In Romans 7:7-25, Is Apostle Paul who received the Holy Spirit, Condemns himself as a Sinner?

Not at all. Paul, after having received the Holy Spirit was no longer a sinner. He was completely transformed because the Holy Spirit made him holy and righteous, and the Spirit of God would never lead anyone to sin. If Paul continued to sin, he would have been disqualified from ministry he was called for. We can only serve one master! No one can be a sinner and be holy at the same time; for there is no partnership between Christ and the devil! (2 Corinthians 14:18).

• Titus 1:1 “This letter is from Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to proclaim faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives.”
• 2 Corinthians 5:17 “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

In Romans 7, Paul explains how sinful nature works, in general. Since he was transformed, he knew the difference between having been a slave to sin vs. being a slave to Christ. No one is able to overcome sin by themselves because a slave is not greater than their master (Matthew 10:24); and the master of all sinners is the devil.
It’s only by believing in Jesus Christ and His divine power over the devil that sin can be removed by Christ Himself; He performs a heart circumcision – the cutting away of the sinful nature (Colossians 2:11). Therefore, Paul gave all the credit and glory to God, who saved him.

Romans 7:24-25 “Oh, what a miserable person I am! WHO WILL FREE ME FROM THIS LIFE THAT IS DOMINATED BY SIN AND DEATH? Thank God! THE ANSWER IS IN JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.”

• If Paul had no answer to the question he asked, then it would have been a hopeless self-condemnation, but then no one would have ever heard of Paul because it would mean Paul had no faith and God would have never call him, speak through him, and prompt him to write down His words in the New Testament.
• If Paul was never transformed by God, he would have never known the difference between being a slave to sin vs. being slave to Christ, so he would never been able to explain it to others, and if he attempted; it would have made him a hypocrite. So you see, it’s illogical to assume Paul was speaking of himself in Romans 7.

👉🏼 Paul wrote Romans 7 in “the first person” to help the reader SELF-REFLECT as if the reader is speaking of themselves, and to themselves.

Romans 6:1–7 “Well then, SHOULD WE KEEP ON SINNING so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? OF COURSE NOT! Since we have DIED TO SIN, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death?For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live NEW LIVES. Since we have been UNITED WITH HIM in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. WE KNOW THAT OUR OLD SINFUL SELVES WERE CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST SO THAT SIN MIGHT LOSE ITS POWER IN OUR LIVES. WE ARE NO LONGER SLAVES TO SIN. FOR WHEN WE DIED WITH CHRIST WE WERE SET FREE FROM THE POWER OF SIN.”

• Who is “we?” “We” are all who DIED TO SIN and no longer struggle with it. It does not apply to those who keep sinning. This is the reason for Paul’s style of writing; to help the reader self-reflect. But it’s not helpful when someone doesn’t know how to self-reflect and feel entitled to salvation because they think they “believe.” Without self-reflection confession and repentance never takes place!

Galatians 2:17–21 “But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely NOT! Rather, I AM A SINNER IF I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down. For when I TRIED to keep the law, it condemned me. So I DIED to the law—I STOPPED TRYING to meet all its requirements—SO THAT I MIGHT LIVE FOR GOD. My old self has been crucified with Christ. IT IS NO LONGER I WHO LIVE, BUT CHRIST LIVES IN ME.”

• It’s a grave mistake to say Paul continued to be a sinner knowing that it was Christ living through him. It’s like accusing Christ of sinning; nothing short of blasphemy!
• No one who hasn’t first pulled a log out of their own eye (confessed, repented, and received the Holy Spirit), has the right to judge others; for they judge themselves. The faults they ‘think’ they see in others are really their own sins piled up in a form of a log that’s blinding them. It’s called a projection. Paul simply placed a mirror in front of everyone’s projector in his style of writing.
  • Luke 6:42 “How can you think of saying, ‘Friend, let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! FIRST get rid of the log in your own eye; THEN you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.“
    • 1 Corinthians 2:15 “Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For, “Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for WE HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST.”

Here’s an example when Paul made it clear his writing “in the first person” meant exactly that:

2 Corinthians 10:1-6 “NOW I, PAUL, APPEAL TO YOU with the gentleness and kindness of Christ—though I realize you think I am timid in person and bold only when I write from far away. Well, I am begging you now so that when I come I won’t have to be bold with those who think we act from human motives. We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and TEACH THEM TO OBEY CHRIST. And after you have become fully obedient, we will punish everyone who remains disobedient.”

2 Corinthians 1:12-14 “We can say with confidence and a CLEAR CONSCIENCE that we have lived with a God-given HOLINESS and sincerity in all our dealings. We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom. That is how we have conducted ourselves before the world, and especially toward you. Our letters have been straightforward, and there is nothing written between the lines and nothing you can’t understand. I hope someday you will fully understand us, even if you don’t understand us now. Then on the day when the Lord Jesus returns, you will be proud of us in the same way we are proud of you.”

Learn more: Definition of Sin