C Hodge Commentary is very helpful.

My own attitude is that this certainly is a Christian predicament. DM Lloyd-Jones held to a rather odd view, one that typifies the difficulties that have accompanied even good Reformed treatments of the passage--he thought this section must be descriptive of a person in between or moving from death to life.

The resolution which has satisfied me most is to consider the context, and the questions being proposed by Paul's imaginary interlocutors. Now, having established that justification is by grace through faith, and that grace is no license for sin, the temptation as regards sanctification might be to now regard law as the new means of producing godliness. NOT SO. Have you begun by faith, and now propose to finish by works? Impossible, and your frustration will be obvious and apparent to yourself, that you MUST despair of hoping so to gain God's favor. And so, on to chapter 8, which describes the true source of new life in Christ--it is not the law, but the Spirit.

__________________
Rev. Bruce G. Buchanan
ChainOLakes Presbyterian Church, CentralLake, MI


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