Friction in the Christian Life (Romans 7:14–8:2)

Introduction

We are continuing our series in the book of Romans. Today we are in Romans 7:14–8:2. And we're going to discuss today a friction that exists in the Christian life. As Christians, intellectually we know that we should spend time in prayer, spend time walking with the Lord. Yet oftentimes we find ourselves drifting into other things. As we talk through this, we're going to learn to be kind to ourselves. You can be kind to yourself because God is kind to you.

Years ago, I was working as a sound engineer for a wedding band. I just finished working on New Year's Eve for a party It was late and I had to drive from Philadelphia to New York. I was tired. but I wanted to get home, and I started driving home on the 95. And as I was. driving intellectually, I just knew I wanted to go straight. But I was so tired. And I'm just looking at the lane and I'm just driving straight. And next thing I knew, somehow I had drifted off into the other lane. I was falling asleep behind the wheel. I got scared and drove right to the next rest stop and got some coffee.

And our Christian life can be like that. We know there is a straight and narrow path that we should be focused on and walking down. something that the Lord has for us. And yet we can still feel ourselves pulled and prodded in some other direction. We're doing the best we can to drive straight. But we start falling asleep behind the wheel and drifting. Sin wants to pull us a different way.

Do you know that Paul felt that way? We're gonna look at what he's talked about regarding this friction in the Christian life at the end of chapter 7. So if you have your Bibles open up to Romans 7:14.

Scripture Reading

Romans 7:14–8:2 CSB

14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold as a slave under sin. 15 For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not practice what I want to do, but I do what I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 So now I am no longer the one doing it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it. 19 For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, I am no longer the one that does it, but it is the sin that lives in me. 21 So I discover this law: When I want to do what is good, evil is present with me. 22 For in my inner self I delight in God’s law, 23 but I see a different law in the parts of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and taking me prisoner to the law of sin in the parts of my body. 24 What a wretched man 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 myself am serving the law of God, but with my flesh, the law of sin. 1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, 2 because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.

Pray

We find ourselves in another one of these texts that are difficult. The end of chapter 7 is a text of scripture that theologians argue over.

Is Romans 7 describing a Christian before or after salvation?

They ask the question, as they look at this, is Paul describing a Christian before salvation or after salvation? This text is obviously describing a man struggling with sin. But is this person struggling with sin a Christian or not? The arguments are interesting.

Romans 7:14-25 as a person before Christ (unregenerate)

If you take the position that this is describing a person before he is in Christ there are several things you might look at to try to prove your point.

Sold as a Slave Under Sin

For instance, in Romans 7:14 he describes this as someone who is “a slave under sin.”

We've already seen in Romans 6:6:

Romans 6:6 CSB

6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin,

In Romans 6:14 he says that “sin will not rule over you.” Then in Romans 6:17:

Romans 6:17 CSB

17 But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching to which you were handed over,

So therefore, based on the chapter right before chapter 7 chapter 6. Paul is already made the argument that Christians are not slaves to sin. So therefore, in Romans 7:14. how can he be describing a Christian as someone who is “sold as a slave under sin”?

2. No Mention of the Holy Spirit

Some make the argument that in Romans 7:14-25 there isn't a mention of the Holy Spirit and it is a very pessimistic look at a human being. Then all of a sudden, in Romans 8, there's a lot of talk of the Holy Spirit. So therefore, what they conclude is that the end of Romans 7 is someone who is not saved. And then when you get to Romans 8, there is someone who is transformed by the Spirit of God in Jesus Christ.

Romans 7:14-25 as a person in Christ (regenerate)

On the other hand, you have those who argue, as I do, that Paul is describing a Christian, someone in Christ, struggling with sin. Let's look at the arguments for that.

Paul is Writing in the Present Tense

When Paul writes this, it's immensely personal and he's writing this in the present tense. He says, “I don't understand what I'm doing.” He says, “I do not practice what I want to do. I do what I hate. I do what I do not want to do. I know.”

