Romans 7:2-3 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

I warned you yesterday that things were going to get worse in chapter 7 of Romans. It is extremely easy to get focused on issues of marriage and adultery and miss the analogy of sin. I would have liked a simpler example that was less stressful.

A doctor of theology wrote a book about being set free from the power of sin and the cover had a man’s wrists bound up in ancient handcuffs. Sin binds us like handcuffs and Jesus is the key to setting us free. Now that is a safe analogy and doesn’t put ugly thoughts in my wife’s head..

Granted, Paul states in the opening line that he is speaking to those who know the law. Did you get that he was speaking to the Jews? The marital reference would mean something different to a Jew than it would to my Catholic raised wife. She is twice divorced and the language is calling her an adulteress by her earlier education. This is a distraction I don’t need.

My point is this, if you are not a Jew then this analogy is not best suited to you and you need to temper your understanding as an outsider, a non-Jew. A proper understanding is required to keep focused on Paul’s message here, that sin no longer has power over you.

The mature in Christ get it but what about the inexperienced new Christian? Where will their focus go?

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Paul ends chapter 6 using the same idea as he ended chapter 5, just reframing the context.

Romans 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

This is the week before Easter and while other webpages and applications are focusing on preparing souls to see exactly what Jesus did for us on the Cross, our YouVersion study is slogging thru some rather wordy repetitive issues dealing with sin. The reason is because Paul is dealing with the mind, the mental aspects, in trying to make believers understand what is not obvious to them yet.

If God abides in your heart, sin cannot.

Paul is attempting to explain to the mind what the heart already knows. Young Christians are not experienced in listening to God speaking to them from their hearts. The mind still needs convincing. Chapter 7 isn’t going to get any better. Some of the most difficult and confusing discussions happen in chapter 7. Hopefully by the time we get to that wonderful chapter 8 some better understanding will occur. Sadly it isn’t until even later in 12:2 where Paul directly addresses this issue by saying “be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind”.

The principles of God’s Holiness dwelling in your hearts by faith is already at work cleaning house. You might not understand it and in your mind you haven’t grasped what is being done in you, for you, by God.

Ephesians 3:16-19 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.