The thorn in Paul’s flesh was not in his eye but in his heart. The Judaizers (the ones that say followers of Jesus are still under the Law) were upsetting Paul’s children and so also, Paul. Paul’s children had believed Paul, and experienced the Truth: that through Jesus they had died to the Law (that they could not keep), breaking sin’s power over them like death breaks the power of marriage, and they were now under the Law of Grace, they were one spirit with Jesus, they were free to fulfill the Law by walking in the Spirit and keeping in step with the Spirit. The Law that Jesus’ followers had died to, to gain their freedom, was falsely being reintroduced by the Judaizers as still necessary for their salvation. This would take their freedom in Christ away from them and Jesus would be of no use to them any longer. Re-enslavement to sin was ahead.
The Judaizers were breaking Paul’s heart.
Are they still?
Many churches today believe Paul was talking only about dying to the ceremonial law, not the Moral Law. Dying to the ceremonial law does not free men’s and women’s hearts from covetousness which is what Paul is self-describing in Romans. And the ceremonial law was not given to increase sin to the point we recognize we are helpless against sin and need a savior. (Paul had been faultless at keeping the ceremonial law and all the Law except “Do not covet”). The Moral Law has power to arouse sin in us and defeat us. Paul was defeated by repeatedly breaking the Tenth Commandment.
Paul was a Christian and he coveted. Uncontrollably. He could not stop.
Paul cried, “Oh, wretched man that I am. Who can save me from this body of death?” And Paul answered himself saying, ” . . . through Jesus Christ . . .”
When we die to the Moral Law through Jesus’ death, (like death ending a marriage), sin has no power over us any longer because we are dead to the Law sin used to condemn us. WE ARE FREE to love with our NEW FAULTLESS SPIRIT that WANTS TO LOVE, that lives one with Jesus’ Spirit. We fulfill the Moral Law by walking with the Spirit and keeping in step with the Spirit.
The Judaizers have not won.
The more we choose to walk in the Spirit, the more we fulfill the Law of Christ. And when we fail we are not condemned.
The Gospel is still available to anyone who wants to believe it.
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(Emphasis mine)
Romans 7:4 (NASB95)
4 Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.
Romans 5:20–21 (ESV)
20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Ezekiel 36:26–27 (NKJV)
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.
1 Corinthians 6:17 (DARBY)
17 But he that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit.
Romans 7:20 (NASB95)
20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.
Romans 7:23–25 (KJV 1900)
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 shall deliver me from the body of this death? 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.
Romans 8:1 (KJV 1900)
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Hebrews 13:5 (KJV 1900)
5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
2 Timothy 2:13 (NASB95)
13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.
I AM for You! 