Monday, January 27, 2025

The inclination we all inherited

When Adam sinned, something changed within him ("7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked," Genesis 3:7), and that something, an inclination towards inordinate desire, was passed on to his progeny ("through one man [the] sin entered the world," Romans 5:12).

This inclination is the "nature" that makes all "children of wrath":  "...we all ... were by nature children of wrath, just as the others." Ephesians 2:3

The disposition towards inordinate desire is not necessary to sin, but it inclines one towards sin. Adam had sinned of his free will, but after he (and Eve) sinned, he had a new inclination/ disposition towards sinning.

That disposition or inordinate desire must be the "evil" and "law" that Paul experienced in himself when he tried to fulfill the Law ("you shall not covet"). The Law did not have the ability to mortify (put to death) within him that inclination to covet which is contrary to the moral will of God, though he delighted in and desired to do what the Law required.

Paul discovered that though he wanted to fulfill the requirement of the Law, the "evil" within him could not be mortified by wanting to keep the Law. This is why one must walk according to the spirit, so in order not to "fulfill" the lusts (inordinate desires) of the flesh (Galatians 5.16-18), for "by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body'" Romans 8:13.

The Law works to reveal and to revive the inordinate desire.

"...the law had said, "You shall not covet." 8 But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. 9 I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. 10 And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. 11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me." Romans 7:7-11

"14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. 16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 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. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" Romans 7:14-24

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