The book of Romans part 287, Rom 7:20;
In our verse by verse study of Romans last time we finished our Expanded Translation of Rom 7:19; "For not (what I want I do intrinsic good) but what I not want this evil I keep on practicing.
We noted that the problem described in the passage is that the believer does know what to do but does not know how to do it.
The inner conflict that is created between the old sin nature as the ex-husband, and the Lord Jesus Christ the new husband is described in many biblical passages.
Without the filling of the Spirit and the constant perception of God's Word of Truth through the protocol of God's GASP system under the ministry of one's right pastor the believer keeps on doing the evil that he does not want to do because that is what he always did before he was saved.
Therefore, part of the problem is to know the objective and the other part is learning how to attain the objective of maturity adjustment to God's justice. A verse we noted that succinctly explains the predicate for this is Gal 5:16;
The intrinsic good described in this verse refers to the believer reaching spiritual maturity from maximum doctrine resident in the soul. Only in spiritual maturity do we have the capacity and the security for blessing from God's justice.
Rom 7: 20; In the NASB we have" But if I am doing the very thing that I do not want." The conjunctive particle "de" (but) is used as a transitional conjunction here so it could also be translated "now or and."
Then a conditional conjunction or the conjunctive particle "ei" (if), plus the indicative mood of the verb "poieo" (I am doing) that in this case is used for a first class condition that is a supposition from the viewpoint of reality.
The verb makes a statement of fact in the present tense that is a descriptive or pictorial present that describes something that is occurring at the present time.
The active voice: Paul, the human author describes himself as a representing a reversionist but remember he is not in reversionism when he writes this because he has to be filled with the Spirit to write it down.
He is using himself as an example so it personifies the passage and that is consistent with the interpretive illustration of the divorce from the old sin nature and marriage to the Lord Jesus Christ as the second husband that occurs when a person believes in Jesus Christ and is born again.
The indicative mood describes the verbal action from the viewpoint of reality. Next is the word "hos" (what) the NASB translates it as (the very thing) plus the nominative singular from the personal pronoun "ego" (I).
The present active indicative of "thelo" (want) with the negative "ou" (not) means the opposite of one's purpose, will, or desire. "But if I am doing what I do not want." The present tense is a customary present referring to what may be reasonably expected from the believer who is positive toward God's Word of Truth.
The active voice: the believer produces the action of the verb. The indicative mood is potential of obligation. The potential depends upon the perception of Bible doctrine. Plus the nominative neuter singular intensive pronoun "houtos" (this) "this I keep doing."
We see here that the believer who knows God's directive will does not want to follow the trends of the old sin nature but the protasis of the first class condition of "if" tells us that in spite of not wanting to do it because of the influence of the OSN the believer is actually doing it anyway.
Therefore the intensive pronoun "autos: (this) refers to production of sin, human good and evil. This production or accomplishment of sin, human good and evil is what such a believer does not desire to do but does anyway.
That means that there is an inner conflict between what the believer desires to do and what he actually does. This dilemma reveals the fact that there is a strong oppositional pull in every believer that is not in the unbeliever.
We see here that the life of the believer is a major battleground between the forces of evil through the old sin nature and the forces of God led by Bible doctrine and the inner ministry of God the Holy Spirit.
The volition of the believer's soul is the target for tremendous antithetical pressures from the two husbands: the ex-husband of the old sin nature and the new husband, the Lord Jesus Christ as represented by Bible doctrine, and the indwelling Holy Spirit as the marriage counselor.
Only through the filling ministry of God the Holy Spirit and comprehension of the relevant Bible doctrine can the believer be enabled to make decisions and actions that honor and please God.
" I am no longer the one that does it" the temporal adverb "ouketei" (no longer). This means that from the first marriage to the second marriage there is a change of emphasis on where the blame is placed.
The source is still the old sin nature but the believer's volition has now becomes involved, and he is not going to excuse himself but he is going to show that the source remains the old sin nature but the responsibility for controlling the source after salvation is now entirely different.
The old sin nature that rules human life through spiritual death from biological birth had the authority over human life before salvation. But after salvation the old sin nature is no longer in authority, the believer's volition is in authority so the believer's responsibility for his own decisions is the issue now.
The old sin nature is the ultimate source of the temptation for sin, human good and evil but the believer now has free volition so he can reject or accept the influence of the old sin nature
The present middle indicative of the verb "katergazomai" (to do or to bring about). "I am no longer the one doing it." The present tense is a progressive present signifying an action that is in progress or in a state of continuity in present time. The active indicative mood verb is in the middle voice.
Paul uses himself as an illustration to explain the principle. The indicative mood is declarative for reality for the action. Plus the accusative singular direct object "autos" (it) that refers to doing or performing the sin and the trends of the sin nature.
"but sin that dwells in me" the adversative conjunction "alla" (but) sets up a contrast between Paul and the sin nature that resides in his biological body. Plus the nominative singular subject from "hamartia" (sin) with the definite article 'ho" (the) making it monadic so it refers specifically to the old sin nature not personal sins.
