pride fell before her smooth stones of heartache and patience. He threw out the bottles and six-packs and cancer sticks and boob-tube, and turned into a real man of God for the rest of their lives together. The last half of their marriage to her was more than worth the hard, first half.

Only God could make that change from being dead to living. Only the Judge can convince of sin, through His Son, our mediating Spirit of truth. Only the Creator can create a clean heart and renew a right spirit. And we have the privilege of having a part in that process. But our spirit doesn’t convict anyone’s conscience. Only Christ's convicts. Unless the Lord builds the house, the workers labor in vain.

We can’t convert anyone, not even ourselves. Only the Law of God and the crucifixion of Christ can change the human will and heart. Not the Law of God alone; and not the cross of Christ alone. Together they beget children and produce saints.

The Law presents the problem; the crucifixion presents the cure. We must stand before the Law of God guilted and shamed exceedingly, and have our wills overcome by our destitution and helplessness to do anything about it. We can intellectually assent to the Law, and wish to obey it, but we still will not be victorious over our sin problem.

“It is not enough to perceive the loving-kindness of God, to see the benevolence, the fatherly tenderness, of His character. It is not enough to discern the wisdom and justice of His law, to see that it is founded upon the eternal principle of love. Paul the apostle saw all this when he exclaimed, ‘I consent unto the law that it is good. ‘The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.’ But he added, in the bitterness of his soul-anguish and despair, ‘I am carnal, sold under sin.’ Romans 7:16, 12, 14. He longed for the purity, the righteousness, to which in himself he was powerless to attain, and cried out, ‘O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from this body of death?’ Romans 7:24, margin.” Steps to Christ, p. 19.

God and His Law can only bring us half way to salvation. He and His Law alone cannot bring us to the point of total abasement of self. He and the long arm of His Representative can scare us straight, but not enough to leave a permanent impression, and an eternal result in the life. We still need the Prodigal's revelation of love. However, God and His Law are the foundation of salvation, and cannot be dismissed or bypassed. But no one lives forever in a foundation. They continue building to live in a whole house.

There must be more than fear in order to overcome our wretched body of death. It takes more than the fear of God for the resilient old man to be smitten. He must see self-sacrifice and unending mercy. We must witness our unwarranted provocations upon the Prince of peace that have crucified Him afresh a million times over. We must see His unabated mercy in the merciful abasement of His agonized body and soul. “They crucified Him.” “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them.” (Luke 23:33,34). “To all, there is but one answer, ‘Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.’ John 1:29.” Steps to Christ, p. 19. We must fall on this Stone and be broken.

“All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37). “If I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me.” (John 12:32).  

“It is impossible for us, of ourselves, to escape from the pit of sin in which we are sunken. Our hearts are evil, and we cannot change them. ‘Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.’ ‘The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.’ Job 14:4; Romans 8:7. Education, culture, the exercise of the will, human effort, all have their proper sphere, but here they are powerless. They may produce an outward correctness of behavior, but they cannot change the heart; they cannot purify the springs of life. There must be a power working from within, a new life from above, before men can be changed from sin to holiness. That power is Christ. His grace alone can quicken the lifeless faculties of the soul, and attract it to God, to holiness.  

     The Saviour said, ‘Except a man be born from above,’ unless he shall receive a new heart, new desires, purposes, and motives, leading to a new life, ‘he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ John 3:3, margin. The idea that it is necessary only to develop the good that exists in man by nature, is a fatal deception. ‘The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.’ ‘Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.’ 1 Corinthians 2:14; 3:7. Of Christ it is written, ‘In Him was life; and the life was the light of men’--the only ‘name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.’ John 1:4; Acts 4:12.” Steps to Christ, p. 18.

Until Both, “God through Jesus Christ” (Rom. 7:25), have brought all of heaven to bear upon our conscience and heart no transformation of heart and life happen. But, once the moralist or atheist, turned helpless wretch, cries to “somebody out there”, then Somebody out there answers in power. “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them.” (Eze. 36:26,27).

