All Too Human

Our Journey through Romans 7 continues tonight and we pick up the text after Paul took a moment to give some needed clarification.

What Paul made clear for the reader was threefold:

One, the law of God is GOOD. The law of God defines what sin is and was given to us to help steer us away from sin. (Romans 7:12)

Two, the enemy will tempt us to break God’s law by either doing what it says not to do, or by not doing what it says to do. (Romans 7:11)

Three, sin is BAD. The law of God helps us to see how terrible sin is as it will try to use God’s good commands for its own evil purposes (Romans 7:14)

With these things in mind… Paul gets a little… personal. Paul becomes very transparent. He speaks of his own personal struggle with sin.

Why would Paul do this? Because Paul is fully aware of the fact that ALL PEOPLE HAVE SINNED. Anyone who pretends that sin is not a part of their reality is only fooling themselves.

There is only ONE PERSON who has ever walked this earth that was without sin… and His name is Jesus. The fact that He was without sin is what made Him worthy to die for ALL sin.

But Paul is acknowledging the fact that the struggle with sin… is real. Is there anyone here tonight that knows what Paul is talking about?

The name for our study tonight comes straight from our text… it is the words that Paul uses to describe himself as he appears to be a bit frustrated with his own struggle with sin. The title tonight is… ALL TOO HUMAN.

Romans 7:14–15 NLT

14 So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. 15 I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.

This text includes what I often refer to as the do-do verse. Let’s look at Romans 7:15 in the NIV...

Romans 7:15 NIV

15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

Paul is being painfully honest here. He is showing his own personal struggle with sin.

Paul is NOT… I repeat… NOT glorifying sin… he is wanting it gone. The problem is not the law of God, nor is it really sin in and of itself. The problem is found in his humanness or nature. I am all too human… a slave to sin… he says.

And… Yes… I can relate. I don’t know what particular sin Paul was struggling with… but I know the struggle. And I bet if we are honest… we all experience that same struggle tonight.

This is what I know… the enemy doesn’t give up easily. He will try to find the one thing… the one area of your life that is open to compromise. Call it… a place of spiritual weakness. Call it… a place focused on self… instead of sanctification.

So tonight… the focus is on the struggle. And to give a bit of a heads up, the solution will be mentioned… but we will wait till next week to really dive into it.

The last portion of chapter 7… is a lead up to what Paul is about to unload in chapter 8. Chapter 8 is AMAZING! It is one of my favorite chapters in all the Bible.

But in order to fully appreciate what chapter 8 reveals, we need to fully be aware of the problem it resolves. So tonight is an in-depth look at the problem, next week we will begin to unpack the solution.

The first point I want to look at sounds kind of like a public service announcement… because it was a PSA in the 80’s. That point is...

Knowing is Half the Battle.

Can anyone tell me what popular 80’s cartoon ended with this word of encouragement to its viewers?

The answer is G.I. Joe.

They would present a situation or a problem, and then give a resolution to that problem… in hopes to educate young people of what to do if they ever face that problem. Knowing what to do in advance… is half the battle. DOING what we know to do… is the other half.

What good is knowledge… if not applied? What good is wisdom… if not lived out? What good does a Proverb on the wall do… if all it is is decoration?

The true test comes with doing… and sometimes that is where we fail. Or at least that is what Paul is willing to admit. Look at his words in Romans 7:16-20

Romans 7:16–20 NLT

16 But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 17 So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

Alright so let’s break this down.

What does Paul say he knows… hint… there are two things he points out.

One, if he knows what he is doing is wrong, that shows his agreement that the law is good.

Two, he knows nothing good lives within his sinful nature.

So let’s tackle number one: When we know what we are doing is wrong, we agree that the law is good.

So how does this work?

If what we were doing was wrong and we had no sense of wrong doing, then our lives would not be aligned with what the Word of God has to say about the action or behavior.

I truly believe this is where much of the world is right now.

Many people do not know what they are doing is wrong… in fact… what they do seems right to them. The problem is… what they are doing is NOT leading them to life to the full, it is leading them deeper into sin.

