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The Law is good.
Nothing good dwells in me.
Therefore the Law must not dwell in me. Why?
Is the Law not written in my heart like God promised?
Or is the Law something that inherently doesn't “dwell” anywhere?
(but maybe is written inside)
Since the Law is simply a description of the Source of life it is not life-giving in itself.
What dwells in me?
Sin dwells in me.
Since nothing good dwells in me and sin dwells in me then there is nothing good in sin.
This dwelling place inside of me must be designed to be the entrance where I get life into myself, my receptacle for receiving life. The Law does not fit into that receptacle and cannot give me life anyway. It has a different role to play and this is not it. Whatever is supposed to fit in this spot is missing and I will feel empty and dissatisfied until it is filled with what it was designed for. I am looking for something that gives life and fits correctly into this dwelling spot within me. What I find is that sin has taken up residence in that dwelling place and purports to be my source of life and satisfaction. The problem is that the results from this arrangement in my life are far less than really satisfying.
Willing is present in me but doing good is not.
Since nothing good is dwelling in me then the willing must not count as good.
There is a “principle” that evil is present in me.
My will agrees with the Law and wants to do good.
Sin is evil and is also present in me and evidently manages the doing part of me.
What part of me is it that joyfully concurs with the Law of God in the inner man?
According to what is already described it must be my will.
Now I run into mention of at least 3 laws, maybe 4.
The Law of God – external and also written in my heart(?)
A different law (the principle of evil from v.21) – waging war against the law of my mind.
The law of my mind.
The law of sin – by which I am held prisoner after being made so by the “different law”.
What is the relationship between all of these elements?
Which ones are different descriptors for the same thing?
What is the mental and emotional condition of the person described in this passage?
The presence of the Law seems to produce in me the very things it prohibits.
When the Law came I died.
Sin deceived me and killed me.
I am enslaved to sin.
My will wants to do good but my doing comes out opposite.
I intellectually believe the Law is good.
My inner man joyfully agrees with the Law that it is good.
I am a prisoner of war.
I feel wretched!
I do not feel free.
I am trapped in/with a body of death.
There is much debate about what stage of growth or conversion this chapter describes. I firmly believe that since Paul is writing to people who are already Christians and a sub-group of that being those who know the Law (probably converted Jews), then by exclusion he is not describing a person who is not yet a Christian. Many have tried to argue strongly that this could not be describing a real Christian or they would not be having all this internal conflict and have sin dwelling in them. But that is based on some strong delusions about realities in the Christian life.
Just because a person has entered into a relationship with God and trusts Jesus as their Lord and Savior does not mean that they are free of the internal struggles that Paul describes in this chapter. In fact, the very reason I believe it is describing a sincere Christian is that the will described here agrees with the Law that it is good and continuously wants to do good. A person who has no use for God would not be struggling with that. Their will would not be wanting to do good or to please God. They would not joyfully concur with the Law of God in the inner man. Instead, this is a clear description of many who have started on the Christian walk with God and become very discouraged and frustrated as this internal conflict between their will and this principle of indwelling sin intensifies.
This is also very good news for people who see sin dwelling in their inner life after they tried to start following Jesus. It is saying that just because we feel this intense internal war going on does not mean that we are not real Christians. It is also a warning to not judge, either others or ourselves, when we see sin dwelling inside. The presence of indwelling sin is not a sign of failure in the Christian life but is an indication that another step needs to be taken that Paul is about to discuss and describe at length. But first he has to make clear our present condition before we are able to understand and relate to our great need to move into the next condition.