2. Comments are Consistent with a Saved Person

On top of that, he says things in here that are not consistent with a unsaved person. This friction that is happening within this person sounds like a believer struggling with his flesh.

For instance, he says in Romans 7:22:

Romans 7:22 CSB

22 For in my inner self I delight in God’s law,

What unbeliever delights in God's law? If you are not a Christian, you're not interested in the word of God. You want nothing to do with the word of God. You might realize that there's good things in it. But you don't want to spend your time thinking about it. You trying to feed the flesh, and you're going with where the flesh is taking you.

3. Consistent with Comments to Christians in Other Letters

In addition, this text is consistent with things that Paul has said to Christians in his other letters. For instance, in Galatians 5:16-17, he says:

Galatians 5:16–17 CSB

16 I say, then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want.

Paul, in warning the church in Galatia, he sounds a lot like he does in Roman 7. He's telling them to be careful about the flesh that you are living within this friction, this kind of duality between what your flesh wants and how God wants you to live in your life.

He also says in Ephesians 4:22-24:

Ephesians 4:22–24 CSB

22 to take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, 23 to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.

Again, what you have is this kind of duality this. part of you that wants to cling to an old former way of life, a life that you've had before Christ. it wants to cling to the human nature side of you, to the flesh. And he instructs these Christians leave that behind and put on this new the new power, the new self that you have in Christ Jesus.

Christians deal with a friction in their life. A friction between our human nature, and what God would have for us in our life.

In first Timothy 1:15 Paul called himself the worst of sinners. And if Philippians 3:12 he described himself as someone who. is not perfect. Paul realized that he was a sinner saved by God's grace.

Isn't it good to know that we're not alone, that even Paul, this hero of the faith, realized shortcomings in his own life? He realized that God's grace was greater than his shortcomings, and God’s grace is greater than your shortcomings and mine.

The friction in the Christian life

Sitting between chapter 6 where he describes the new life that we have in Christ, and then chapter eight, where he's going to get into the work of the Holy Spirit in our life. He describes for us in chapter 7 the friction that exists within the Christian life between the spiritual life we want to lead and the fleshly life we often find ourselves drifting into.

He starts us off in Romans 7:14 stating.

Romans 7:14 CSB

14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold as a slave under sin.

He describes the law as spiritual. God has given us his word. God spoke through his Spirit into people, and they wrote down words that lead us to salvation in Christ. God’s word is spiritual words that the Spirit of God uses to give life to people.

But then he says I am of the flesh. Now this term flesh, we sometimes just think of the outer layer that we have that we call skin or “flesh.” But really what he's describing is the human nature. The human nature that we all find ourselves in outside of Christ.

What he's saying is God's word speaks life into us, and I recognize that. But I'm still human. I'm still of this current human condition. And this human nature is a nature that was sold as a slave under sin through Adam.

He still agrees with everything he said in Romans 6. He still agrees with Romans 6:6:

Romans 6:6 CSB

6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin,

He still agrees with Romans 6:17:

Romans 6:17 CSB

17 But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching to which you were handed over,

Before Christ, we were slaves of sin. We fed our flesh. There was basically one law, one principle working within us. It was a principle to gratify our human nature.

But when you step into faith in Jesus Christ. you step into a place where there is a new desire within you. There is a new desire to to love God. before Christ, you aren't interested in pleasing God. But after Christ because of what Jesus had done for you, you want to love him. You want to serve him with your life.

But you still feel yourself bumping up against that friction. You still feel yourself bumping up against that old residual human nature that still resides with you.

That old residual human nature is a human nature that has been passed down to us from Adam. You know, Adam traded his perfection for a lie, the lie that you could be like God. And in trading away the perfection that he had, he received imperfection. And the punishment that he received has been passed down to us all, sold as a slave under sin.

