In the preceding verse Paul had said, I would do good; here he more fully expresses the same desire after conformity to the holy law. For I delight in the law of God. — This is decisive of the character in which the Apostle speaks. None but the regenerate delight in the law of God. Mr. Stuart, after the Arminian Whitby, and the Arian Taylor, has referred to a number of passages, in order to lower the import of this term. But they have no similarity to the present case. They are too numerous to be introduced and discussed in this place. Whoever wishes to examine them may consult Mr. Frazer's work On Sanctification, in which they are most satisfactorily proved to be misapplied, and wrested to the perversion of the truth. To delight in the law of the Lord is characteristic of the regenerate man. The unregenerate man hates that law as far as he sees the extent of its demands to transcend his power of fulfillment. He is enmity against God, and is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be, chapter 8:7. How, then, can he delight in it? After the inward man — The inward man is a term used only by Paul, and in reference to those who are regenerated. It is the new or spiritual nature, not merely the reason and conscience. Than this nothing can be more obviously characteristic of the Christian. Notwithstanding the evil of his corrupt nature, he is conscious of delighting in the law of God in its full extent.
Verse 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 the preceding verse the Apostle had spoken of the law of God in the inward man; here he speaks of another law in his members, warring against the law of his mind Thus he denominates his new and spiritual nature his 'inward man' and his 'mind,' and his old and carnal nature his 'members.' The bent of the Apostle's mind, according to his renewed nature, inclined him to delight in the law of God. But he found an opposite bent in his corrupt nature, which he calls a law in his members. This he represents as warring against the other. Is not this the experience of every Christian? Is there not a constant struggle of the corruptions of the heart against the principle of holiness implanted by the Spirit of God in the new birth?
And bringing me into captivity to the law of sin and death. — Mr. Stuart endeavors to aggravate this description in such a manner as to render it unsuitable to the regenerate man. He supposes that this represents the person as brought entirely and completely into captivity, which cannot be supposed of the regenerate. He refers to captives taken in war, who are entirely in the power of their conquerors, and are reduced to the most abject slavery. This is feeble reasoning. How far this captivity extends cannot be known from the figure. And, as a matter of fact, if the evil principle of our nature prevails in exciting one evil thought, it has taken us captive. So far it has conquered, and so far we are defeated and made prisoners. But this is quite consistent with the supposition that, on the whole, we may have the victory over sin.Robert Haldane, Exposition of the Epistle to the Romans, WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: "CHAPTER VII – ROMANS 7:1-25".
Verse 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 the preceding verse the Apostle had spoken of the law of God in the inward man; here he speaks of another law in his members, warring against the law of his mind Thus he denominates his new and spiritual nature his 'inward man' and his 'mind,' and his old and carnal nature his 'members.' The bent of the Apostle's mind, according to his renewed nature, inclined him to delight in the law of God. But he found an opposite bent in his corrupt nature, which he calls a law in his members. This he represents as warring against the other. Is not this the experience of every Christian? Is there not a constant struggle of the corruptions of the heart against the principle of holiness implanted by the Spirit of God in the new birth?
And bringing me into captivity to the law of sin and death. — Mr. Stuart endeavors to aggravate this description in such a manner as to render it unsuitable to the regenerate man. He supposes that this represents the person as brought entirely and completely into captivity, which cannot be supposed of the regenerate. He refers to captives taken in war, who are entirely in the power of their conquerors, and are reduced to the most abject slavery. This is feeble reasoning. How far this captivity extends cannot be known from the figure. And, as a matter of fact, if the evil principle of our nature prevails in exciting one evil thought, it has taken us captive. So far it has conquered, and so far we are defeated and made prisoners. But this is quite consistent with the supposition that, on the whole, we may have the victory over sin.Robert Haldane, Exposition of the Epistle to the Romans, WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: "CHAPTER VII – ROMANS 7:1-25".
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