A Summary of Romans 7:14-25
A Sermon on Romans 7:14-25
Originally preached Nov. 6, 1959
Scripture
14For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 16If then I do that which I would not, …
Sermon Description
Faithful Christian interpreters have been puzzled by the identity of the man described by Paul in Romans 7:14-25. What is his spiritual condition? Is he regenerate or unregenerate? Can Paul be describing the spiritual condition of a mature believer? Or might the description be that of an immature believer? Although we must approach every passage of Scripture with care, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones earnestly calls his listeners to come to Romans 7:14-25 with the maximum amount of humility. In this introductory sermon, Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides a cogent overview of the various positions, reminding his listeners again and again that it is prudent to adopt an attitude of fear and trepidation since great Christian saints have held differing perspectives. Dr. Lloyd-Jones also provides his audience with a general outline of the entire passage and carefully links Romans 7:14-25 with the theme of the Law found in the previous verses. Finally, he unpacks how Scripture describes the carnal or fleshly man. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones introduces the main contours of the debate surrounding the peculiar identity of the man of Romans 7:14-25.
Sermon Breakdown
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The sermon continues Paul's discussion of the law from Romans 7:1-13. The word "for" in verse 14 connects this passage to the previous discussion.
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Verse 14 provides a general statement about the position and condition of the man being described. The law is spiritual but the man is carnal, sold under sin.
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Verse 15 shows how the position and condition in verse 14 works out in practice and daily life. The man does what he hates and does not do what he wills.
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Verses 16-17 provide two inferences about the man. First, he consents to the goodness of the law. Second, it is no longer him doing it but sin dwelling in him.
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Verses 18-20 provide a fuller explanation of verse 17. There is nothing good in the man's flesh. He wills to do good but cannot perform it. He does evil even though he wills not to. It is sin dwelling in him, not him.
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Verse 21 provides another general statement about the man at a deeper level. He finds that evil is present with him even when he wills to do good.
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Verses 22-23 expound on verse 21. The man delights in God's law inwardly but sees another law in his members warring against his mind and captivating him to the law of sin.
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Verse 24 expresses the man's cry of despair and desire for deliverance upon realizing his terrible condition.
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Verse 25 provides an ejaculation of relief and sums up the man's condition described throughout the passage.
Sermon Q&A
Understanding Romans 7:14: Lloyd-Jones on the Spiritual Law and Carnal Man
What does Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones say is the main controversy surrounding Romans 7:14-25?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the main controversy centers on the identity of the person Paul is describing in this passage. He outlines three main views that have been held throughout church history:
- Paul is describing an unregenerate man (non-Christian)
- Paul is describing a regenerate man (Christian) at his best, possibly even himself at the time of writing
- Paul is describing a regenerate man in the early stages of Christian life, before receiving a "second blessing" or deeper spiritual experience
Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that this passage has led to more debate and unfortunately even "wrangling and display of spirit far removed from that which is taught in the New Testament" than perhaps any other section in Romans.
How does Lloyd-Jones approach the interpretation of difficult passages like Romans 7?
Lloyd-Jones advocates an approach characterized by:
- Humility and caution, acknowledging that great biblical scholars have disagreed
- Avoiding a "party spirit" that blindly follows a particular theological system
- Maintaining an open mind guided by the Holy Spirit
- Using an inductive method - examining the statements themselves before drawing conclusions
- Comparing Scripture with Scripture to understand terms consistently
- Considering the context and flow of Paul's argument
He specifically rejects starting with a predetermined view and then looking for evidence to support it, saying: "I'm not going to give you a view and then prove I'm right. No, we'll adopt the inductive method and we'll work up to a conclusion."
What does Lloyd-Jones identify as the main subject of Romans 7:14-25?
According to Lloyd-Jones, the main subject of this passage is not primarily Paul's personal experience but rather the nature and function of God's law. He says:
"The apostle in this section is not primarily concerned to give his experience. He isn't setting out just to tell us something about himself. He is telling us about what he thinks about the law, the nature of the law, what the law is meant to do, what the law is not meant to do, the limits to the law, what the law, in other words, cannot do."
Lloyd-Jones argues that Paul is continuing his defense against two charges about his teaching on the law: 1. That he taught the law was sin (addressed in 7:7-12) 2. That he taught the law produces death (addressed in 7:13-25)
What does Lloyd-Jones say about the significance of Paul's use of present tense in Romans 7:14?
Lloyd-Jones acknowledges the shift from past tense in the earlier verses to present tense in verse 14 ("I am carnal" rather than "I was carnal"), but argues this doesn't automatically settle the interpretation question.
He explains that this could be an example of what he calls the "dramatic present" - a rhetorical device where someone speaks in present tense to make a point more vivid or objective. Lloyd-Jones states:
"It's a very, very common form of establishing a point. It's something that often happens, indeed, almost invariably in an illustration. So that we are equally entitled to say that the apostle here is putting this whole position in this personal way in order to make it objective."
Lloyd-Jones notes that if the present tense automatically determined the interpretation, there would never have been centuries of debate among great theologians about this passage.
What does Lloyd-Jones teach about the meaning of "carnal" in Romans 7:14?
Lloyd-Jones identifies two uses of "carnal" (fleshly) in Scripture:
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The primary meaning refers to unregenerate people who are "in the flesh" and opposed to God (Romans 8:5-9) - people living apart from God's Spirit.
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A secondary meaning refers to immature Christians or "babes in Christ" (1 Corinthians 3:1-4) who, though regenerate, still think and act according to worldly patterns.
Based on these definitions, Lloyd-Jones concludes that the statement "I am carnal, sold under sin" cannot be referring to: - The mature apostle Paul when writing Romans (since he was not an unregenerate man) - A fully developed, mature Christian (since Paul wouldn't describe himself as "carnal" in either sense)
This leads him toward the view that Paul is using the "I" to represent either an unregenerate person or a Christian at a very early stage of spiritual development.
The Book of Romans
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.