Are you struggling with Sin?

I haven’t been blogging regularly, so my apologies for those who had been following.
I will endeavour to continue posting something up fairly regularly. These blogs typically come out of my time with God. For the last few months I have been doing a special study which was a bit tricky to blog.

Our daily reading (www.revolutiontoronto.com ) is currently on Romans. Chapter 7 of this book especially causes a huge problem for many readers, for it seems to condone the sinful struggle that many undergo. I have enclosed a short excerpt of my interpretation of Pauls’ struggle from a paper I wrote. I believe you will find it very encouraging. (For the longer excerpt please feel free to request it)

A contemporary reader of Romans 7:14-25 need not be confused as to the interpretation of this text. Tradition and experience may have taught them to interpret the passage in a number of different ways. Tradition may dictate that Paul is speaking about his non-Christian experience, while experience may state that Paul is referring to common sinful struggle experienced by most Christians. However, Paul’s understanding of the flesh, his belief in the finality of the Mosaic Law and an understanding of his use of speech rhetoric act as guideposts in proper interpretation. Paul’s belief that the flesh is of the old rebellious nature, along with his belief that the Mosaic Law has passed away lead the interpretation of our passage in a clear direction. Paul does not admit of any enslavement to sin as verse 14 would seem to say, neither does he concede to a bitter struggle between his mind and his flesh in verse 25. At this point, the contemporary reader seems to be stuck in how to interpret this passage. Paul is admitting his guilt to sin in the first person expressed in the present tense, yet the reader cannot interpret the passage as such since Paul believes in freedom from the law and works of the flesh. An awareness of the rhetorical device responsible for the personal portrayal thus presents an interpretive solution for the reader. Paul is definitely speaking about himself in this passage despite apparent contradictions. However it is before his conversion to the faith. Paul chooses to use a first person account in order to achieve credibility with his readers.
Thus, the interpretation of Romans 7:14-25 while it has been subject to much conjecture over the years need not be mysterious or problematic for the modern day reader anymore. A contemporary reader armed with an accurate understanding of Paul’s view of the flesh, a proper knowledge of Paul’s belief in the finality of the Mosaic Law and his use of speech rhetorical devices can be guided toward a proper interpretation of this passage. This interpretation is one that factors in Paul’s intolerance to sin and works of the flesh. Thus a contemporary interpreter will be constrained to pursue a life of holiness, despite personal cost, such as times of fasting, prayer and self-denial, in order to live a passion free life congruent with the proper interpretation of our passage.