#31 HCBC 7-22-07 AM
Are You Struggling with Sin? -- Part II
Romans 7:14-25
This is not a political sermon!
Our country is at war!
Thousands of Americans have died in this war and some die each day!
This war is unlike any war our country has ever been involved in.
This war is defined as a war on terror.
Since September 11, 2001, we live in a new and very different world where our safety and security are threatened in a way such as never before.
Our President has stated that this war would likely continue for decades.
I would say until the Lord returns!
Many in our country do not understand this war!
Many do not want to think about this changed world in which we live.
But we are in a worldwide war against terrorism!
The message in Romans 7:14-25 is very much the same.
Spiritually speaking, we Christians are in a war!
In this war, the struggle is against SIN!
And the question that shouts from this passage is: Are you struggling with sin?
Last week we saw that the law reveals sin as sin, the law provokes sin, and the law brings
us to the end of ourselves – and that is a good thing!
This week we want to look more closely at this struggle with sin!
As we look, I believe we will see not only that the struggle is good, but also that we are
winning!
OUTLINE:
I. Who is the Man?
II. What is the Message?
III. How are We Winning?
I. Who is the Man of Romans 7:14-25?
The Unsaved Man
“a slave to sin” A Christian used to be a slave to sin.
“nothing good lives in me” A Christian has the Holy Spirit in him.
“Who will rescue me..” A Christian has been rescued by Christ.
What Paul says of himself in this passage is not what he says of his
pre-Christian sate in other passages. (Php 3:6)
Paul’s delight in God’s law is not found in unbelievers.
The contrast with the past tense in verses 7-13 and the present tense in
verses 14-25 indicates that Paul is not speaking as an unbeliever.
The Immature Christian
Some people believe that Paul is speaking of himself as an immature
Christian often referred to as the “carnal Christian.”
The idea here is that the man of Romans 7 is defeated an this should not be
true of a mature Christian.
This view sees an enormous contrast between Romans chapter 7,
which is thought of as a chapter of defeat, and chapter 8,
which is thought of as a chapter of victory through the Holy Spirit’s
power.
This view sees the Christian experience in two stages – receiving Christ as
Savior only and only later receiving Christ as Lord.
True faith receives Christ as he is, Savior and Lord!
The A Man Under Conviction -- Seeker
This view draws the conclusion that the things said in this passage can be said
neither of the unsaved man nor the Christian.
The unsaved man cannot speak of the law as Paul does.
He does not understand its good and spiritual character.
On the other hand the saved person cannot speak in such a defeated manner.
He cannot cry out for deliverance, because he knows that he has already been
delivered from the power of sin through the work of Christ.
This must be a reference to one who has been awakened to his personal
Lawlessness and spiritual inability by the Holy Spirit, but has not yet
been made a participator in the new life of Jesus Christ.
He is one who has been awakened but has not yet been revived.
The work has been started but has not yet come to fruition.
This view does not account from the change from the past tense to the present
tense.
In this passage Paul speaks of his present struggle, not some struggle as he
was considering the claims of Christ before salvation.
The Mature Christian
Paul wrote this passage in his later years, many years after his conversion!
Here Paul describes the Christian’s continuing conflict with sin,
which we all experience,!
He is teaching that there is no victory in such struggles apart from the Holy
Spirit.
We have already seen that the law is unable to justify or bring a person into a
right relationship with God.
And we have already seen that the law is unable to sanctify or grow a
Christian to maturity.
Sanctification must be accomplished in us by the Holy Spirit!
What Paul is teaching in this passage is that:
An honest acknowledgement of the hopelessly sinful nature of man,
apart from the Holy Spirit is the first step to holiness.
Sanctification is a growing sense of how sinful we really are,
so we will constantly turn to and depend upon Jesus Christ!
II. What is the Message?
Paul says almost exactly the same thing -- three times!
14 – 17 18 – 20 21 – 24
The Statement of the Problem 14, 18, 21
The knowledge that we are unspiritual:
“I am unspiritual” (14)
“I know that nothing good lives in me,” (18)
“When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.” (21)
The Description of the Problem 15, 18-19, 22-23
We are unable to carry out our desire to do good:
“For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” (15)
“For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I
do is not the good I want to do, the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on
doing. (18-19)
“For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in
the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making
me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.” (22-23)
The Reason for the Problem 17, 20, 24
Sin (the flesh) lives in us:
“…it is sin living in me.” (17)
“…it is sin living in me that does it.” (20)
“Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (24)
III. How are we Winning?
“Thanks be to God -- through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (25)
We are winning though Jesus Christ!
He has saved us from sin and He is saving us from sin and he will save us from sin!
How does this winning work? The Process:
The five means of growth:
Bible Man shall not live by bread alone…
Prayer And pray in the Spirit on all occasions…
Worship Offer you bodies as living sacrifices…
Fellowship And our fellowship is with the Father and His Son
Witness You will be my witnesses…
How does this winning work? The Product:
Jesus Christ has saved us from the penalty of sin when He took our sin upon
Himself on the cross.
Jesus Christ is saving us from the power of sin in our lives on a daily basis as we
grow in Him!
Jesus Christ will save us from the presence of sin when He takes us home to glory!
Are you struggling with sin?
The answer should be YES!
Mature Christians struggle with sin!
Some are struggling with what we eat!
Some are struggling with how we speak to one another!
Some are struggling with how to deal with anger!
Some are struggling with what we wear!
Some are struggling with relating to one another in marriage!
Some are struggling with coveting what belongs to someone else!
Some are struggling with managing our finances!
Mature Christians will continue to struggle,
but if we reckon ourselves dead to sin
and seek more and more to live according to the Spirit
and not according to the flesh,
we will be winning the struggle!
Next time we will look at living according to the Spirit
instead of living according to the flesh!