Sold Under Sin? (“Romans 7” & “Chief of Sinners” Lies)
Rom 7:14-25 “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
Rom 7:15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
Rom 7:16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
Rom 7:17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Rom 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Rom 7:20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
Rom 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
Rom 7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Rom 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”
In this Passage of Scripture, Paul is speaking of a person (or himself) in an ‘UN-REGENERATE’ State, ‘Sold Under Sin.’ It by NO MEANS is depicting a Redeemed Christian Set Free from sin! The entire Context of Romans 7 begins, ‘For I speak to those who KNOW the Law!’ The illustration and the illusion are speaking to someone UNDER the Law. Therefore ‘SOLD’ into Bondage denotes in Translation, someone Sold into a ‘State of bondage’ to which a Roman Slave was Sold into as Merchandise. That is the illusion Paul is drawing here!
NO WHERE in Scripture is a Christians said to be SOLD into Bondage, but the VERY Opposite is True.
He is SET FREE from Bondage by the Lord Jesus Christ! Redeemed from that Bondage of sin and death through Repentance and Faith! (John8:31-32) ‘Who the Son sets free is free INDEED!’
The Law is by no means Abolished to those set free in Christ. It is ESTABLISHED, UPHELD by Faith! (Rom3:31) ‘The law is holy and the commandment holy and just and good!’ It MUST be Upheld. Faith meets the criteria because it TURNS on an Obedient heart of Love toward God. (Rom6:16-17) Having originated from godly sorrow for sin, Repentance that involved Zeal, Clearing and Vindication, it Circumcises the heart, (Col2:11) and PURIFIES the Soul of sin. It is THEN Credited to you as Righteousness, (Rom4:19-22) and Establishes the Righteous Requirements of the Law! (Rom8:1-4)
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Rom8:1-4
HOW could someone Living in bondage to a ‘sin nature’ (sold out to it!) WALK in the Righteous Requirements of the Law? The ONLY way the ‘sin everyday’ teaching makes any sense at all is if Christ Fulfills the Law for us, BUT the Rom 8 Passage says the VERY OPPOSITE! ‘The Righteous Requirements of the Law are FULFILLED IN US!’ It Couldn’t be more Clear. IF you have Come to Christ through a Genuine Repentance and Faith WORKING by Love, Cleansing and Purifying your heart of sin, this will HOLD True! (However, if you have merely ‘accepted’ Jesus as your personal Savior and came to Him in your sins, the Bondage remains.)
Further evidence is found in verse 23 of Romans 7, where Paul uses another Very powerful illustration in the Word, ‘Captivity’. Here he is eluding to a city reduced by a storming army, who had laid Siege to the inhabitance, reduced them to starvation, launched their attack and carried off the survivors into an irresistible Captivity. The Word he uses is the EXACT same word Christ used to Describe the final ruin of the Jews under Roman dominance. When they would be carried away into captivity and their nation trampled by the Gentiles.
The ‘Wretched man’ he refers to in Verse 24, ‘O wretched man that I am!” Is another illustration portraying what happens to the Roman Prisoners taken into bondage after the Siege. It was a custom among tyrants in those days to Chain the survivors to a Rotting Corpse from the battlefield and force him to carry the dead body about until he also died a slow and miserable death!
AGAIN, HOW this could Possibly be describing a ‘Christian’ is BEYOND Reason! But the Preachers love to use this passage of Scripture to excuse their own sin and the sins of the people who they have lead to Christ WITHOUT a Repentance of Clearing, Zeal and Purity of heart! (2Cor7:10-11)
Paul is NOT Condoning sin, neither is he the ‘Chief of sinners’ so many wrest to their destruction not dividing the word of truth correctly!
1 Timothy 1:15 “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am CHIEF(G4413).”
CHIEF in the Greek = G4413 πρῶτος prōtos pro’-tos [PROTOTYPE] Contracted superlative of G4253; FOREMOST(in time, place, order or importance): – BEFORE, beginning, best, chief (-est), first (of all), FORMER. [Total KJV occurrences: 100]
He is speaking here also of ‘FORMER’ times. Better stated: “Who was in former times, the Chief among sinners!’ Examine the Greek Tense for yourself. The English has it reversed. Sin was NEVER the foregone conclusion in Paul’s life! This same passage in the very next verse, states that his LIFE and Steadfastness were a PATTERN to all believers! HOW could he hold himself up as an Example to the Church if he was daily violating his conscience in thought, word and deed? (as all the preachers claim)
Paul NEVER preached “saved in sin” nor did anyone else in the bible! Paul….Chief of Sinners? Are you kidding?? He preached and lived holiness and biblical perfectness. Some love to take this statement totally out of context to justify their desire to sin!
Notice that Christ set him free from sin. Notice that as with us the old life must die and in fact we have to lose that life to have the LorD.
Mark 8:34-36 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. 36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
This is Paul…renewed and born again! Deliverance from Bondage.
Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God
Praise the Lord. Paul is no longer under the law of sin. He is now in Christ.
FREED FROM SIN:…. What part of free don’t the church understand. The word freed or free means in the Greek, ( a action Verb ) to make freed from the dominion ( power ) of sin.
Rom 8:2
Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself PURE.
Examine three very powerful terms “pure, undefiled, unspotted”. All are synonymous with “sanctified”.
—> pure Gk. katharos kä-thä-ro’s (kah tha rahs’)
Thayer’s: clean, pure, free from the admixture or adhesion of anything that adulterates or corrupts.
Strong’s for PURE:
- clean, pure
- physically
- purified by fire
- in a similitude, like a vine cleansed by pruning and so fitted to bear fruit
- in a levitical sense
- clean, the use of which is not forbidden, imparts no uncleanness
- ethically
- free from corrupt desire, from sin and guilt
- free from every admixture of what is false, sincere genuine
- blameless, innocent
- unstained with the guilt of anythin
- physically
Rom 6:7 For he that is dead is FREED FROM SIN
Rom 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Rom 6:18 Being then made FREE FROM SIN, ye became the servants of righteousness.
On numerous occasions Paul sighted his conduct as a pattern for others to follow. (1 Cor 11:1, 1 Thess 2:10, Acts 24:16, 2 Tim 3:10-12.) NEVER did he condone sinful behavior or ‘imply’ that ‘Christians’ sin all the time because they are not perfect! Jesus is not a friend of sinners, in fact, He does not even hear them. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have ALREADY crucified the flesh with its passions and desires! (Gal 5:24) Paul said. NOT Gradually, by process, sometime in the distant future if you ‘feel’ like it! BUT NOW….IF YOU are in Christ! That’s how it works! The heretical teaching of progressive sanctification is of of devil.
The Main reason for this erroneous understanding of Paul’s writings is the abandonment of bible repentance in the churches and among the pastors. Finding someone today who will sight a repentance of forsaking and clearing of sin, resulting in purity of heart and CHANGE of conduct, is nearly IMPOSSIBLE
Therefore since they are bringing the vast majority of converts into the faith still ‘in their sins , they are FORCED to find biblical support for the bondage. Thus Rom 7, 1 Tim 1, 1 John 1 all serve that purpose! Scripture can NEVER be wrong, it’s man that wrest’s it to their destruction.
Just understand where they coming from and the fallacy of their doctrines will be exposed by the Light of Truth. Sin doesn’t have a leg to stand on in scripture, unless you ‘invent’ a notion to support it. Repent in godly sorrow and get to The Cross if you believe you are “saved in sin”.
If you believe you are saved in sin, repent and read The Way to The Cross. Then read What is Biblical Perfection.
