"The law of my mind" is the Law of God that Paul wanted to obey with his mind, though if you want to say that the law of sin leading to sin is the opposite of the law of my mind leading to obedience to the Law of God, then I don't see a good reason to quibble over that.
First of all, you've presented a lot here, so you have a lot here in response to which to give consideration.
The "law of sin" was a power or force operating
within him just as the "law of my mind" was a power or force operating
within him, the two powers or forces being in conflict.
Neither of these "laws" refers to the
written code of God's Mosaic law.
I gave reasons for why Romans 7:4 should not be interpreted as referring to the Law of God and why it should be interpreted as referring to the law of sin, so please interact with that.
Did you not consider my response there? That was thoroughly done in my first response of post #46.
The context shows that Paul was describing the law of sin. Going by your definition of the law of sin being a desire operating with in towards sin is that that essentially the same what Romans 7:5 is speaking about as a desire that is stirring up sinful passions in order to bear fruit unto death.
No,
Romans 7:5 refers to the
written code (God's Mosaic law) to which we have died through Christ (
Romans 7:4) and from which law/written
code we are set free (
Galatians 5:13,
Galatians 5:1,
Galatians 2:4).
The
written code of
Romans 7:5 stirs up the "
passions"/powers (
Romans 7:18-19) which
operate by the
law of sin of
Romans 7:23.
In Galatians 3:10-12, Paul was contrasting works of the law with the Book of the Law and the reason why they were under the curse for not following the Book of the Law because instead of relying it, they were relying on works of the law.
That makes no sense. . .how do you
rely on a book. . .particularly in terms of righteousness?
The "works of the law" are the works required
by the "Book of the Law," the written code.
Paul associated a quote from Habakkuk 2:4 with a quote from Leviticus 18:5,
Wouldn't it be helpful to give the location to what you are referring, because it is not in Romans, which is what we are discussing?
Paul
opposes the
law of
Leviticus 18:5 to the
faith of
Habakkuk 2:4, his argument being that
the law (Leviticus) was not given to justify us, as is plain from Abraham (Habakuk), but was given as a guardian (
Galatians 3:24) to lead us to Christ. Now that faith has come,
we are no longer under the supervision of the law (
Galatians 3:25).
From the
beginning (Abraham),
justification has always been by faith , it has never been by law-keeping (see the "hall of faith "in Hebrews 11).
The Jewish teachers got it wrong (
Romans 10:3). It was
faith in the Promise (Jesus Christ,
Genesis 15:5,
3:15), and in the tabernacle (
Exodus 25:9, "God with us") and sacrifices (atonement) that saved them, not obedience to the
law (which they were not).
so the righteous who are living by faith are the same as those who are living in obedience to the Book of the Law, while no one is justified before God by works of the law because they are not of faith in God, unlike to Book of the Law.
So living by
faith is living in obedience to the Book of the
Law (which is doing the
works of that law, right?)
but
works of the law do not justify because they are
not of
faith in God, unlike faith in the Book of the Law (which
is faith in God, and is
likewise doing the
works of that Book of the Law, right)?
So faith in a
book is faith in
God, but
obedience to that book is
not faith in
God, rather it is faith in
works?
That makes no sense. . .
Are you saying the Book of the Law is the Pentateuch, rather than the law of Moses?
Okay. . .but Romans, Galatians, etc. deal with the Mosaic law, not the Book of the Law (Pentateuch),
so that distinction would be meaningless here regarding Romans and Galatians.
God is trustworthy, therefore His law is also trustworthy (Psalms 19:7), so to rely on God's law is to rely on God.
So relying on one's obedience to God's Mosaic law is relying on God?
For how do you
rely on God's law without
obeying it? What are you relying on. . .paper and ink?
And relying on it (which is to
obey it) does
not justify, because justification is by
faith?
In Deuteronomy 30:11-20, it says that God's law is not too difficult to obey and that obedience brings life and a blessing while disobedience brings death and a curse, so choose life!
Precisely. . .and
Romans 1:18-32 shows that the obedience of the Gentiles to the law of their consciences was
not according to God's standards, and
Romans 2:1-3:8 shows that the obedience of the Jews to the law of Moses was
not according to God's standards, so that
Romans 3:9-20 concludes that
no one,
not even one (v.10), in all mankind, receives life by the righteousness of law-keeping,
because righteousness is
only from God by faith in Jesus Christ and his atoning work,
apart from
law-keeping (
Romans 3:21,
Romans 3:28,
Romans 4:5).
So observe the Law of God according to His requirements was presented as a possibility and as a choice, not as something that can't do, which only leads to death.
Which choice and possibility the NT apostle reveals they did
not make, and it did
not occur (
Romans 3:9-20).
In Romans 7:12-13, Paul said that the Law of God is good and that it is not what was good that brought death to him, yet you are arguing that it is what is good that brought death to him.
