Romans 7:13-15

Let’s Pray

Romans 7:13

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Romans 7:13 “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.”

Paul starts with a question

Did that which is good.....the law....good and holy as we saw last week

Did that which was good bring death to me?

Was it the law that brought death

did God through His law bring death to His people?

By No Means!!!!

The KJV uses God Forbid

in place of by no means

in the Greek this comes from a particle that means absolute denial

Paul is saying it is not even possible for God to bring death to HIs people through the law

Strong language

Strong denial to prove God’s point that the law is good and holy and it cannot cause one to die

so what did

what causes us to die

it was sin

Ephesians 6:12

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Ephesians 6:12 “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

Flesh and blood are a distraction

they are vessels used by sin for evil

the battle is spiritual

everything is spiritual

politics

religion

crime

everything is spiritual

it is played out in flesh and blood but that is not the war

we don’t fight each other

we feel it

it sure feels like war in flesh and blood but ultimately it is spiritual

this is one of the truths that separates True Christianity from religion

in religion it is war in flesh and blood

do this

don’t do that

get cleaned up before coming to church

works

works

works

I have to do better

I have to do more

we need more programs

we need more systems

this is purely flesh and blood

True Christianity is the opposite

Only Jesus

true christians understand this truth

we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but spiritual forces

that eliminates us

you and me

from the fight

Jesus has already won the war

it is finished is what He said on the cross

over

done

victory already secured

as a true Christian you realize that your life is opposite of religion because it is all about relationship not works

it has nothing to do with

do this

don’t do that

works

works

works

you can’t clean yourself up

you can’t do better

you can’t do more

why

because that can’t save you

only a relationship with Jesus Christ saves you

period end of story

Once saved you do things

you stop doing things

because of Jesus and through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives in you

You are washed clean by His blood

you do works

works

works

by the power of the Holy Spirit as fruit not requirement

you do better

and more through the Holy Spirit

not to gain salvation but because you are saved

I am not against programs and systems

if God leads us to those Praise God!!!!

but it is never about programs and systems

it is all about relationship

you and i are no match for evil

we will fail everytime we try on our own

we are powerless but God is all powerful

that is why it is spiritual because without Jesus and the Holy Spirit you and i are doomed to death and hell

Notice it is not the law but sin

sin produces death

also notice through what is good

sin produces death through what is good

the law is good but sin produces death

the law is holy and just

it shows us clearly that we can’t match or keep it

sin produces death and sin is pointed out by the perfect law

we saw that last week

you and i would never have known sin if it wasn’t for the law

Praise God for the law showing us sin so we could be led by the Holy Spirit to a place where we repent

that repentance leads to salvation all spiritual nothing to do with flesh and blood

The law reflects God’s character

this entire book...the Bible paints a complete picture of God’s character

you can know Him better than anyone on earth

why

He is honest

He is true

He gives you everything

When trying to know other humans we are limited because as humans we tend to hold back or deflect from parts of our character in relationships

rarely are we truly authentic with each other

there seems to always be a motive

there seems to always be a little or sometimes...a lot of times… a lot of deception

most if not all things are shown in a way to make us look better

that is human nature

and that is why we don’t wrestle flesh and blood

if you want to draw people to Christ be truly authentic in all things

the good

the bad

and the ugly

when you fail people because you will be authentic

own it

and seek forgiveness and reconciliation

when people wrong you because they will

be authentic

accept it

and seek forgiveness and reconciliation

That takes the Holy Spirit church

Romans 7:14

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Romans 7:14 “For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.”

you and i are flesh

sold under sin

the law is spiritual

the battle is spiritual

but you and i are flesh and blood sold under sin

in the foundations sunday school class we are working through strongholds and how to defeat them

how to rewrite and rewire our thinking to honor God not sin and us and man

as a christian there are places in your life that you have fully died to sin and sin no longer has control

Praise King Jesus for that!

