In my previous post, I discussed the reality of the human condition. It is important to remember that we had no part in saving ourselves; it is entirely by God's grace that we are saved. This is the beauty and the power of the Gospel. However, the triumph of the Gospel does not end there. The same grace that does for us what we could never do, continues to be with us.
I had briefly discussed this in the last post also, that we are remade into a new creation. If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation - that is, he has a new nature. Paul discusses this in Romans, which we will look at as we examine this particular aspect of the triumph of the Gospel, namely how it transforms our lives as believers. I believe that there is often a common misconception regarding this Gospel that is floating around today; claiming that salvation is the only aspect of the Gospel. One can continue to live as he had before. This, however, can not be, for this Gospel has a transforming nature.
Continuing on from where we left off in Romans, we will pick back up in Romans 7, and continue to Romans 8. There are varying interpretations of Romans 7:13-25. Does this passage refer to Paul's experience as a mature believer (continuing to be a slave to sin, struggling with sin, etc) or does it describe life before salvation, particularly regarding the experience of a Jew under the Law? Resolving this theological/contextual sticky point is important, because it impacts how you look at the power of the Gospel to impact the rest of your life.
Paul states in Romans 7:14-21, "For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am made out of flesh, sold into sin’s power. 15 For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not practice what I want to do, but I do what I hate. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 So now I am no longer the one doing it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it. 19 For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but it is the sin that lives in me. 21 So I discover this principle: When I want to do what is good, evil is with me." (HCSB)
It is clear that Paul is describing the agony of being at the mercy of his sin nature, desiring to do good, but no ability to do it. This is certainly not the victorious Christian life described elsewhere in scripture, and for good reason: It isn't. Douglas Moo, in his commentary on Romans, notes this, "Paul is describing his life as a Jew under the law before he came to Christ. . . what is ultimately decisive for me [for determining this context] is the fact that Paul's description of the person is contradictory to his description of the Christian in chapters 6 and 8." (Moo, The NIV Application Commentary: Romans, pg 235). This is certainly supported by a careful reading of the context. Whereas in 7:14, Paul describes life as being unspiritual, "sold as a slave to sin". This contrasts with 6:18, 22, and others which describe our life in Christ as being "set free from sin". Again, in 7:23, Paul writes of being a prisoner to sin, whereas in 8:2 he describes how Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death.
That determined then, it is clear that Paul is writing in chapter 7 to graphically illustrate the fact discussed in the last post, namely that there is no good thing living inside him without Christ. He ends the chapter in victory through Christ, which also speaks of how God's grace redeems us from our wretched condition that we could do nothing about: "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this dying body? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (24-25a, HCSB)
Chapter 8, then declares Christ's victory and describes the new life for the believer, now that he has been set free from the law of sin. "Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus, 2 because the Spirit’s law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 What the law could not do since it was limited by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending His own Son in flesh like ours under sin’s domain, and as a sin offering, 4 in order that the law’s requirement would be accomplished in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. . .8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God lives in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.10 Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then He who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through His Spirit who lives in you. (Romans 8:1-4, 8-11, HCSB)
Chapter 8 makes clear the contrast between the man described in chapter 7 and the new man in chapter 8. It is clear that the fleshly mind and attitudes have been swept away. This is the stage where God's grace shines through our lives even more, as we seek to walk according to the spirit. Eric Ludy notes, "Contrary to popular opinion today, grace isn't just an accepting hug from God when we miserably fail in following Him. Rather it is the power of God enabling us to follow so that we need not fail, but triumph." (Ludy, Bravehearted Gospel, pg 232).
Our new nature does not mean we are perfect, as the scriptures certainly attest to. However, it does mean that we have a new nature, as Paul describes in Romans 8. We can now serve God and love God with our lives, thoughts and actions. Before we could not because we are so tainted with sin. Now, we can serve Him, and by His Grace, live as He wants us to live. Elmer Towns, in Theology for Today, notes on this change that it is "the work of God through the Holy Spirit, of placing in one who has faith, a new nature capable of doing the will of God. . . It gives the believer new desires to do the will of God (new nature) and gives him the life of God." (Towns, Theology for Today, pg 460).
To be sure, our sin nature still exists, as we all can attest. I do not mean in anyway that by having a new nature, we can not sin, or it is next to impossible to sin. This is not reality and the scriptures do not support such a view. However, as Romans 6-8 brings out, there is still a marked contrast between a believer and unbeliever. A believer has a new nature. He is free to please God, to serve Him, to love Him. We can not do this without a new nature because of our total depravity apart from God's grace. David Platt describes this change this way, "That gift of Grace involves the gift of a new heart. New desires. New longings. For the first time, we want God. . . We want him so much that we abandon everything else to experience him. This is the only proper response to the revelation of God in the gospel." (Platt, Radical, pg 39).
This is the Triumph of the Gospel: It saves us from our despicable condition, gives us a new nature and desires to follow God, and gives us a mission - to follow God and serve Him. The same grace that saved us also strengthens us. This is why the Gospel is such good news.
Thoughts and musings on following Christ, becoming a Warrior Poet, and living as a Disciple.
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