Next is the present active participle of "oikeo" (reside, dwell, house, or make residence in). The present tense of duration that refers to something that began in the past and continues throughout one's life. Even after salvation believers still have the old sin nature residing in the cell structure of the biological body.
The active voice: the old sin nature as the ex-husband produces the action. This is a circumstantial participle emphasizing the fact that after salvation the old sin nature still makes its headquarters in the biological human body.
Then the prepositional phrase "en" (in) plus the locative of "ego" (me) "in me." Expanded Translation Rom 7:20 "But if what I do not desire this I keep doing, I am no longer the one doing it, but the sin nature residing in me."
We see from that that there is a frustration of God's purpose and will in the believer by the counter attack of the old sin nature.
The old sin nature is the origin of sin, good and evil from physical birth but now that the believer is married to Jesus Christ, the second husband the believer cannot go back to the sin and trends of the sin nature, the ex-husband without the believer's volition being involved.
That means that when a believer sins it is because the believer chooses for the lusts of the physical body rather than for God, Jesus Christ and God's Word of Truth because when a believer commits sins it is because the believer made the volitional choice to sin.
The conflict between the believer's purpose to please Christ and the desire to fulfill the lusts of the old sin nature while living in this world is a constant source of pressure in which the true purpose and meaning of the Christian life are stalemated by temptations from the lust patterns of the old sin nature.
The OSN provides both lust and the motivation for the believer's bad decisions from the volitional involvement in the trends of sin, good and evil. The believer is not excused because it is from his own free will that he gives in to the pressure from the sin nature.
Therefore the sin nature as first husband is constantly trying to get the believer as the ex-wife back under his control. When he succeeds the believer is described as a reversionist who is under the influence of evil.
This leads to the concept of the co-existence of both good and evil that is described in the next verse,
Rom 7:21; "I find then the principle." The inferential particle "ara" (then), in the apodosis of a conditional sentence used to express a result so it should be translated as either "consequently" or "as a result."
With it is the present active indicative of the verb "heurisko" (I find). The present tense is a historical present that views a past discovery with the clarity of a present occurrence. The active voice tells us that Paul discovered this phenomenon of good and evil co-existing in conflict within himself.
The indicative mood is declarative representing the verbal action from the viewpoint of reality. Plus the accusative singular direct object from "nomos" (law or principle with the definite article "ho" (the) that is used as a demonstrative pronoun making it monadic so it is refers specifically to a rule, law or principle that governs one's actions.
To this point we will translate it as "Consequently I discovered this principle." The principle has to do with the co-existence of God's Word of Truth from Jesus Christ, the new husband and evil desires from the old sin nature the ex-husband.
This means that a conflict arises after Jesus Christ teaches the believer some doctrine because the doctrine contradicts the evil that old sin nature is teaching.
Next in the Greek word order is "that when I want to do the good" The conjunction "hoti" (that) tells us that the content of the ruling principle does not occur until after the dependent clause.
The dependent clause starts with the present active participle from the verb "thelo" (to want, to wish, to desire, to purpose, to will, or to resolve) with the indirect object "ego" (to me).
The customary present tense describes what is expected from a believer as a member of God's royal family. The active voice: Paul represents himself as a reversionistic believer in order to explain the situation even though he is not reversionistic when writes this because he is filled with the Spirit.
So in the English we have "that when I desire or want." Plus the present active infinitive of the verb "poieo" (to do) that is an iterative present tense that is used to describe something that recurs at successive intervals in time.
The active voice: Paul represents himself as the believer in conflict. Then the direct object from the adjective used as a substantive, "kalos" (good or honorable) with the definite article "ho" (the) making it monadic so it exclusively refers to "the honorable thing."
The honorable thing includes persistence under the filling ministry of God the Spirit through the acknowledgment of any known sin when necessary and the daily function of GASP that results in the attainment of the objective of experiential adjustment to God's justice in spiritual maturity.
"that in me the evil is present" that literally means "that in me the evil resides." The locative of sphere from the personal pronoun "ego" (me), preceded by "hoti" (that) indicating the content of the principle. Plus the nominative neuter singular from the adjective substantive "kakos" (evil) with the definite article "ho" (the) referring specifically to the sin nature not personal sins.
Along with the present middle indicative of the verb "parakeimai" (to be present or to reside in) so we have "that the principle of evil resides in me." The present tense is a retroactive progressive present because evil has resided in us from the moment of our physical birth and it will continue to reside in us until our biological body dies.
In other words, evil came with the imputation of Adam's sin to its genetically formed home, the old sin nature at biological birth. The residence of the evil counteracted by the filling ministry of God the Holy Spirit and Bible doctrine resident and circulating in the soul.
The indirect middle voice tells us that the evil produces the action of the verb when we use our volition to allow it to. The indicative mood is declarative for a dogmatic statement of doctrine.
Expanded Translation Rom 7:21; "Consequently I discovered the principle that when I desire to do the honorable thing, that the evil resides in me."