"..I myself..in the sinful nature [am] a slave to the law of sin." --the Ap. Paul (Rom 7)
Abbreviation gets you in trouble again. Consider the whole context of Paul's message here. Paul describes in Romans 7 his experience of living under the law and in the flesh. He prefaces it with:
Romans 7:5
(5) For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
Although much of Romans 7 is written in present tense, it is simply a narrative describing the process of how the law and the principle of sin works within a person who has not yet been set free through Jesus Christ. Prior to Romans 7, Paul established very consistently that those in Christ do not sin. Consider:
Romans 6:1-2 (1) What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? (2) God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Romans 6:6-7
(6) Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
(7) For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Romans 6:11-12
(11) Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(12) Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Romans 6:14
(14) For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Romans 6:16-18
(16) Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
(17) But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
(18) Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
Romans 7 describes a life of condemnation being under law in the flesh, but he concludes and moves into Romans 8 showing how Jesus Christ worked something that the law could not work, which is the remission of sins.
Romans 8:1-4
(1) There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
(2) For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
(3) For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
(4) That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
And so Paul boldly stood before the high priest and declared his conscience to be free of sin. The high priest had the same reaction toward him that you might.
Acts 23:1-2
(1) And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.
(2) And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth.
John also testified that we are to live like Jesus Christ so that we may have boldness in the day of judgment.
1 John 4:17
(17) Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
Peace be with you.
David Miller.
---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org
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