Romans: The Righteousness of God in the Gospel
For I don’t understand what I am doing. For I do not do what I want – instead, I do what I hate. But if I do what I don’t want, I agree that the law is good. But now it is no longer me doing it, but sin that lives in me. For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For I want to do the good, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but I do the very evil I do not want! Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer me doing it but sin that lives in me. So, I find the law that when I want to do good, evil is present with me (NET Bible, Romans 7:15-21).
What?! Romans 7, not unlike other places in Romans, can be difficult to grasp. In the last two weeks, we have covered Romans 6 & 7. We emphasized that while we have exited the condemnation that was present in Adam and we have entered into the abundant grace of God found in Christ Jesus, Romans 6 teaches us that we are not to continue in sin so that this grace may abound! Paul then turns our attention to baptism. Many have debated the meaning of baptism in Romans 6: is it Spirit baptism? Or is it water baptism? Our student ministry staff is united in seeing water baptism as Paul’s referent in Romans 6. Historically, the Church has understood water baptism as tightly linked to our conversion experience. Paul is not suggesting that faith and repentance in the gospel are unnecessary, but rather he is using that very tangible experience of water baptism to appeal to the spiritual reality of the believer’s unity with Christ in his death and resurrection. In water baptism, the believer publicly declares his or her belief and loyalty to the death and resurrection of Christ for salvation. If you have not read Dr. Mike Svigel’s article on the Ordinances of the Church in the October edition of the ScoCaster, I strongly recommend that you do.
Then, we have Romans 7. Is Paul talking about himself or Israel? If about himself, before conversion or after? Does the believer struggle in this way post-conversion? There is certainly a lot to think about here, but I think Paul is wrestling with his post-conversion struggle with sin. This is the direction Rob (the SSM Intern) took our students with Romans 7 last Sunday morning. We have been awakened out of death to new life with Christ – we are now awakened to the sin that is in us. While this struggle is often frustrating, Rob did a great job pointing us ahead to Romans 8 and back to Romans 6 as we walk in this struggle. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Yes, there is a struggle as we attempt to walk according to the Spirit, but we can rest knowing that in Christ we no longer face the wrath of God! Also, during our struggle with sin, Rob challenged us to remember our water baptism as a point of reference. In Christ, we are dead to sin and alive to God.
Student Challenge: Have you participated in water baptism? As I look back on my own, it is a tangible reminder that I have died with Christ and am raised with him to live in righteousness for God’s glory. Please let me know if you would like to talk more about water baptism.
