20250727 Romans 7:14-20 The Believer’s Battle Against Sin (part 1)
The Book of Romans • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Welcome to Vertical Church
Acts 2:42 (LSB)
And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.
We began our church with the desire to fulfill the mandate of this verse. To devote ourselves to what the early church was devoted to.
Devoted to the teaching of the word of God
Devoted to genuine Christian relationships and the fulfilling of commandment of Christ to love the household of faith
Devoted to the proclamation of the gospel through the ordinances of believers baptism and communion
Devoted to the prayers through singing and public prayer
The 5 Solas - God alone is our source of Salvation
We believe Scripture alone is the Word of God
We believe that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
WE believe that live and exist for the glory of God alone
We are called Vertical Church - we believe that all true worship and living is Vertical, God directed and God focused
With that in mind, Let us worship God
Call to Worship
What is your only comfort in life and in death?
That I, with body and soul, both in life and in death, am not my own, but belong to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ, who with His precious blood has fully satisfied for all my sins, and redeemed me from all the power of the devil;
and so preserves me, that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, that all things must work together for my salvation.
Wherefore, by His Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me heartily willing and ready henceforth to live unto Him.
How many things are necessary for you to know to live and die in the joy of this comfort?
Three things: first, the greatness of my sin and misery; second, how I am redeemed from all my sins and misery; third, how I am to be thankful to God for such redemption.
Scripture Reading - Romans 7:14-20
14 For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, having been sold into bondage under sin. 15 For what I am working out, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. 16 But if I do the very thing I do not want, I agree with the Law, that it is good. 17 So now, no longer am I the one working it out, but sin which dwells in me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the working out of the good is not. 19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one working it out, but sin which dwells in me.
Introduction: Romans 7:14-20 The Believer’s Battle Against Sin
7 What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! Rather, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law. For I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.”
As we continue our study of Romans 7, the central theme is the believer’s relationship to the Law of God.
In verses 14-20 Paul continues to answer the question, Is the Law sin?, from verse 7 with this statement in verse 14
14 For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, having been sold into bondage under sin.
In chapter 6 we learned that weare dead to sin. In chapter 7 we are in bondage to sin. In chapter 6 we are in Christ. In chapter 7 sin is in us. In chapter 7 the Law is described as spiritual but I am described as fleshly.
Entire denominations and spiritual movements are based on these verses in Romans 7. How we understand these verses will help us to understand what it means to be a Christian, what it means to grow as a Christian, what it means to handle temptation as a Christian, what it means to battle sin as a Christian
In order to understand the believer’s battle against sin, we need to read Romans 7 in the context of all scripture and we need to read Romans 7 in the light of what Paul has said in Romans 1-6.
To understand Romans 7, we first need to remind ourselves of some of the key truths of Romans 1-6.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.
10 as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one; 11 There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; 12 All have turned aside, together they have become worthless; There is none who does good, There is not even one.”
17 And the path of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
5 But to the one who does not work, but believes upon Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,
5 and hope does not put to shame, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
14 For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, having been sold into bondage under sin. 15 For what I am working out, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. 16 But if I do the very thing I do not want, I agree with the Law, that it is good. 17 So now, no longer am I the one working it out, but sin which dwells in me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the working out of the good is not. 19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one working it out, but sin which dwells in me.
(1) Two planes of spirituality - horizontal and vertical
We are spiritually dead
We are enemies of God
(2) Two spiritual conditions - saved and unsaved
sarkinos and sarkikos
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 41.42 σάρκινος, η, ον; σαρκικός, ή, όν
σάρκινοςd, η, ον; σαρκικόςd, ή, όν: (derivatives of σάρξf ‘human nature,’ 26.7) pertaining to behavior which is typical of human nature, but with special focus upon more base physical desires—‘worldly, base.’
σάρκινοςd: οὐκ ἠδυνήθην λαλῆσαι ὑμῖν ὡς πνευματικοῖς ἀλλʼ ὡς σαρκίνοις ‘I could not talk to you as spiritual people, but as worldly people’ 1 Cor 3:1. For another interpretation of σάρκινος in 1 Cor 3:1, see 79.4.
σαρκικόςd: παρακαλῶ … ἀπέχεσθαι τῶν σαρκικων ἐπιθυμιῶν ‘I appeal to you … not to give in to worldly passions’ 1 Pe 2:11. In some languages the expression τῶν σαρκικῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν in 1 Pe 2:11 may be rendered as ‘the desires which one’s body has’ or ‘what the body wants.’
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 79.4 σάρκινος, η, ον; σαρκικός, ή, όν
σάρκινοςc, η, ον; σαρκικόςc, ή, όν: pertaining to the natural, physical characteristics of persons and often including their characteristic behavior—‘natural, human.’
σάρκινοςc: οὐκ ἐν πλαξὶν λιθίναις α’λλ’ ἐν πλαξὶν καρδίαις σαρκίναις ‘not on stone tablets but on the tablets of human hearts’ 2 Cor 3:3; οὐκ ἠδυνήθην λαλῆσαι ὑμῖν ὡς πνευματικοῖς α’λλ’ ὡς σαρκίνοις ‘I was not able to speak to you as to spiritual persons but as to ordinary human beings’ or ‘… as people of this world’ 1 Cor 3:1. For another interpretation of σάρκινος in 1 Cor 3:1, see 41.42.
σαρκικόςc: ἔτι γὰρ σαρκικοί ἐστε ‘for you are still like people of this world’ or ‘… ordinary human beings’ 1 Cor 3:3.
(3) Two books, two men - one OT, one NT
David, the shepherd, writer of Psalms, and King of Israel
9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word.
11 Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.
97 Oh how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.
165 Those who love Your law have much peace, And nothing causes them to stumble.
176 I have wandered off like a lost sheep; search for Your slave, For I have not forgotten Your commandments.
Paul the apostle
19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.
Two tracks - the sovereignty of God and the personal responsibility of every person
The Believer’s battle against sin
Now the Father who chose you, the Son that bought you, the Spirit who dwells in you, go before you in your darkness, stand beside you in your fears, hold you up in your sorrows, until Jesus comes. Amen.
