Romans 7:14-25: The Christian's Remaining Sin and Hope for Future Deliverance (part 3)

by Danny Pelichowski

Biblical Presuppositions: The Unregenerate Man (continued)

We now move to a few key passages outside of the book of Romans clearly written by Paul about himself in his pre-Christian past. It must be emphasized here that there is a difference between a believers delight in the law of God and the pharisaical, proud, and idolatrous observance of the Mosaic Law in an external fashion. This is the twisted and sinful desire that the proud unbelieving Jew typified. They were confident of their righteousness in their own eyes and made sure that other people noticed their religious practices. This hypocritical confidence led to boasting that they were not like the other sinners who broke God’s law.[5]

In Galatians 1:13-14 Paul describes his pre-Christian life in exactly these ways by proclaiming, “You have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.” In commenting on this passage John Piper says that “Paul saw his life before his conversion as a life of unrivaled zeal for the law and the traditions. He doesn't give us any hint of torment or conflict or inner division as we see in Romans 7.”[6]

Put no Confidence in the Flesh

Likewise, Philippians 3:3-6 gives us an even clearer understanding of how Paul viewed himself prior to his radical conversion when he met Jesus on the Damascus road. In this passage Paul argues for the many reasons that he might have to put confidence in the flesh. Paul says that “though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under law, blameless.”[7] Pharisaical self-righteousness cannot be any clearer than it is in this passage. Paul is describing a wicked, evil, unregenerate self righteousness that he could have on the basis of his past Jewish religious merits. However, Paul fervently refuses to put any confidence in his flesh because of Christ's merits and his realization of how weak his flesh actually is. Paul teaches that we are to “glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.”[8] If we look for a moment at Romans 7:14-25 it becomes obviously clear how little confidence Christians should put in the flesh because the sinful flesh will always be with believers this side of heaven and it will necessarily prevent them from obeying God’s law perfectly despite their intense desire to obey it. For Paul says in Romans 7:18 “for I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.” What Paul says in Philippians is echoed in Romans 7 that we are to put no confidence in the flesh because the flesh is weak. Concluding Paul’s discussion of the so-called confidence in the flesh that he could have he says; “but whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.”[9]

When Paul wrote Philippians and Romans he was a Christian and his view of himself in his past pre-Christian life was that of a man who put confidence in the flesh. On the contrary, his Christian understanding is that his old self-righteous confidence is only loss for the sake of Christ and that he can no longer put any confidence in the flesh. In conclusion, Paul’s teaching in Romans 7:14-25 about his divided struggle with sin and his teaching in Philippians 3 about the Pharisaical merits for self righteous confidence are not both describing Paul as an unbelieving Pharisee. For we see in Philippians Paul describing a self-righteous man with confidence in the flesh that he was innocent before God. On the other hand the exact opposite is found in Romans 7 in his description of his love and desire for true righteousness without a hint of confidence in his flesh to make him right before God.
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5. See Luke 18:9-14 this parable about the Pharisee and the tax collector illustrates the evil of self righteousness and the need for believers to recognize and repent of their sin.
6. John Piper "Who is this Divided man?" Sermon notes (Part 3). Accessed 20 November 2009.
7. Philippians 4:4-6
8. Philippians 3:3b
9. Philippians 3:7