ANOTHER LAW
"BUT I SEE ANOTHER LAW IN MY MEMBERS [body], warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members."
Romans 7:23 (NKJV)
Comment: The law in the human flesh, which is the evil passion, is bringing Man or humans to the captivity of the law of sin in the flesh. There are some people who sincerely wanted to live for God, but they are yet to overcome the human sinful nature. The person committing a particular sin might desire to live right, live for God, but the law or passion in his or her flesh is compelling them to do the bidding of the flesh:
17 BUT NOW, IT IS NO LONGER I WHO DO IT, BUT SIN THAT DWELLS IN ME. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; FOR TO WILL IS PRESENT WITH ME, BUT HOW TO PERFORM WHAT IS GOOD I DO NOT FIND. 19 FOR THE GOOD THAT I WILL TO DO, I DO NOT DO; BUT THE EVIL I WILL NOT TO DO, THAT I PRACTICE" (Romans 7:17-19 NKJV).
This is where the need for the Messiah, Saviour, Jesus Christ comes in:
7:25: I THANK GOD—THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD!
8:1,2: THERE IS THEREFORE NOW NO CONDEMNATION TO THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST JESUS, WHO DO NOT WALK ACCORDING TO THE FLESH, BUT ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT. 2 FOR THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS HAS MADE ME FREE FROM THE LAW OF SIN AND DEATH" (Romans 7:25; 8:1,2 NKJV).
The first step to be delivered is through salvation; accepting Christ Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. When you believed in your heart that Jesus died for your sins and resurrected for your justification and confess it with your mouth, you become a saved soul (Romans 10:9,10).
The reborn or rebirth of your human spirit is done when you believed and confessed Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour (John 3:3-5).
You received life, zōē in Greek word, the moment you pledged your allegiance to God through Christ Jesus. This LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE gives you power over Sin.
If this life, zōē, had not been received, you kept struggling with the nature of Sin without any solution or help.
The life is received through faith in the substitutionary death and resurrection of Christ Jesus—which is also known as justification and reconciliation with God (Romans 3:24,28; 2 Corinthians 5:18,21).
The clause there is, which is a major responsibility on the part of the believer: " . . . WHO DO NOT WALK ACCORDING TO THE FLESH, BUT ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT" (Romans 8:1 NKJV).
Now, there is no freedom without a responsibility. The person in question, the believer, is free from the power of Sin quite all right; but with a responsibility. He or she would no longer walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. This would not be done for him or her but by himself or herself—It is a personal responsibility.
Another law being talked about in our text is the human sinful nature as said earlier. It always strives with the law of God: "FOR THE FLESH LUSTS AGAINST THE SPIRIT, AND THE SPIRIT AGAINST THE FLESH; AND THESE ARE CONTRARY TO ONE ANOTHER, SO THAT YOU DO NOT DO THE THINGS THAT YOU WISH" (Galatians 5:17 NKJV).
Someone struggling with the flesh, human sinful nature, would not be able live fully for God (Romans 8:5-8).
You might be saved genuinely, but, the flesh and the soul, that is, your body and the mind, are not reborn; they are still earthly, dirty and unregenerate (Romans 12:1,2; James 1:21).
The reborn of the human spirit does not involve any work of the person, other than the person to willingly believe with his or her heart and confess with their mouth (Romans 3:24,27,28; Ephesians 2:8,9).
Albeit, the bulk work where the person's cooperation or willingness would be needed is in the transformation of the mind and the mortification of the flesh (Romans 12:1,2; Ephesians 4:22,23; Colossians 3:5,8).
God through the Holy Spirit would not be able to do much in these two areas If the believer does not yield or cooperate with God through the Holy Spirit and be submissive by bringing the flesh under subjection (1 Corinthians 9:27; Galatians 5:24).
Now, this is the only area where no other person can do anything except the person, the believer, who is concerned—because of the Will power.
Note:
If the Will of the person is not submissive, It would be difficult to get the person changed or tranformed.
The person is reborn or born-again quite all right, but the flesh is not mortified and the mind is not transformed (Romans 12:1,2).
This is where the overall professed believers are having issues. A lot of professed believers are not making any or much progress in these two areas—the mortification of the flesh and the transformation of the mind.
The uniqueness of these two is that; the person concerned, the believer, has a greater contribution to whatever the success that would be had in the two—the flesh mortification and the mind transformation.
Take a step now!
Peace.