Overcoming Sinful Nature: A Thought-Provoking Parallel between the Gita and Paul’s Letter to the Romans

According to Prof. Wright, like Exodus, Romans also has three main moments delineated in chapters 6-8. God first liberates his people from slavery. Similarly, in Romans 6, God frees people who are slaves of sin through Baptism into Christ. Second, God gave the Israelites the Torah, a set of commandments, and asked them to obey it. Moses warned them of an exile if they failed to obey. In the parallel scripture, Romans 7 portrays the failure of a devout Torah-observer to obey it fully. Finally, God deals with people's sins via the animal sacrifices in the Tabernacle and comes to dwell with them. Likewise, in Paul's understanding, God dwells in people through His Spirit after declaring them victorious over sin by offering His Son as a sacrifice for sin (Romans 8).[1]

 

Interestingly, Gita 18:59-61 also offers a subtle parallel, albeit based on a different philosophical understanding. The 59th verse, similar to Romans 6, explains the condition of a person bound to their flesh, unable to overcome their pride. "If prompted by ego, you think ‘I will not fight’, your resolve is vain. Your nature will compel you to fight."[2] It declares how people have no mastery over their innate nature. However, in Romans 6, God frees such people enslaved to their innate (sinful) nature when they join with Christ through Baptism. The 60th verse resembles Romans 7. "O Arjuna! bound by your own Karma, born of your own nature, that which in a deluded state you do not wish to do, even that you will do helplessly."[3] It declares the helpless state of a person who tries to overcome their nature by relying solely on their own effort and willpower. The person is like the devout Torah observer of Romans 7, who fails to obey it entirely by relying solely on his willpower.

 

Finally, verse 61 presents the solution, "The Supreme Lord dwells in the hearts of all living beings, O Arjun. He causes all living beings to wander like puppets seated on a machine made of material energy."[4] The Supreme Being animates all humans, much like machines animated by electric power. From the perspective of the Gita, the Supreme Being directs people according to their material nature to do whatever they will do from within. They seem helpless and driven. However, when read in conjunction with Romans 8, it helps people understand God's solution to humanity's innate inability to overcome its sinful nature. God, the Supreme Being, indwells people through His Spirit after declaring them victorious over sin by offering His Son as a sacrifice for their sin (Romans 8). I will unpack this thought in the following two paragraphs.

 

God is perfect, but humanity is sinful (imperfect). Gita 18 considers only those who possess the attitude and character traits of Brahmanas as real Brahmanas. However, no human being can have the following Brahmana qualities to perfection: tolerance, peace, austerity, wisdom, knowledge, religiosity, and self-control (18:42).[5] Gita 16 adds courage, charity, calmness, cleanliness, modesty, simplicity, non-violence, honesty, gentleness, forgiveness, generosity (freedom from envy and greed) to the list. Thus, the Gita makes it impossible for anyone to remain perfect from birth. The Old Testament lists ten difficult-to-keep commands. 1. Do not worship other gods. 2. Do not worship idols. 3. Do not take God’s name in vain. 4. Keep the Sabbath day holy. 5. Honor your parents. 6. Do not murder. 7. Do not commit adultery. 8. Do not steal. 9. Do not give false witness. 10. Do not covet.

 

God is a good God. He exists separate from creation. If God is good and there is a perspective of goodness (Gita 16), then, by implication, evil needs to exist. Good and evil would necessitate duality, making Advaita (non-duality) impossible. Furthermore, it would also highlight the need for a moral code to distinguish between good and evil. God is holy and utterly devoid of corruption. However, experientially, we know that people (created beings) are sinful (have sinned and broken the moral code at least once). Therefore, God needs to be separate from creation. In other words, God and creation (sinful people) cannot be the same. Also, this view would allow God to exist even if the creation, someday, God forbid, ceases to exist. We know that God needs to be separate from creation constantly, yet He needs to permeate it. It could be possible only if God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

 

Unlike Avatars that failed to solve the problem of sin despite ten appearances, the true God came once and for all (because that was sufficient) in human form and bore the punishment of all sins on his sinless body to free all sinners (who would believe in Him) from sin. The avatars excelled only in punishing sinners, not in forgiving them or giving them a second chance. The way these avatars tried to solve the problem of sin was the real problem. One cannot defeat evil by destroying sinners, but only by forgiving and then eliminating the inherent tendency to sin. Jesus, first, forgives people’s past sins and saves them from chastisement (Hell). Then, God fills Christians with the third person in the Trinity: the Holy Spirit. Thus, God permeates the creation by inhabiting people’s hearts. The Holy Spirit helps people to conquer the tendency to sin. Jesus kills the sin, not the sinner. Thus, God restores a person into His image again.

 

Now, people are ready to be animated by this Superior Spirit who would lead them to obey God wholeheartedly. If God's Spirit animates them, they are God's children. Instead of making them slaves, the Spirit testifies to them of their acceptance in God's presence as his children from within. Since they are now heirs of Christ, they would also share in his glory as they share in his sufferings. The Spirit helps them pray according to God's will through wordless groans, and intercedes for them in accordance with God's will (Romans 8). The Holy Spirit develops in them a God-conscious conscience that can now yield to God. And they bear the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, meekness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control (Gal 5:22). They lead a holy life: serving others, doing goodness (even to their enemies), praying, forgiving, and showing kindness to everybody. They would possess the traits of real Brahmanas and become Royal priests (1 Peter 2:9-10).

 

In this way, the Supreme Spirit enables God's children to offer themselves to God as a holy and living sacrifice, an act of appropriate worship. He transforms their mind from within to reflect Christ’s nature of love (Romans 12). "They are joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer, and share generously with people those in need." They bless their persecutors. Instead of paying evil for evil, they forgive others, knowing that God will avenge them. They conquer evil with goodness, and wickedness cannot overcome them. They do not lead sexually immoral lives, but live holy lives guided by the Spirit, just as Christ did. They are indebted to love others, "for whoever loves others has fulfilled the Torah." Loving people do not harm their neighbors. Thus, they fulfil the law of love (Romans 13).

 

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[1] N. T. Wright, Into the Heart of Romans: A Deep Dive into Paul’s Greatest Letter, Kindle (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2023), Chapter 1.

[2] Vivekavani, “Bhagavadgita,” Vivekavani, accessed July 7, 2025, https://vivekavani.com.

[3] Vivekavani, “Bhagavadgita.”

[4] Vivekavani, “Bhagavadgita.”

[5] Vivekavani, “Bhagavadgita.”