The Riven Side: Part 1 and Part 2
/Romans 7:22-23
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.
In our world laws carry weight and authority. The Laws spoken of in Romans 7:22-23 speak of laws that govern the spiritual realm and have an affect or result in our physical world.
1. the law of God after the inward man
2. law of my mind
3. the law of sin which is in my members.
I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind
When we talk about the Law of sin, in essence, we are talking about the sinful nature. Some other ways to say that would be the source of sin, the factory of sin, the power of sin, or the noun of sin.
But we were separated from the old life that was dominated by sin when we were born again. Illustration of the drape
What is sin?
Romans 14:23. Judgment against self, with anything, not certain we should, we shouldn’t
And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
James 4:17
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
It’s important for us to consider these passages because sin is not always what we like it to be. I say like it, because we conveniently choose the stuff that others struggle with but we don’t. In our minds, it protects our spirituality and places us in an elevated position.
Sinful things we might struggle with and not consider sinful
Submission to authority
Living in fear
Watching unclean things
Manipulation—manipulation has a root called control
5. Unteachable—know it all spirit
Battle in the mind
V 7:23 The 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.
We have to establish some vocabulary here so that we can make sure that we are on the same page:
the law of sin—(sinful nature) when I connect that to my members, now I have one aspect of the meaning of the word flesh. While it’s true that the word for sin is hamartia and the word for flesh is sarx, so hamartia means sin and sarx means:
the meat of an animal (as food),
the body (as opposed to the soul (or spirit), what is external,
or as the means of kindred) [flesh and blood—family] why is human nature weak and frail & full of passions??
human nature (with its frailties (physically or morally) and passions), or (specially),
carnal(-ly, + -ly minded), flesh
2 thoughts:
1] both the body as opposed to the soul and spirit
2] a carnal mind
can both be labeled the flesh, so with that said, it’s important for us to know that the soul is not completely disconnected from the flesh [because the mind is part of the soul: mind, will, emotions = soul]
And the soul is not completely disconnected from the Spirit, we know the word can separate them.
Flesh is used to describe a carnal mind and the mind is part of the soul. A carnal mind is the opposite of a spiritual mind. Can a Christian have a carnal mind?
1 Corinthians 3:1
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. Pneumatikos. Sarkikos—fleshly
1 Corinthians 2:14 psychikos—soulish
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
So the soulish or natural man can be a Christian who does not think with the mind of Christ; instead, he operates in a carnal mindset, with his own mind, without a renewed mind.
Ephesians 4:20-23 renewed- renovate
20 But ye have not so learned Christ; 21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
So the soulish part of man known as the mind can partner with sin and operate carnally or fleshly, which is not God’s will and anything that is not of faith is sin.
Return to the drape illustration but keep the face/ head on the opposite side
And that’s where I feel the Lord wants me to spend the rest of the time…looking at the laws in relation to the mind—specifically the renewed mind/ the mind of Christ.
1. the law of God after the inward man
2. law of my mind
3. the law of sin which is in my members.
How does my inward man affect the law of my mind? After I’m saved, the Spirit of God lives in me. God told Jeremiah 31:33 that in the New Covenant, He would write the Law of God on the heart. My interpretation of that is this—when I got saved the Holy Spirit came to live in me. In what part of me does He live? His Spirit lives in my spirit and so I can know right from wrong spiritually, but the mind of my soul man may not be convinced. The renewal of the mind is more than just reading your Bible. The renewed mind is a mind that is gaining revelation. Revelation comes from the Holy Spirit, but without knowledge, it’s difficult to gain revelation.
Knowledge—wisdom—understanding
Illustration: I don’t like algebra, so I skip class and refuse to do the homework. Okay, and you will fail the test unless you’re an absolute genius and being a genius won’t get you through spiritual life. No, you have to have knowledge, then apply the knowledge in your daily life and with the help of the Holy Spirit, through the word and daily applying the word will result in wisdom and through this, the Lord gives revelation.
Romans 8:1 we all have aspects of our mind that are carnal
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit—a carnal or un-renewed mindset can fall under condemnation
So if I’m operating in the law of God I will have freedom- right?
Romans 8:2
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Take the drape and throw it over the head and behind
So now let’s define the Law of God as [The Spirit of life in Christ Jesus] then the Law of sin [sinful nature] will not affect the Law of my mind [my soul/mind will line up with my spirit and believe what God says instead of what I’m trying to believe based on the negative influences of the enemy.
The flesh is the opposite of faith. Faith is all about abiding in a specific place and not allowing yourself to be disconnected. I can’t forget a thought the Lord gave me once from the song rock of ages. There is a word in the song that says let the water and the blood flow from your riven side be a double cure.
Song - Rock of Ages Cleft For Me
The word riven means to be split. God took a rib out of the first Adam to make him a bride and God split the ribs of the last Adam and grafted into Him a Gentile bride:
Romans 11:17
And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
John 15:4-5
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.