Useful Bible Studies > Romans Commentary > chapter 7
Paul has just told us what kind of person he is describing here (verse 14). This person cares too much about the desires and emotions of his body. Therefore, he is not allowing the Holy Spirit to direct his life (Galatians 5:16). Instead, this person’s natural emotions and desires are causing him to do wrong and evil things that are against God’s law. We call those wrong things ‘sin’.
In fact, this person is now under the control of his own wrong attitudes and behaviour. He is not free to do the things that he should do. He cannot obey God’s law properly, although he wants to do it. This person has become like a slave to his own sin.
Paul does not say clearly whether or not this person is a Christian. Christ has freed Christians from the control of sin (6:20-22). So, a Christian cannot really be a slave of sin. However, Christians can choose to behave as if they are the slaves of sin (Galatians 5:1). In other words, they can behave as if Christ had not freed them from the power of sin. Then their experience of sin will be very much like someone whom Christ has never freed.
This person in Paul’s description is trying hard to behave in the right way. However, he is thinking about God’s law in a very natural, human way. He thinks that by his efforts he can somehow satisfy God’s demands on his life. He wants God to be pleased with him. However, he is not yet ready to allow God to rule his life. This person wants to be in control of his own life; he does not want the Holy Spirit to guide his life.
Next part: The weakness of Paul's efforts to obey God's law (Romans 7:17)
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