Another Law

Romans 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

Men have complicated this and argued over it for many years, but all believers have experienced this very thing and the word here clearly describes that experience. The inward man, the new man (Col 3:10), loves God’s law, delights in it and desires to keep it. This is not the old nature, which despises God’s law, is enmity against God and cannot be subject to His law: Romans 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

This new man is, well, let’s let God describe him: Ephesians 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. This is why he loves and would keep God’s law. But, we are all familiar (all believers that is) with this “other law.” It is the old man, the law or principle of sin, the old nature that cannot be subject to the law of God. It is rebellious and wicked; it is the “me” in which dwelleth no good thing (Rom 7:18).

There is warfare raging within each child of God. We love God, but that love is all but quenched at times by the lackadaisical, lukewarmness of the old heart (Rev 2:4). We would worship, and yet we cannot watch with Christ for even one hour, because “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matt 26:41 ).” We believe, and yet our prayer must ever be “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief (Mark 9:24).”

We would do good, but evil is present and continually is bringing us (the tense here is present and active), perpetually drawing us away from Christ, His worship, our first love of Him and our most holy faith (Jude 1:20).

No one who has not experienced this can understand it or believe it. This seems a tragic circumstance, a sad and terrible place to be and it is in a sense. It is what caused Paul to cry out the way he did in the last two verses of this chapter. Yet thank God that we are not complacently dead. Warfare is brutal and disturbing, yet it is preferable to unrestrained and comfortable rebellion and evil. Paul thanks God for deliverance in Christ from this body of death, but he also, calls this warfare “a good fight (1Tim 6:12).” And though we are in this body of death now, yet, in Christ Jesus, we are bound always to give thanks. 1Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Chris Cunningham

The Apple of His Eye (Zech 2:8-9)

“For thus says the Lord of hosts; After the glory has he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that touches you touches the apple of his eye.”

If we harm God’s people, then we hurt those that are precious in His sight, and this allows us to see our VALUE as believers. We are loved by God Almighty, accepted, blessed, and everything because of Christ – “they despised by judgments, and because their soul abhorred my statues. And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: for I am the Lord their God” (Lev 26:44). The Lord God has looked upon us, not after what I deserve, but after the grace of God and obedience of Christ. You and I may say in the mirror, “Unworthy, evil”, and it is true. But, in Christ and because of Him, we are “greatly beloved” (Dan 9:23). God sees us so valuable that Christ died, so that we’d live.

Look upon yourself this way as you bring your needs to God. I Cor 10:13 says, “There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it”. Rom 6:14 says, “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under grace.” You and I need obedience, faith in Christ, temperance, and love. God gives us these because He loves us.

Just as the Angel mediated for Israel, even so, Christ MEDIATES for us (Zech 1:12-13). He is WHY we’re saved, so our salvation is full of love on God’s side. He sees us as people He will help at all cost… not because of what we’ve done, how we act, but because of love that saved us before we repented and gave us faith when unbelief ruled – “At the beginning of your supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to show you; for you are greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision” (Dan 9:13).

Do not be discouraged. You’re the apple of His eye. You may not be much in the eyes of the world, but BEING LOVED of God is the BEST and only privilege there is. If you have this love, you are saved. And, without God’s love, you are the enemy He destroys – “As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated” (Rom 9:13).

Believe in His love, so that you may be children of His love – “While you have light, believe in the light, that you may be the children of light. These things spoke Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them” (John 12:36). He has hurt you enough to destroy your merit; but don’t doubt the Love that is there for the unworthy.