However

you and I have strongholds

places that have not died to sin and are still sold under sin

you are not as a Christian

you are not still sold under sin

this is the difference of being in the flesh and flesh in you

When you are in the flesh you are sold under sin and sin is in control

you are lost

you are a sinner

you are separated from God because of your sin

you are doomed and destined for death and hell

when you become saved

apply the blood of Jesus to your legal sin debt

when you make Him Lord and Savior you are no longer in the flesh

you are saved

II Corinthians 5:17

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2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

This is truth

Christians are no longer sinners but saints who sin

you are eternally protected and good and bound for heaven if you are saved

however you live in a fleshly body

that flesh still lives in you

some parts of you are still sold under sin

II Corinthians 10:5

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2 Corinthians 10:5 “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,”

strongholds yet to be pulled down by God’s Word through a surrendered

transformed mind taking all thoughts captive and making them obey the Word of God!!!!

This is important because it drives who you are and how you grow in Christ

it is how you move from milk to meat

it is how you become sanctified

that is really what is being discussed and will continue to be discussed as we continue on with Romans

sanctification

becoming holy as God is holy

Romans 7:15

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Romans 7:15 “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.”

Sanctification is a process

this is not just knowledge

so many people stop at head knowledge

those are the Matthew 7 folks

they look the part

they sound the part

the even act the part but only have head knowledge not relationship

Understand

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here this points to an intimate relationship that is expressed by approving or accepting

on reason the world and satan try to get Christians to accept homosexuality and gender identity etc is because of this truth

they understand that by getting a Christian to accept sin it destroys their relationship with God

Here in Romans Paul begins to explain this

Paul

just like you and just like me

do things we don’t approve of

we do things we do not accept

the law points out sin

Jesus through the cross defeats sin

God hates sin

that means so should we as His redeemed blood bought children

that is why justifying is so dangerous and such a big deal

that is why accepting sin is dangerous and such a big deal

that is why approving of sin is dangerous and such a big deal

you are to be dead to sin as a Christian and when sin pops up you have a choice

be dead to it or do what you don’t accept or approve of

I want to stop here for a moment this morning and ask you a rhetorical question

do you truly reject and disapprove of sin

We have looked this morning at how you are to be a new creature

Church God takes this seriously

one of the reasons you may be struggling so much in your life is you in fact accept and approve of sin

not just in your life but in your world view

you defend sin

you justify sin

you accept it

you approve of it

sin kills period end of story

Colossians 3:3-5

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Colossians 3:3–5 “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

we have been here so many times lately but how many of you still accept or approve of sexual immorality

adultery...thoughts and actions

sex outside of marriage

porn

fifthly communication....sexual jokes and prejudices

what about covetousness

idolatry

how many of you justify

accept

approve of turning to something other than God

Church I love you and I want you to be free

we can’t be free until we stop accepting and approving sin

this is why exposure matters

if you continue to be around

places

things

people

beliefs

ideas

media

who feed into the flesh inside of you then you will continue to do what you do not approve of

that is how sin works

take a stand

die to sin

every time is shows up

put up a boundary

so many are scared of boundaries

if your heart is clean

if you are doing this to honor God and protect yourself there is nothing wrong with boundaries

if you have hate in your heart

if you are vengeful

if you are angry

then you are not setting up a boundary but acting on sin

there is a difference

but if your motives are to honor God and protect against exposure and you are still praying for those folks

still loving those folks

still celebrate when those folks come to Jesus you are good

imagine we all got dropped of in the middle of the African bush

there are so many things that can and will kill us there

imagine we have to spend the night there

there is no way we would just lay down and hope for the best

there is no way we would justify just sitting there in the open

there is no way we would accept the fact we have no protection

we for sure would not approve of it

no we would get to work

we would find Acacia thorns and would build a boundary to keep the predators out

we would build a fire to scare the predators away

it is called a boma and everyone would be in agreement that it should be put up

however when it comes to something even more important.....our relationship with Jesus Christ we are careless

how dare you set up a boundary

how dare you disapprove of sin

how dare you not approve of that lifestyle

a lot of time that is your flesh to you not just the noise of the world and evil

take a stand

put up a boundary

put up a spiritual boma and protect yourself against sin

the choice is yours

the time is now