In Romans 7:15, Paul says:

Romans 7:15 CSB

15 For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not practice what I want to do, but I do what I hate.

He says, “I don't understand what I'm doing.” \When I was younger, they had a saying, when somebody says something like this, they would say, “It's getting real.” This might be one of the most real things Paul has ever said about himself.

Here's the here's the main idea of his argument. He says, I realized with my mind that the word of God is good. I realized that a life with Jesus Christ is better. With my mind, with my heart, with my faith. I know that it's better to walk with Christ. But I still find myself, somehow, some way, in this body that groans.

The future redemption of our bodies

Do you know that our bodies are waiting to be redeemed? Paul says this in the next chapter in Romans 8:23:

Romans 8:23 CSB

23 Not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits—we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

The Bible gives us number of references to this future redemption of our bodies. This future redemption that will save us from the residuals within our human nature. For instance, in 1 Corinthians 15:51-53:

1 Corinthians 15:51–53 CSB

51 Listen, I am telling you a mystery: We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. 53 For this corruptible body must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body must be clothed with immortality.

There's a future that God is bringing us to where we will not always live within this friction. We're this corruptible body that we have will be transformed and changed into the likeness of his glorious body. If anyone wants to know what we'll look like in the resurrection, we can just look at the body of Christ. He is described in 1 Corinthians 15:20 as the first fruits of the future resurrection.

Our current sanctification process

In the meantime, as Christians, we're currently in a sanctification process in our lives There is a process where God is working out things in our life to make us into the people that he wants us to be. But because we still live in these bodies, under the effects of the fall, we still find ourselves drifting.

We have a desire to do what is good, but we find ourselves without an ability to do it. In Romans 7:14-25, what Paul is really getting at, what he's really describing is the Christian attempting to live the Christian life in his own power.

It's the same thing Paul describes to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 that we talked about earlier. Where he says to them, listen, I want to treat you as spiritual people, but you're still babies in Christ. You're still learning. You're still growing. Notice that they are still in Christ. But he's telling them, you're still worldly. You're not living the Christian life to its full potential.

And Paul can share that with the Corinthians because he can sense within his own life a proclivity to drift. He knows in his own life where attempting to live the Christian life in your own power will get him. Look at Romans 7:22-23:

Romans 7:22–23 CSB

22 For in my inner self I delight in God’s law, 23 but I see a different law in the parts of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and taking me prisoner to the law of sin in the parts of my body.

He says in my mind, I know that God's word is good. I want to live that way. but I still see this other principle, this other rule within me that's pushing me and prodding me away from what the Lord would have for my life, and instead leading me into my old human nature.

In a Romans 7:24 you can see how frustrated he is with himself.

Romans 7:24 CSB

24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?

That word for wretched could also be miserable or pathetic. He's frustrated. He's like, what a miserable, pathetic, wretched man I am.

Do you ever feel frustrated with your own Christian life?

The great Christian Reformer Martin Luther in the 16th century was a monk. And during his early days as a monk, he would practice self-flagellation which was a type of personal penance with the belief that the physical suffering could be a means to cleanse the soul from sins against God.

They would use these small whips made of knotted cords and leather. strands of leather. sometimes with metal tips on them. to afflict pain on yourself. In the old black and white film on Martin Luther's life, there is one part of the film where Martin Luther is a monk of the Catholic Church, and he's walking around his room, whipping himself because of the sin in his life.

Do you ever get so mad at yourself that you want to just say, what a miserable wretch I am? That's where Paul is at.

And as Paul recognizes the immensity of his condition, it's almost like he has to stop. He's got to stop and praise God. He's got to stop and be thankful to God. Where he says in Romans 7:25 “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

I mean, Paul's been observing his own life, and observing his failure to live out the Christian life in his own power. And why does he stop? Why is he thankful? He's thankful because as much as he wants to beat himself up, as much as he wants to take the whips and start whipping his back and start saying what a wretch he is, he realizes something: He is the only one condemning himself.