Agreed. . .
disobedience to the
good law brought death to them.
Furthermore, there is a difference between the law of sin that is a desire that leads to sin that Romans 7:5 is speaking about and the Law of God, which has death as the penalty for refusing to submit to it.
Agreed. . . the "law of sin" is a power/
force operating
within the sinner, leading him to
disobey the "law of God," which is the
written code.
In Jeremiah 31:33, the New Covenant involves following the Torah, which is the Law of Moses.
No. . .the
New Covenant is
not like the
Mosaic covenant and law (
Jeremiah 31:32) that was made with Israel and Judah.
It is a
new covenant and a
new law (
Matthew 22:37-40), which fulfills/
completes the Old Covenant Mosaic law
"and whatever other commandments there may be" (
Romans 13:8-10).
In Deuteronomy 5:31-33, Moses wrote down everything that God commanded without departing from it, so all of the Law of Moses was given by God and is thus the Law of God. Likewise, the Law of Moses is referred to as the Law of God in verses like Nehemiah 8:1-8, Ezra 7:6-12, and Luke 2:22-23. If we love God and our neighbor, then we won't commit adultery, theft, idolatry, murder, rape, incest, kidnapping, favoritism, and so forth for all of the other laws of God, so the command to love fulfills the other laws because it is inclusive of them. Someone who followed the greatest two commandments would be indistinguishable from someone who followed the Law of Moses because both would be following the same example that Jesus set for us to follow. In Deuteronomy 30:11-20, obedience to God's law brings life, while it only brings death to those who refuse to submit to it. Likewise, in Deuteronomy 32:47, it is our very life. In Psalms 119:45, the Law of Moses is a law of liberty, and in Ezekiel 36:26-27, the Holy Spirit has the role of leading us to obey the Law of Moses.
Agreed. . . the law is God's, the law is good, it is the fault of the
people that they are unrighteous (
Hebrews 8:7), it is not an indictment of the
law.
Actually, the good law did all it was given to do: to reveal sin (
Romans 3:20,
Romans 7:7)
and to lead to Christ (
Galatians 3:24).
Now that faith in Christ has come,
we are no longer under the supervision of the law (
Galatians 3:25).
The sum of everything that Christ taught by word and by example was how to obey the Law of Moses, so the Law of Christ could not be something other than what Christ taught.
The law of Christ is plainly stated in
Matthew 22:37-40, where it is also stated that it fulfills/
completes the Mosaic law, and it is likewise plainly stated in
Romans 13:8-10 that it fulfills/
completes "whatever other commandment there may be."
There are not multiple different Laws of God, so you are making a false dichotomy.
Your problem is with what the NT teaches. . .and that's above my pay grade.
"All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments." (
Matthew 22:40)
And "Love is the
fulfillment of the law." (
Romans 13:10)
Christ said nothing about freeing us from the Law of Moses,
The NT word of God is more than just the red letters.
but rather he spent his ministry calling for people to return to obedience to it. The reason why God freed the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt was not in order to put them under bondage to the Mosaic Law, but rather it is for freedom that God sets us free (Galatians 5:1),
Freedom from
what?. . .a yoke of
slavery (
Galatians 5:1). . .to the law (
Galatians 2:4).
and again the Mosaic Law is a law of freedom (Psalms 119:45). In Psalms 119:142, the Mosaic Law is truth, and in John 8:31-36, it is sin in transgression of the Mosaic Law that puts us in bondage while it is the truth that sets us free.
Only by obedience to it, which no one,
not even one, has done (
Romans 3:10),
all are under
sin (
Romans 3:9).
So in closing, it can all be summarized in:
The Decalogue and Levitical laws were the condition of the Mosaic Covenant, which had been temporarily added to the Abrahamic Covenant (Galatians 3:19; Romans 5:20). All were given for the purpose of revealing sin (
Romans 3:20,
Romans 7:7)
and of leading to Christ (
Galatians 3:24).
Now that faith in Christ has come (the Mosaic law fulfilling its purpose and now being fulfilled in the NT law of Christ, Matthew 22:37-40), we are no longer under the Mosaic Covenant (Hebrews 8:13) nor under the supervision of the Mosaic law (Galatians 3:25).
The law has done what it was intended to do. . .the old covenant is now obsolete. . .and we are back to a covenant of grace alone, (Ephesians 2:8-9) just as it was with Abraham.
It is for freedom (from the yoke of slavery to the law, Galatians 2:4, Galatians 5:1b) that Christ has set us free (Galatians 5:1a) and taken us back to a covenant of grace alone.
Keeping in mind that loving your neighbor as yourself is not new to the NT, but it was not part of the Mosaic law on which the temporary Mosaic Covenant was conditioned and, therefore, it remains--as the New Covenant law of Jesus Christ (Matthew 22:37-40), and which now fulfills that temporary Mosaic law "and any other commandment there may be." (Romans 13:8-10).