How many broken relationships will a person endure in hopes of finding the right person who gives them the value they are looking for?

How many substances will be abused in hopes of finding relief from the pressures of this world?

How many immoral actions will be entertained in hopes of finding true and meaningful satisfaction?

How much money does it take to be truly content and full of joy?

How many treasures can be stored up to be happy and fulfilled?

The list can go on and on. What the world knows is… something is missing. Something in their life is not nurtured like it should be.

This could be their identity, purpose, direction, value, self-worth, joy, peace, provision, etc.

All hope for each of these areas is found in God… but if you are unaware of that truth, you will look for that hope elsewhere.

Listen, if a person has yet to discover that God’s Word is true and is the only source of the freedom they are looking for, then they will try to break free on their own. I know I did.

Our knowledge of His good Word, helps us to know when our behavior or thoughts are bad… or sinful. That conviction we sense (that is also supplied by His Holy Spirit) works to convince us of our shortcoming. This is NOT done to condemn but to lead us away from that sin through repentance and forgiveness.

As I read Paul’s words, I see a heart that is heavy and full of repentance. Again, he is not glorifying his sin, he hates his sin. He wants to be a devout follower of God and his ways… but he is caught up in the struggle.

Don’t take this the wrong way but… I am glad for the struggle… because it means we are fighting within for what is right. The struggle means we haven’t given in. The struggle means we still know what is right… and we are working to DO what is right as well. This is not said to downplay our shortcomings, but to encourage us to remain in the fight.

Let’s move to the second thing Paul knows: he knows nothing good lives within his sinful nature.

This one pretty much speaks for itself. No good is found in sin. Period. The sinful nature will not lead us to what is good in God’s eyes. It will only leads us to what is “good” by the enemy’s standard. And what the enemy calls good, is really rebellion that is all bad. The wages of sin is death.

When facing a bad situation, we often try to find a silver lining in that situation… something good from all the bad.

With sin, there is no silver lining. There is no, “Oh well, at least I gained in this area.” Sin always leads to death.

This does not mean that God cannot redeem what we are walking through. God has taken some of my dumbest mistakes and turned them into amazing victories… but not by my might, nor by my power, but by His Spirit did that happen!

The blood of the Lamb has the power to redeem our darkest moments. This doesn’t mean that good can be found in sin, it simply shows the power of Jesus’ life-giving blood!

These are things that Paul knows. And in conclusion to these things, he makes this proclamation in the last portion of Romans 7.

The Law That is at Work.

Romans 7:21–24 NIV

21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?

Here is the struggle:

I want to do good. However, evil is right there with me.

What Paul is revealing is the true weakness of humankind. On one hand is the desire to do good… to be good. But on the other is temptation to do what we are not supposed to. Verse 22 literally identifies this struggle as… war.

How would you define this term, war?

Defined, war is a struggle or competition between opposing forces or for a particular end.

Does anyone know what this war is over? It is over your soul.

God desires for you, your soul, to experience eternal life. God has given us the path to finding this life… and His name is Jesus.

The enemy desires for you, your soul, to perish in the fires of hell. Yes, hell is real. And the path to hell is called sin.

So here is where the battle gets real.

In your mind you know what is right.

In your flesh, you are enticed to do what is wrong… what is sin.

And in light of this truth, Paul cries out, “What a wretched man I am!”

Other translations say, “What a miserable person I am.” Bottom line is… Paul can feel the war waging inside!

More importantly, Paul understand that HE NEEDS HELP! This battle, this war, is something WE CANNOT WIN ON OUR OWN!

So Paul cries out asking who is the answer. He knows who the answer is and reveals it in the last verse.

Romans 7:25 NIV

25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Our deliverance is found in Christ alone. And Romans 8 shows us exactly how that deliverance comes.

But for tonight… know this: You are NOT in this fight alone. Every human being knows what this fight is and those who have found freedom from the fight are those who have called on the name of Jesus for salvation.

Get ready for chapter 8… and if you are in the struggle, find freedom in the name of Jesus!