Romans 7:21 kjv
I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
Romans 7:21 nkjv
I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.
Romans 7:21 niv
So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.
Romans 7:21 esv
So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.
Romans 7:21 nlt
I have discovered this principle of life ? that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.
Romans 7 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Romans 7:18 | I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. | Self-knowledge, sin |
| Romans 7:20 | But if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. | Sin's activity |
| Romans 7:22 | For I delight in the law of God according to the man within, | Internal conviction |
| Romans 7:23 | but I see in my members another law, waging war against the law that is in my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that is in my members. | Law of sin, internal war |
| Romans 7:24 | Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? | Plea for deliverance |
| Romans 7:25 | Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! | Deliverance through Christ |
| Galatians 5:17 | For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things that you want to do. | Flesh vs. Spirit |
| 1 Corinthians 15:56 | The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. | Sin and death |
| Psalm 19:7 | The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; | Perfection of law |
| Isaiah 49:18 | Look to me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. | God's sovereignty |
| 1 John 3:20 | Beloved, if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows everything. | Heart's testimony |
| Philippians 4:13 | I can do all things through him who strengthens me. | Strength in Christ |
| Ephesians 4:24 | and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. | New self in Christ |
| John 3:16 | For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. | God's love, salvation |
| Romans 3:23 | for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, | Universal sin |
| Romans 5:12 | Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— | Origin of sin, death |
| Colossians 2:11 | In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made by hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, | Circumcision of Christ |
| Matthew 5:17 | "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. | Fulfillment of law |
| Romans 8:4 | so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. | Fulfillment in believers |
| Genesis 6:5 | The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. | Evil inclinations |
| Jeremiah 17:9 | The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? | Depravity of heart |
| Acts 13:39 | and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. | Freedom from law |
| 1 Timothy 1:8 | We know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, | Law's goodness |
Romans 7 verses
Romans 7 21 Meaning
The verse states that the principle of evil, sin, actively resides within the believer, thus fulfilling God's law in a consistent and observable way within human experience. This discovery leads the believer to understand the law's true nature as holy, just, and good, while also recognizing their own sinfulness apart from God's grace.
Romans 7 21 Context
In Romans 7, Paul describes the believer's internal struggle with sin. He illustrates that even when he desires to do good, an opposing force compels him to do evil. This ongoing conflict is not indicative of him being under the law, but rather reveals the nature of sin itself. This verse is the concluding thought of Paul's argument about the persistent, yet ultimately unfulfilling, presence of sin within the one who is striving to live by the law. It leads into the glorious truth of deliverance found in Christ in the following verses.
Romans 7 21 Word Analysis
συν (syn): "with" - indicates coexistence or accompaniment.
τουτ (touto): "this" - refers specifically to the law.
τουτ (touto): "this" - here it refers to sin, specifically the sin that dwells within.
ειδω (eido): "I find" or "I see" - denotes discovery or recognition through experience.
εν (en): "in" - a preposition indicating location or indwelling.
τοις εμοις (tois emois): "my" or "mine" - referring to his own body members or physical faculties.
μελεσιν (meleisin): "members" - can refer to limbs, but here likely refers to the faculties or actions of the body.
ο (ho): "the" - definite article.
υπεναντιον (uperantion): "contrary," "opposed," "against" - signifies direct opposition.
κειμενον (keimenon): "lying" or "being placed" - a passive participle, suggesting something established or present.
Phrase/Passage Group Analysis:
- "I find then that the law when I wish to do right": This phrase captures the intention of the believer, the desire to obey God's commands. It's a will oriented towards good.
- "but evil is present with me": This signifies the constant, coexisting presence of sin, which disrupts the intended good action. It's not an occasional visitor, but a resident.
- "the law... this: "The first "law" refers to the moral standard of God's command (Rom 7:12, 16, 22). The second "this" points to sin, emphasizing its pervasive nature.
- "evil is present with me... waging war": This describes the dynamic nature of sin's influence – it's not passive but actively engaged in conflict with the believer's will and God's law.
Romans 7 21 Bonus Section
The discovery here is not that the law causes sin, but that the law, being holy and good, reveals sin's presence and power in the human condition. The believer’s sincere desire to follow the law inadvertently activates the latent power of sin, showing it to be a real, active force. This experience mirrors the principle seen in 1 Corinthians 15:56, where the law reveals the sting and power of sin. It also highlights the consistent testimony of Scripture regarding humanity's innate sinfulness, as seen in Psalms and Jeremiah, underscoring the necessity of a power beyond human effort for true freedom.
Romans 7 21 Commentary
This verse serves as a crucial diagnostic point. The believer, attempting to live righteously by the law, discovers an unwelcome companion: sin. It is this discovery that exposes the weakness of the flesh and the deceptive power of sin. The law is not the problem; rather, it is the benchmark that reveals the extent of the problem. Sin actively works contrary to the desire to do good. This isn't a state of being under the law's condemnation as an unbeliever, but an internal realization of sin's grip that prompts a desperate cry for deliverance.