Romans 7:7
"What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. (is the Law something evil or wicked?) Nay, I had not known sin, (the old sin nature) but by the law (the
whole purpose of the law was to reveal mans utter sinfulness and his
need of a savior for man was and is totally incapable of complying in
his own merit), for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet."
See how simple that is? So it was the Law that condemned this religious
Hebrew, and he thought he was keeping it. The Law as said was meant to
show or reveal mans true condition in each area where it demanded total
obedience. Where one fond himself guilty in one he was judged guilty of
all and therefore he was under penalty of death. There is no grace and
no love given or revealed just stone cold your guilty of trespass and
you must die.
Romans 7:8-9
"But sin, (the old sin nature) taking occasion by the commandments, (the Law) wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. (it got his mind just broiling) For without the law sin was dead. (it was inoperative, some one not hearing or know of the Law was not in subjection to it) 9. For I was alive without the law once; but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died." Old Adam woke up and old Adam in Saul's makeup said, "Hey that's me, because I'm covetous." And then what did he do? I died.
Now what does he mean? Well he had to die in the realm of that old Adam
life or nature which is a Law breaker, and with the death of old Adam
life or nature, what happened? New Life completeness or union with God
in Christ and intimacy with the Spirit of the risen LORD. Now that's
what we talk about all the time, that's salvation. When our old Adam
life and nature is put to death (by way of a contrite and humble heart
acknowledging that in and of ourselves we can not keep the requires of
the Law), because it was the Law breaker and we become a believer who
receives by trusting in the finished work of the Cross, which is our
Gospel then we're a New Creation, we're made alive, we're given Eternal
Life and Paul is constantly referring to that. Peter also said that
salvation was all Paul talks about in all his Epistles. Now back to
Galatians chapter 2 verse 20 which is a classic. It's a verse that we
think most kids in daily vacation Bible school should memorize. Here
Paul now gives his own personal testimony under inspiration of the
awaken, quickened spirit within him (that seed of woman which all
mankind has but remains as it were dead unless it receives the Light of
creation Genesis 1:3 and John 12:24) and it becomes the Word of God.
Galatians 2:20
“I
am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ
liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the
faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” We'll look at this section by section as the LORD the Spirit leads.
Galatians 2:20a
"I am crucified with Christ:..." Now
Paul didn't die on a Roman cross. If he died a martyr's death, we
believe it was by beheading. So what's he's talking about? Oh that day
on the road to Damascus when the Lord spoke to him, and literally
knocked him to the ground, and in a moment Saul of Tarsus recognized
that he was dealing with the ascended Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified
One, what happened? Oh Saul died that very moment, he was crucified in
the old Adam life and nature, and immediately he became a New man, a New
Creation, he was united as a bride is the completion of her husband. He
received the power of an Endless Life within him but as of yet he don't
know it for that came. When did it come? while in the wilderness. Where
the Lord revealed the mysteries or secret things of God to him, the
very things which are hidden from view in the scriptures which requires a
re-rebirthing or an entry into the second blessing to see clearly. This
re-rebirth is like a fetus being birth and passing through the birth
canal, in this case its the death of all self will and the destroying of
the spirit of the world within the person. When this is accomplished we
can say with Paul, "it is no longer I that live but Christ lives in
me."
Galatians 2:20
"I am crucified with Christ: (when Christ died that's when we died) nevertheless I live; (physically) yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh (here and now, day by day and moment by moment, in completeness) I live by the faith (the faithfulness, He is faithful, He will never let us down) of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Remember Peter in the Book of Acts to the Nation of Israel said, "You killed Him." But Paul to the Body of Christ says, "He loves you and gave Himself for you."
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