“So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” (Rom. 7:25).

Not with any mind, as in the unconverted mind, but with the new mind, “the mind of Christ” (1Cor. 2:16), we serve the Law of God. It is only the “spiritually minded” (Rom. 8:6) that can serve the Law of God, for “the carnal mind…is not subject to the Law of God.” (Rom. 8:7).

With the new mind and new spirit we can obey the Law of righteousness. But with the flesh, the old man, the unregenerate, reprobate mind, we only serve Satan the old master, and the law of sin. With the flesh we can’t serve and obey God. As the woman of Romans 7:1-3 couldn’t be married to both old and new husbands, neither can we serve God’s Law of life while we still own our original body of death, and still serve under Satan's regime. It just cannot be. Satan doesn’t mind receiving our divided service because his oldest trick is to subtly take full occupation. But a divided heart is totally unacceptable to God. He refuses to dwell in that kind of polluted environment. He couldn’t dwell in the temple with Dagon, and He surely can’t co-habit a heart with Satan. With God, there is no such thing as ☪☮e✡-ı☯s✝.

 “So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” (Rom. 7:25).

All alone, the Law is an it, rather than a person. The Law is cold, hard stone full of cold, hard commands. “Thou shalt….” “Thou shalt not….” The letters on paper are just as lifeless as stone, and the stone and paper kill unless the letter and words in stone and on paper contain the recognizable voice of their Author, which is His Spirit. Then both are precious. 

But, standing alone, the Law gets worshiped. And, likewise, when the Spirit is apart from the Law, it too gets worshipped. But, God would never admonish us to make the Law, or the Spirit, another god. The Law of God and the Spirit of God go together--always--or we end in idolatry and godless atheism. 

But, a new heart can recognize the Author’s voice (His Spirit) and thus serve God’s Representative (His Law) because that child of God is essentially serving God Himself. 

          Hearing His voice in every line;                making each faithful saying mine.

“No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us.” (1Jn. 4:12). If we love His Law we love Him. The spiritually minded will discern the spirit of the Law. If we serve His designated Representative through “the Spirit of His Son” (Gal. 4:6), He counts that as serving Him. Because of His new heart we can love; and because we can love we can obey the Law of love, and thus serve the Law of God in the spirit of the Law, and thus are serving God in spirit and truth through the Spirit of truth.

God has two Representatives. 1) His Law the “Schoolmaster” (Gal. 3:24) that is “holy, and just, and good” and “spiritual” (Rom. 7:12,14); and, 2) the Spirit, His Son, “the Word of God” (Rev. 19:13), who has ever been the deliberator of His Law, and brought it to life for Their family in heaven and in earth. God’s word is His glory, and His glory is “His own self” (John 17:5). Both His Law and His Son own His Spirit without measure, and therefore both contain life without measure. 

“I gave them My statutes, and shewed them My judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them [through trusting in Him]. Moreover also I gave them My sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.” (Eze. 20:11,12). “Let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.” (Jer. 9:24).

“I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols:

I am the LORD your God; walk in My statutes, and keep My judgments, and do them;

And hallow My sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God.

Notwithstanding the children rebelled against Me: they walked not in My statutes, neither kept My judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted My sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out My fury upon them, to accomplish My anger against them in the wilderness.” (Eze. 20:18-21).

Knowing and heeding and serving either God’s Law that represents lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, or God’s only begotten Son of His love who is easier to recognize the principles of lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, gives life. To eat the quartz of the Law of God or the flesh of the Son of God is to live. No man has seen or can see God at any time. All we can know of the self-existent Life-giver is what He has commanded by His stentorian Law and from His melodious Son. “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.” (John 1:18).

And if we are in the bosom of Jesus, we will serve the Law of God like Jesus did, His Spirit imbuing our spirit, not running after our flesh, but yearning after His Spirit.