Thank God

Introduction

Welcome

Introduction to Series:

We started a new series called Dead to Law.

Paul has taught us from Romans 1-6 that we are saved from the penalty of sin and the power of sin.

In Romans 7, Paul has introduced to us that we are dead to the law. In other words, we are free from the obligation to follow the law perfectly and precisely in order to

(1) Accepted by God

(2) Live a God-centered life.

The way to be accepted by God and live a fruitful life is now through faith and union with Christ, not by rules or laws (Romans 7:1-6).

Habitual cycles of sin or the burden of trying to live up to godly standards—often leading to discouragement, hopelessness, guilt, or shame—are the result of living a legalistic life apart from Christ.

Romans 7 will remedy these cycles that we often revert back too.

Main passage:

Romans 7:14–25 NLT

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. 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. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 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. 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. 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. I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 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.

Judges 16:28–30 NLT

Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me again. O God, please strengthen me just one more time. With one blow let me pay back the Philistines for the loss of my two eyes.” Then Samson put his hands on the two center pillars that held up the temple. Pushing against them with both hands, he prayed, “Let me die with the Philistines.” And the temple crashed down on the Philistine rulers and all the people. So he killed more people when he died than he had during his entire lifetime.

Title:

Thank God

Prayer:

In Jesus name, amen.

Story:

What’s the longest you can hold your breath under water? Whenever people go swimming it’s almost a rule that there is a competition with others on how long people can hold their breath. I am always the one that loses. I hate the feeling of suffocating. If I hold my breath long enough, all I can think about is dying. So there is no greater feeling than coming up for a breath of air.

Explanation:

In a similar way, it feels like Paul is holding his breath in Romans 7, suffocating and dying if you will.

Illustration:

Romans 7:24–25 ESV

Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 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.

Application:

We have at some point in time felt the way Paul felt: drowning in hopelessness, guilt, shame, confusion, or feeling powerless. We all desire to come up for a breath of air. It sounds like two words, “thank God.”

Body

Bible

Context

Last week, we learned that Paul’s goal in Romans 7 is not to encourage believers to live without the law or live in sin, but to show that we were powerless to keep the law because we were trapped under the control of our sinful nature.

Paul then emphasizes that the Law is good but it reveals the presence of sin and awakens the power of sin in us. But the problem is not with the law but sin in us that uses sin for it’s own evil purposes

Romans 7:13 NLT

But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God’s good commands for its own evil purposes.

That’s where we ended last week and today, we are going to continue in Romans 7:15-25.

However, before we do I need to clarify one word that Paul repeatedly mentions in our passage.

Law: Power of principle. It means a force, power or principle that has influence over us.

Transitional Sentence:

Points

First main point: Struggle (v.15-21)

Explanation:

Romans 7:15–21 NLT

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. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 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. 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. 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. I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.

Illustration:

The book of Judges is story of God’s people failing to faithfully walk with God. The people of God are in Canaan, the land God promised to their ancestors. Joshua has died and the people are without a leader. In Judges 1:19-36, the author mentions repeatedly that Israel compromises by making agreements with the other nations —failing to conquer the entire land for themselves.

God then says in Judges 2:1-4:

Judges 2:1–4 NLT

“I brought you out of Egypt into this land that I swore to give your ancestors, and I said I would never break my covenant with you. For your part, you were not to make any covenants with the people living in this land; instead, you were to destroy their altars. But you disobeyed my command. Why did you do this? So now I declare that I will no longer drive out the people living in your land. They will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a constant temptation to you.” When the angel of the Lord finished speaking to all the Israelites, the people wept loudly.

The constant theme throughout Judges is:

Israel sins…

God would judge them by allowing other nations to oppress them…

they cried and repented…

God would send a judge/leader to rescue them…

they forget God in their prosperity…

and start sinning again.

And the cycle continues.

Application:

Judges is a physical reality that points to an inward struggle we all have, don’t we? This struggle between good and evil, right and wrong. To desire to do right but feeling powerless to carry it out.

Second main point: War (v.22-24)

Explanation:

Romans 7:22–24 ESV

For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 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. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

Illustration:

Illustration 1

The Delight in God’s Law in the Spirit (conscience, intuition, and rapport)

The power of sin at work in my flesh (sinful nature - flesh)

Power of sin wages war against my mind and wins.

Illustration 2

Judges 16:4–22 NLT

Some time later Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in the valley of Sorek. The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, “Entice Samson to tell you what makes him so strong and how he can be overpowered and tied up securely. Then each of us will give you 1,100 pieces of silver.” So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me what makes you so strong and what it would take to tie you up securely.” Samson replied, “If I were tied up with seven new bowstrings that have not yet been dried, I would become as weak as anyone else.” So the Philistine rulers brought Delilah seven new bowstrings, and she tied Samson up with them. She had hidden some men in one of the inner rooms of her house, and she cried out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!” But Samson snapped the bowstrings as a piece of string snaps when it is burned by a fire. So the secret of his strength was not discovered. Afterward Delilah said to him, “You’ve been making fun of me and telling me lies! Now please tell me how you can be tied up securely.” Samson replied, “If I were tied up with brand-new ropes that had never been used, I would become as weak as anyone else.” So Delilah took new ropes and tied him up with them. The men were hiding in the inner room as before, and again Delilah cried out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!” But again Samson snapped the ropes from his arms as if they were thread. Then Delilah said, “You’ve been making fun of me and telling me lies! Now tell me how you can be tied up securely.” Samson replied, “If you were to weave the seven braids of my hair into the fabric on your loom and tighten it with the loom shuttle, I would become as weak as anyone else.” So while he slept, Delilah wove the seven braids of his hair into the fabric. Then she tightened it with the loom shuttle. Again she cried out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!” But Samson woke up, pulled back the loom shuttle, and yanked his hair away from the loom and the fabric. Then Delilah pouted, “How can you tell me, ‘I love you,’ when you don’t share your secrets with me? You’ve made fun of me three times now, and you still haven’t told me what makes you so strong!” She tormented him with her nagging day after day until he was sick to death of it. Finally, Samson shared his secret with her. “My hair has never been cut,” he confessed, “for I was dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as anyone else.” Delilah realized he had finally told her the truth, so she sent for the Philistine rulers. “Come back one more time,” she said, “for he has finally told me his secret.” So the Philistine rulers returned with the money in their hands. Delilah lulled Samson to sleep with his head in her lap, and then she called in a man to shave off the seven locks of his hair. In this way she began to bring him down, and his strength left him. Then she cried out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!” When he woke up, he thought, “I will do as before and shake myself free.” But he didn’t realize the Lord had left him. So the Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes. They took him to Gaza, where he was bound with bronze chains and forced to grind grain in the prison. But before long, his hair began to grow back.

Application:

Isn’t this what our mind looks like? Sinful or negative thoughts come at us repeatedly trying to hold us captive? This is what Paul means when he says, the power of sin wages war against our minds and makes us captive to it’s influence.

The reality is eventually the power of sin, similar to the philistines capturing Samson after cutting his hair and losing his strength, makes us captive to it’s power.

Third main point: Salvation (v.25)

Explanation:

Romans 7:25 NLT

Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Illustration:

Judges 16:28–30 ESV

Then Samson called to the Lord and said, “O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes.” And Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and he leaned his weight against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other. And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” Then he bowed with all his strength, and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he had killed during his life.

Application:

Conclusion

Summary:

Struggle

War

Salvation

Prayer:

In Jesus name, amen!