315. The Sanctification Chapter

“I speak to those who know the law.” Who are those who know the law? It is, of course, none other than those who are dead to the law through the body of Christ. The body of Christ frees us from the law. What does this mean? It means I am baptized by one Spirit into one body with Him. The body of Christ was offered in the power of an eternal Spirit, and when I am grafted into that body, I, too, am offered through obedience in the power of the Spirit of Christ because Jesus’ earthly body is crucified.

For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions were at work, and we bore fruit to death. But now having been delivered from the law, we serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.

How then can some people say that Romans 7 is for slaves of the law and others say the chapter only applies to people who are ungodly?

“I died; and the commandment that was to bring life, I found to bring death. Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin might become exceedingly sinful.”

“I died” means that I died to the law—as a law. The apostle is writing here to people who are freed from the law, to people who once were in the flesh but now live in the Spirit and serve in the newness of the Spirit.

It should not be surprising that people who received the Spirit 20 to 30 years ago, and since then have only walked in the flesh, do not understand Romans 7; it is a sealed fountain for them. Some would say that Dr. N.N. was a spiritual man; through his preaching thousands were saved. Yet his explanation of Romans 7 is that it is for those who are in bondage to the law, etc.

Even if Dr. N.N. had won millions of sinners for Christ, nevertheless he can still be completely blind regarding Romans 7. Preaching Christ as an atonement for sin is one thing, but to preach Him as “the way, the truth, and the life” is something completely different. Or was Christ only given to us as an atonement for sin? Did not the whole fullness of the Godhead dwell bodily in Him? Are we not complete in Him who has become for us the wisdom from God, justification, sanctification, and redemption?

Pastor N.N. may have “won” many souls for Christ; however if this pastor at the same time explains that Romans 7 is for sinners, he is making himself out to be a teacher, while explaining things about which he has no understanding. Because of this he shall bear a greater responsibility. What good does it do if such people win sinners for Christ if at the same time they lead believers away from Him?

The seventy forsook Jesus because they thought His message was too hard. Yet they could also preach the forgiveness of sins. However if they had attempted to teach about a deeper life in Christ, they would have been false teachers. Only Jesus’ disciples were able to do that, and it is just the same today. It is perfectly possible to be a great preacher and win sinners to Christ without being a disciple of Jesus Christ. We have plenty of examples of this. May God give us anointed eyes so that we can see this.

“For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.” Rom. 7:14.

As long as there is “flesh” in my life, this flesh is sold under sin. The fact that I have received the Spirit does not change that; the flesh is still there. The only solution then is to crucify the flesh with its passions and desires. The Spirit gives us the power to do this.

We also see preachers who have written volumes of dissertations about God’s Word, but who in their daily life are responsible for forming parties and factions. The cause of this is the flesh, which is sold under sin; you can read about its works in Galatians 5:19. These parties exclude true disciples of Jesus who, because of the holy commandment, cannot and will not register with pen and ink into parties or denominations. Then fighting and strife arises between brothers for whom Jesus suffered and died so that they could become one. Is it any surprise then that such transgressors cannot understand Romans 7, the chapter about sanctification? “For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.” Rom. 7:15.

“What they are doing, they do not understand.” Such a phrase aptly describes these people of our time who are far out in darkness yet are busily forming parties and denominations. It was just the same with those who crucified Christ and stoned Stephen. They did not know what they were doing.

But for Paul the light dawned about his own flesh: “For what I hate, that I do,” he writes. Here we see light in the darkness. But when you are totally blind, there is no acknowledgement. “For what I hate, that I do.” This hatred contains a self-judgment, and if we judge ourselves, we will not be condemned together with the world.

Yet many of today’s teachers profess that they never do what they hate. They have attained the perfection that the “God of love” proclaims. Despite the fact that they live in revelry and immorality, they never do anything worth hating. Throughout the years many people have opposed us. Among them there have also been several preachers who have fallen deeply into sin. They said their body of sin was removed through the baptism of the Spirit, and then they fell into the worst kinds of sin. Through this we understand that their false teaching of Romans 7, that sin is removed by the baptism of the Spirit, leads to perdition. Sin lies at the door.

It is not Romans 7 that is incorrect; it is their own life in the flesh and their lusts.

When Paul writes that “what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do,” he is not referring to works of the flesh, such as fornication, murder, party spirit, etc., for these are the works of the flesh. But he means things in his unconsciousness, deeds of the body that are to be put to death through the Spirit.

What then are the works of the flesh, and what are the deeds of the body? There is a great lack of understanding about this, and therefore people go astray. Bible studies are held, but most often neither teacher nor pupil knows anything about God. Such ignorance prevails in every quarter. It is not difficult to be a priest for the ignorant, but it is difficult where the light of God is shining clearly.

“If then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 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.” Rom. 7:16-18.

