10.06.24 Evolutionary Grace: "The Battle Within: Law, Sin, and the Victory of Christ"
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Let’s open today with prayer…
— God we are grateful for your presence with us.
— Be with us as we explore your Word and as we apply it to our lives.
— God, you know the deep of sin that we carry, help us to come clean with you and clawback our place in your world
— Lord also be with us as we celebrate communion at the end of the service today
— Amen
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— This is the 14th message so far in our crawl through Romans.
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— Today we are in Romans 7.
I have a three questions as we get started, We will come back to this at the end
How are “believers” released from the Law?
Who is it that we are in “battle with?”
Who is the “deliverer”from sin’s influence in our lives?
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— Here’s an illustration for some clarity.
— Think of speed limits on the road. The signs don’t stop us from speeding—they only show us when we’re breaking the law.
— Similarly, the law of God exposes our wrongdoing but has no power to change our hearts.
— Let’s get started with our passage for today.
Romans 7: 7-25 begins on page 943 in the bibles in front of you. Of course if you have your bible or app, please turn there now.
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BIG IDEA: The law exposes our sinfulness, revealing our deep need for Christ. Though we struggle with sin in our flesh, Christ provides Victory and Grace to live through the Spirit.
— I have three points this morning and several write in the blank opportunities for you.
— Those blanks are found in the bulletin on right-hand side.
— OK
Point #1 - The Law Exposes Sin, but Cannot Save
7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”
8 But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead.
9 I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died.
10 The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me.
11 For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.
12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.
— Let’s look at an Old Testament reflection. From…
7 The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
— So the “law” here is the Ten Commandments
— Of course they are perfect and attainable with the help of The Holy Spirit.
— That seems so counter to what we have been talking about for the last couple of months.
— But it’s not… The law, the Commandments, are perfect but our attempts to satisfy God fall short. We cannot “do” the commandments… we must BE the people to live by the commandments.
— Here is that answer to one of our questions it’s from
24 Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith.
nlt— Ah, Paul in Galatians give some information
— The “law” was our guardian until Christ came
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So back to the passage….
— Paul clarifies that the law is not sinful; instead, it reveals our sin.
— The law acts as a mirror, exposing our sinful nature, making clear our desperate need for a Savior.
— The law can show us our sin, but it cannot save us from it.
— The Law points us to our need for Christ, who fulfills the law perfectly and offers salvation not through works but through His Grace.
Application: Acknowledge where sin has deceived you.
— Confess it God in prayer. God will choose to not remember your sin no more. DON’T LIVE WITH A SIN BURDEN… CONFESS AND MOVE ON.
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Let’s move on… Our next stop is Chapter 7, Vs. 14
— Here is an illustration… Think of addiction recovery. The person recovering often says, "I want to stop, but I can’t."
—This mirrors our spiritual battle—no matter how much we try, without the grace and power of God, we are powerless to overcome sin on our own.
Point #2: The Struggle with Sin in the Flesh
— Let’s look at the scripture
14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.
15 For 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 with the law, that it is good.
17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.
20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
— There is a key scripture here.
— In Vs. 15 it says
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.
From another of Paul’s letters
17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.
— Paul is vividly describes the internal struggle every believer faces.
— Though we desire to do good and follow God's will, our sinful nature (the flesh) resists, causing us to fall into patterns of sin.
— This tension highlights the weakness of the flesh and our ongoing battle against sin.
— Even though Paul has been justified by Christ, he still experiences this conflict, demonstrating that sanctification is a process, not an instant transformation.
— Jesus took on our sinful flesh so that we might be freed from sin's dominion.
Application - Paul is transparent about his ongoing battle with sin. This should encourage us to be honest about our own struggles.
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— The Christian life is not about pretending we have it all together, but about relying on Christ in the midst of the struggle.
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Question: Do you feel trapped in a cycle of sin, even though you desire to do what is right?
— Are you relying on your own strength to overcome, or are you leaning into the power of Christ?
— When you are frustrated with your failure, preach the Gospel to yourself.
— Confess your weakness and remember that Christ has given you His righteousness and the Holy Spirit to help you fight.
Ok.. Let’s get to our last point
Point #3: The Victory is in Christ
— And the last passage for this morning is…
21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.
22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being,
23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
— Our key verses are Vs. 24-25
24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?
25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
From 1Co15.57
57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.
and from the Gospel of John
33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
— Paul ends this chapter with a powerful point: while we continue to struggle in this life, the ultimate victory over sin and death is found in Jesus Christ.
— Paul recognizes that in his own strength, he is hopeless—a "wretched man."
— But his hope, and our hope, is in Jesus. Jesus has already won the victory through His death and resurrection, and because we are united to Him, we toshare in that victory.
— And from the Old Testament
13 But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again.
14 The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”
— The tension between our sin and our desire for righteousness points us to Jesus, who alone can rescue us.
— Christ’s victory is not just a future hope, but a present reality.
— Jesus' death, burial and resurrection is proof that sin and death are defeated, and His Spirit in us is the guarantee of our eventual full redemption.
Application: There is Hope in the Struggle.
When you feel overwhelmed by your sin, remember that Jesus has already won the battle.
— You are not defined by your failures but by His victory.
— The cross is your assurance that sin’s penalty is paid, and the resurrection is your guarantee of new life.
Question: How can you actively place your hope in Christ’s victory rather than in your ability to fix yourself? Are you living as though the victory is up to you, or resting in the finished work of Christ?
— When you are tempted to despair over your sin, declare with Paul, "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
— Speak this truth in prayer, worship, and over your life when you are in the midst of the battle.
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Let’s answer those questions from the first part of the message…
I have a couple of questions and answers.
How are “believers” released from the Law? By Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice
Who is it that we are in “battle with?” sin and the father of sin, satan and his minions
Who is the “deliverer”from sin’s influence in our lives? Jesus Christ
Conclusion/Prayer/Communion
— The law reveals our sin, but it cannot save us.
— We all struggle with sin in our flesh, just as Paul did, but the battle has already been won by Christ.
— In Christ, we have hope, freedom, and the power to live by the Spirit. Our victory over sin comes NOT through our own efforts, but through the Grace of God in Jesus Christ.
— Here is something special for you.. For those when you are struggling under the weight of sin. COME TO CHRIST!! He is the One who will deliver you from this "body of death" and give you the hope and power to live in freedom.
Let’s pray
— God, we are a grateful people
— You knew us before we were born… You and led, guided and rounded out our lives
— But we have rejected ways and your commands
— Lord God Forgive us… As we bless you!
— God as we move to our time of communion, I pray our sacrifice is pleasing to you.
AMEN!!
23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread,
24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord.
28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
— Challenge — This week, when you face temptation or failure, don’t look inward for strength. Look upward to the cross and the empty tomb.
Questions
1. How can you actively place your hope in Christ’s victory rather than in your ability to fix yourself? Are you living as though the victory is up to you, or resting in the finished work of Christ?
2. When you are frustrated with your failure, how can you preach the Gospel to yourself? How can you confess your weakness and rely on Christ's righteousness and the Holy Spirit?
3. When you feel overwhelmed by your sin, how can you remember that Jesus has already won the battle? How can you declare that you are not defined by your failures but by His victory?
4. Are you relying on your own strength to overcome sin, or are you leaning into the power of Christ? How can you ensure that you are leaning on Christ in the midst of your struggles?
5. When you are tempted to despair over your sin, how can you declare with Paul, 'Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!'? How can you speak this truth in prayer, worship, and over your life during the battle?
6. Do you feel trapped in a cycle of sin, even though you desire to do what is right? How can you approach this struggle with honesty and reliance on Christ's power?