Untitled Sermon (3)

Romans 7:14 for we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. I’ve been trafficked in sin.

14 For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am of the flesh, (sarx corruptible) sold into slavery under sin. 15 I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. 17 But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me.

21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, 23 but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin.

Sarx flesh – what does it mean? It could mean weakness or frailty, could also mean just the body like flesh and bones, one’s own lineage or posterity,

Gal. 4 23 the child of the slave woman, was born according to the flesh; the other, the child of the free woman, was born through the promise. Kindred

Gen. 2 21 So the LordGod caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. Would indicate muscle and skin

Heb. 2 14 Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things.

Jn. 6:51 Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

Ro. 11:14 14 in order to make my own flesh jealous, and thus save some of them.

Ro. 11:5 to them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Messiah, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

So, we see the word flesh has a number of different meanings.

Now let’s see what it means in the context of this text.

Ro. 7 14 For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am of the flesh, (sarx ) sold into slavery under sin.

Flesh sarx is different from body soma

This describes a deep mystery that is in each one of us. It’s a mystery that we continuously refuse to acknowledge because it is so painful. The more we recognize, see, and acknowledge this mystery of pain the more we recognize, see, and acknowledge how desperate and condemned we really are. However, the more we recognize it the greater the gratitude we have for what He has delivered us from. This text tells us what it is.

“but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.” Sold = It means we have been trafficked and as being trafficked we have a debt to pay and we cannot be set free from our owner until we have paid our debt. So, we are “under” ownership by our master, the one who owns us, until the debt is payed. Under = the source or cause;

Young immigrants coming across the border wear colored wrist bands. Each color represents how many 1000s of $ the immigrant owes the drug cartels. These young boys that owe the cartel are flow by the Biden administration to every city in the U.S. where they will work for the drug cartels committing crimes to pay off their debt. If they refuse to pay it off the cartels kill their families back in Mexico. The young girls have it much worse. There are thousands and thousands trapped in sex slavery. because they are sex trafficked by the cartels.

Jesus explains this in Matthew 18: 23 “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24 When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; 25 and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made.

1 talent is worth 15 yrs. of wages of a laborer. That means it would take him 150,000 years of labor to pay the debt.

You see we are condemned.

We’ve been trafficked and sold into slavery by a ruthless, bitter, resentful, cruel taskmaster; a tyrant dictator that cares nothing for us but only for himself.

Ro. 2:4 God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

Ro. 11:22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness;

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death.

We recognize how much we have been forgiven

Rom. 8 12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh13 for if you live according to the flesh you will die,

Jesus tells us in Matt. 18 what the “die” means.

Matthew 18:34 “and his master was angry and delivered him to the torturers and tell he should pay all that was due to him.”

Rom. 8 13 for if you live according to the flesh you will die,

Jesus tells us in Matt. 18 what the “die” means.

Matthew 18:34 “and his master was angry and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.”

Matt. 13:46 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”