My text tonight is Romans 7:9. In this text the Apostle Paul, writing by divine inspiration, tells us of three things experienced, three things by which he was brought to faith in Christ. These three things are experienced, to a greater or lesser degree, by all of God's elect. Here are three things that happen to every truly converted soul.
When Paul says that he was alive without the law, he does not mean that he had never heard or read the law before, or that he did not know it. Of all men in his day, Saul of Tarsus was probably the most well-acquainted with the law of God. He knew and understood the letter of the law very well.
When Paul says, "I was alive without the law once," his meaning is this – "There was a time when the law of God had never come home to my heart and conscience, I never knew the spirituality of the law. I never knew what the law demanded."
A. Saul of Tarsus was a lost religious man.He was zealous. He was devoted. He was strict. He kept the law, in its letter, all the days of his life. But he was as lost as the most debased barbarian who ever lived in the darkest corners of Africa. Yet, he was totally convinced that everything was well with his soul. While he was dead in sin, he was full of religious life.
As soon as you think yourself better than others, you become the judge of others; and the next step is to carry out your sentence upon others.
C. There are many things which support men and give them security in self-righteous religion.
Saul lacked none of those things which give men a false security.
1. First and foremost, Saul was ignorant of the law's spiritual character.
Romans 7:7 "What shall we say then? is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet."
"Like the rest of the Pharisees, he thought the law only regarded the outward actions, and did not reach to the spirits or souls of men, the inward thoughts and affections of the mind." John Gill
Self-righteousness stems from a failure to understand the spiritual character of the law of God. Uncleanness of mind in God's eyes is as obnoxious as uncleanness of life.
2. Saul had the respectability and esteem of high office in the church.
He was a Pharisee of the Pharisees! He came behind no one in matters of religious devotion. Read the third chapter of Philippians. Saul of Tarsus was a remarkable, highly respected figure in the religious world.
Philippians 3:1-7 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. (2) Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. (3) For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. (4) Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: (5) Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; (6) Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. (7) But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
3. Saul rested in a false evidence of God's love and favor.He thought external reformation was an indication of God's favor.
John 8:39-41 "They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. (40) But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. (41) Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God."
NOTE: Evidence based assurance is false assurance. Our assurance of salvation is Christ. It is the assurance of faith.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
4. Saul strengthened his carnal security by comparing himself to those who were outwardly more profane and wicked than himself.
Isaiah 65:1-5 I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name. (2) I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts; (3) A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick; (4) Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine's flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels; (5) Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.
5. Saul had that love of self which causes a man to overlook his own faults and exaggerate the faults of others.Matthew 7:3-5 "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? (4) Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? (5) Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."
6. Saul was deceived with a wrong idea of God's justice.He did not realize that the law of God demands perfection and that the justice of God requires an infinite atonement for every deviation from God's holy law.
Through all of these things, the god of this world had blinded his mind, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ should shine unto him. Like some of you, Saul of Tarsus was a man lost in religion. His religion kept him from Christ. "I was alive without the law once."
7. This man actually presumed that he was good enough to meet whatever demands God required!He was alive without the law. He felt perfectly comfortable with himself! He was, in his wonderful opinion of himself, good enough for God.
II. Secondly, "WHEN THE COMMANDMENT CAME, SIN REVIVED."
Before the commandment came, piercing his heart and soul, sin was a dead thing to him. He had mortified the flesh. He had sanctified himself, at least outwardly. He did not believe that there was really any great sin in him. In his own estimation, and in the eyes of others, Saul was a truly holy man.
What does Paul mean by this statement – "When the commandment came, sin revived?"
For the first time in his life, Saul felt himself to be a guilty sinner. This conviction of sin is not an easy thing to experience. But it is necessary. Without it, no man will ever be saved. Your sin must be exposed to you, or you will never come to Christ.
III. Thirdly, the Apostle says this, "AND I DIED."
At last, Saul was slain by the law. His mouth was stopped. He stood guilty before God.
A. What was it in this man that died?It was that which ought never to have lived. It was the great "I". "Sin revived, and 'I' died." The law killed it. "I" was so secure. "I" was so proud. "I" was so holy. "I" was so zealous. But now "I died." Any man whose heart has been exposed to the light of God's holy law sees himself as a vile, obnoxious, rotting corpse of human flesh.
B. What does Paul mean by this statement – "I died"?He had broken the law of God, and all his efforts to keep it in the future would not atone for his sin. All his tears of repentance, all his sorrowful cries, all of his sincere confessions, all his best deeds, could not mend God's broken law.
The thunderous bolts of Sinai dashed all his hopes to the ground. The iron cold sword of the law, had wounded and slain his spirit. Then, but not until then, we hear this broken man cry, "Lord, what wilt thou have me do?"
C. Have you ever been slain by God's Holy Law?I hope that there are some of you hearing my voice tonight, who have been slain. You feel yourselves to be real sinners, utterly lost and undone before God. I've got good news for sinners. Christ died for sinners. God, for Christ's sake, saves sinners.
HERE ARE FIVE POWERFUL TRUTHS THAT DAWNED UPON MY SOUL, BY WHICH I WAS SLAIN.
1. I saw my own sinfulness.The law of God requires perfection. God cannot and will not accept anything less than absolute perfection.
Leviticus 22:21 "And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD to accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep, IT SHALL BE PERFECT TO BE ACCEPTED; there shall be no blemish therein."
3. I saw that the only hope for sinners is a perfect substitute.By these five truths I was slain; all hope in myself was gone. And I was compelled to fall down before Christ, suing for mercy – "God, be merciful to me, the sinner." "Lord, if you will, you can make me whole."
D. Now, "I through the law am dead to the law" because I have been crucified with Christ.Galatians 2:19-21 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. (20) I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (21) I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
Application:
1. There is no hope held out to any man in the law.
2. The sinner's only hope of salvation is faith in Christ. You must trust the Son of God!
3. Children of God, cling to Christ alone all your days for all things.
4. By faith in Christ, we who believe fulfill the law of God. By faith in Christ, we who believe fulfill the law of God. "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law" (Rom. 3:31).
5. We must never allow anyone to bring us back under the yoke of the law.
Galatians 5:1 "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."
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