Isn't it true that a lot of times we are our own worst enemy? We will talk to someone else in a nicer way than we will talk to ourselves. We'll tell someone. It'll be ok. You'll get them next time. for us. We tell ourselves there's no next time you've messed up. It's over. We can be our own worst enemies.

And we think God is like us. We think God's patience is as limited as ours. We think God's grace is as limited as ours. We think God's forgiveness is as limited as ours.

But we are reminded about the truth of God's grace for us in Jesus Christ. This is why Paul is thankful. In Romans 8:1:

Romans 8:1 CSB

1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus,

It's like God says to Paul, Paul, you're angry at yourself. You see all of the shortcomings within you. You see the things that you do wrong. But Paul, let me remind you something about me. There is no condemnation for those. in Christ Jesus. My grace for you, my forgiveness for you is greater than your unforgiveness for yourself.

Christian, let me remind you, do you find yourself drifting? Are you upset at yourself over some weakness? Are you condemning yourself? Let me remind you that you are the only one condemning you. Because God is greater than the things you say to yourself. God’s love is greater for you than the things you say to yourself. There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.

Why is there no condemnation? Because Jesus Christ has set you free from the friction. Jesus Christ has taken on the penalty for whatever sin you face.

There is one main point from today,

Christian, be kind to yourself, because there is no condemnation for those in Jesus Christ.

Being kind to yourself is not ignoring reality. Sometimes being kind to yourself is being honest about where you are. Paul is certainly bluntly honest about himself. Paul realizes that he's imperfect. And he realizes that every time he goes out and tries to live out the Christian life in his own power, he messes up.

But even in those shortcomings, he can be thankful. He's not thankful for sin, but he's thankful that he's aware of his sin.

He's thankful that he serves a risen Lord who has taken on the penalty of his sin.

He's thankful that he serves a Lord who rescues him from his sin.

He’s thankful because he doesn't have to live under condemnation for his sin.

He can be kind to himself because there's no condemnation in Christ, because there is a spirit of God living in his life that set him free.

Being kind to yourself is embracing the love of God in your life. It's realizing that the love of God is greater than your shortcomings. Psalm 103:8-14 says:

Psalm 103:8–14 CSB

8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love. 9 He will not always accuse us or be angry forever. 10 He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his faithful love toward those who fear him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him. 14 For he knows what we are made of, remembering that we are dust.

The Lord knows what we are made of. He knows our shortcomings, and he loves us anyway. As far as the east is from the west, he has removed our transgressions from us. In Christ, you're free.

In high school, I was an art major and, as part of the art classes, I had to take a pottery class. In the pottery class, you get this lump of clay. You get the clay, wet it, and you try to mold it into something. And I was not very good at this pottery class, but I would try and work with the clay with it’s imperfections. And you mold something and try to make it right. And then as you got this wheel that you're working on, and then you put it into this kiln, and it gets hot, and it bakes, and it comes out into something. something good.

What's amazing is that, in our Christian life, God is the molder and shaper. He's molding us and shaping us, and he knows that clay has imperfections. He knows that clay struggles, and he still works with it anyway. And he's molding and shaping our life. He puts it in the kiln, and it gets hot, and it hurts sometimes.

But when God is done, it's shaped into what it was meant to be. Whatever you've been through, God is shaping you. And he's faithful. He's bringing you to where he wants you to be. In his power, not your own, but in his, He will make you the man or woman that he wants you to be. In his power, he will give you a life that you never dreamed.

And therefore you can be kind to yourself by not trying to live the Christian life in your own power. The scriptures are clear. We know where our own power gets us.

The Christian life is not about trying to be good. A Christian life is about serving the one who is good. It’s living by the power of his Spirit, not our own. Living in thankfulness and gratitude and freedom, without condemnation, knowing that he has set us free.

Conclusion

Prayer

Last Song

Doxology

Numbers 6:24–26 CSB

24 “May the Lord bless you and protect you; 25 may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 may the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.” ’

Jude 24–25 CSB

24 Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.

You are dismissed. Have a great week in the Lord!