Paul was freed from the law through the body of Christ. All manifest sin (works of the flesh) was crucified for him. In spite of this, things that he hated arose from his unconsciousness, things that Jesus hated. Because he walked in the light, he was able to see these things and hate them. Therefore in this light the blood of Christ was able to continually cleanse him from all sin. 1 John 1:7. The apostle walked in the light and in judgment. Therefore he could judge himself and always be delivered into the death of Christ.

Where Paul was not able to reign over the deeds of the body by the light and power he had, then he says, “Then it is no longer I who do it, but the sin that dwells within me.” Just think what a love of the truth! That love of the truth ferreted out even the most hidden things in his life. How could the seventy understand all this?

But if I do what I hate, then it is no longer I who do it, but the sin that dwells within me. These are the unconscious deeds of the body that are to be put to death. Rom. 8:13.

“For I delight in the law of God in my inward man.” Rom. 7:22.

How can you say that an ungodly person or a slave of the law would have an inward man?

The problem is that people try to explain things that are far too weighty and too high for them, things they have no understanding about.

“But I see another law in my members, warring against the law that is in my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.” Rom. 7:23.

The apostle saw another law in his members. Who showed him that law? The Spirit of truth, of course. I am certain this same Spirit has also many times shown you the same law, but you have been too cowardly and have had too little love of the truth to acknowledge like Paul that there is nevertheless another law in your members. You are afraid of coming into bondage, you who recently rejoiced in the power and baptism of the Spirit. Despite this, you are cowardly and unfaithful.

How and from where can so much covetousness flourish in you if there is not another law in your members? Through denying this reality, you will consequently embrace a deceiving spirit, which makes you blind for Romans 7.

Paul was brought into captivity to the law of sin in his members. It is clear from this that he did things he hated and had to judge. He had to continue to do this as long as he had not yet attained to perfection, that is to say, to being conformed to Christ in His death and in His life.

But when Paul was taken captive, he freed himself again by putting to death the deeds of the body through the Spirit. For we have received power to be children of God. Like Jesus, we have power to lay down our own life and power to take it up again. All this is contained in the Spirit of Christ, which gives us access to the Father. In this way, after we have been taken captive, we are able to set ourselves free by putting to death the deeds of the body.

“O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Rom. 7:24.

As long as we are at home in our body here on earth, we will all carry about a body of death, i.e., a body that will die and return to dust.

Yet people teach with great authority and self-certainty that we are liberated from the body of death through our Lord Jesus Christ. And yet they are still among us in flesh and blood. You would have thought a simple wasp-sting would be enough to convince them that they are not spirit, but flesh and blood, and that they carry about a body of death.

When we consider the law of sin that is active in the members of this body of death, we, too, must acknowledge, “O wretched man that I am.” Even Jesus died in weakness, the One about whom they said: “Behold what a man.” And when Paul followed in Jesus’ footsteps, this “wretched man” also became visible to his inner eye.

“I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.” Rom. 7:25.

Think! Think twice! How can it be otherwise? In the flesh dwells no good thing, and in those areas where I am not yet made alive, I am still in the flesh, and the flesh can never be subject to the law of God. Neither I nor anyone else can do otherwise than serve the law of sin with our unconscious flesh, where the light has not yet shone. But with our mind we serve the law of God. In other words: Everything that I have received light over is kept nailed to the cross, for those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. With my mind I serve the law of God, but according to the flesh—where I do not have light—I cannot be crucified. Here the deeds of the body come forth, and they are to be put to death by the Spirit.

Just by serving the law of God with my mind (and God does not demand any more of us than that) makes it so that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Rom. 8:1.

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” Rom. 8:2.

What then is the law of sin and death? The law of sin is at work when I am tempted and give in to temptation. In this case desire has been conceived in my mind, giving birth to sin. However, with my mind I can decide that this desire will not be allowed to conceive, and then sin is never born. The reason for this is that I reckon myself dead to sin and its desires. If there is no birth to sin, then neither can death be born, for it is only when sin is full-grown that it brings forth death. Saul did not judge himself, so sin brought forth death, but sin did not bring forth death in David because he judged himself. This is how I can be made free from the law of sin and death.

If an apprentice is to become a master in his trade, he must be meticulous and do as the master instructs him. However, most apprentices are opinionated and think the training is going too slowly, so they put on seven league boots and jump over the whole course. Sooner or later these people will have to come back and learn to do their work thoroughly, otherwise no one will employ them, and they will not be able to support themselves and their family.

In the spiritual realm it goes exactly the same way for those who jump over the difficult parts in God’s Word. Let it rather go slowly; just live life and ponder your way through these difficulties. Then eventually you’ll discover these nuggets of gold in Romans, Chapter 7.

Romans 7, the chapter of sanctification, will reveal to us the very depths of the fallen nature in our mortal flesh. Through this God will be able to see to what degree we love the revelation of the truth. If we do, then even the truth about our own corrupt nature will set us free. But if you try to deny or ignore the truths of sanctification in Romans 7 and begin instead to speed up in order to jump straight over the whole chapter (as virtually all of God’s people are taught), then you jump into darkness and false liberty. God’s Word has not been entrusted to us so we can jump over it; it has been given us as a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.