^“I love God’s law with all my heart.” Romans 7:22NLT 

Footsteps #329. Only a converted Christian who truly loves God and the principles of His kingdom could utter v22. A stronger expression is “to joyfully agree with”(NASB) or to claim goodness for, “delight”(NRSV, NKJV). These express a rejoicing in God’s law that those in opposition to God don’t have. 

Here we have the “real” Paul. Here is Paul the man of God. Here is Paul the Christian who delights, rejoices, and finds pleasure in God’s law. Here is the Paul who stands over against that other Paul who is tempted and falls. Here is the preoccupation of Paul’s “inner man” as opposed to the frailty of Paul’s “flesh” or outer man. And here is part of Paul’s proof that sin no longer reigns as his master, that God has indeed redeemed him. He doesn’t dread but delights in God’s law. 

That same delight will be found in all individuals who have given their hearts to God and have been born from above. God’s law is no more an enemy to them than it is to Paul. They will love the law of love with all their heart and mind and soul. 

Delighting from the heart in God’s law was not something new with Paul. God intended it from the beginning. Perhaps the Psalms express the most consistent attitude of delight in God’s law. Psalm 1 begins the “delight parade” with “Blessed is the man” whose “delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law, he meditates day and night” (Ps.1:1, 2, RSV). Psalm 19 joins the delight chorus by noting that “the law of the Lord is perfect, delighting the soul” (Ps.19:7, RSV). 

And of course, Psalm 119 refuses to be left out of this praise session: “In the way of Thy testimonies, I delight as much as in all riches” (Ps.119:14, RSV). “I find my delight in Thy commandments, which I love” (v47, RSV); “Thy law is my delight” (v77, RSV); and “if Thy law had not been my delight, I should have perished in my affliction” (v92, RSV). 

How is it with your “inner man”? Does your heart also resonate with love for God’s law as did that of Paul and the psalmists? If not, why not? Such questions are of crucial importance as we examine ourselves and with God’s help chart our course into the future.