To Do, or not to Do

Last week we talked about the freedom that we gain in the death of Christ.

Better than any earthly freedom we could ask for

WE also addressed the question of the Law

Lots of people want to say that we are free from the bonds of the law.

Paul tells us that

we have broken the law Romans 2:27

Romans 2:27 NIV

27 The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.

He has denied that anyone is justified by the law

Romans 3:20 NIV

20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

The believer is not under the law

Romans 6:14 NIV

14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

We have died to the law

Romans 7:4 NIV

4 So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.

He has even spoken to us about the sinful passions that have been aroused by the law

Romans 7:5 NIV

5 For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death.

Where does that leave the Law?

are we to regard it as something evil and get rid of it

it causes sin so it must be bad

Doesn’t matter that it came from God it is what causes me to sin so no more.

The thing is that this mornings passage is one that many people look to to understand our relationship with the law but in order for us to do that we must remember first that Paul is speaking about his experience in it.

This doesn’t mean we can’t look to his life experience and apply it to ourselves but it is both his example and one many people if not all sinners can resonate with.

Romans 7:7–12 NIV

7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. 9 Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.

Good Command

Does the command become evil if the response to it is bad?

Let’s think of it this way.

In 1958, the City of Pittsburgh was attempting to connect the downtown area to the north shore of the river. They decided to build a double-decked steel bowstring arch spanning the Allegheny river.

By 1963 the main span and south approach were completed, but the north approach ramps were delayed due to difficulties in acquiring the right of way because of construction of 3 rivers stadium so this left the bridge ending in midair.

Bridge Picture

Of course the bridge picked up the name the Bridge to Nowhere. Now you can imagine there were signs up everywhere informing people not to cross the bridge, bridge under construction, incomplete bridge. I am sure that it was very well marked DON’T drive on this bridge.

This is a good command right?

Makes sense.

December 12, 1964 Frederick Williams, drove his station wagon past the barridcades and jumped off the unfinished northern end. Landing 190 feet away on the north bank. Remarkably, he was unhurt. He of course became a local legend.

It took another 5 years for the bridge to be completed.

Let’s ask this question again then.

Good Command

Does the command become bad because someone had a Bad response. Was it a bad law to tell people to not drive off the bridge?

Are the commands of God suddenly bad because we don’t respond correctly to them?

Romans 7:12 NIV

12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.

This is where get into the other big problem for Paul. The struggle that we all face sometimes.

Romans 7:13–20 NIV

13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful. 14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

Did you catch all that?

I do not do what I want to do but if I do it I do what I do not want to do but I do what I hate. It really gets confusing.

It’s that internal struggle of why do I keep on doing things that I know are wrong.

I have the simple Solution for you.

It is Sin!

Sin is in Me I give up—That is our response right?

It isn’t my fault it is sins fault.

The Law points us to our sin so we know about it and we see it and we struggle against it. Yet does that mean we just give up and think there is no hope for us at all.

I am nothing.

This is depressing that is where the hope comes in.

Romans 7:21–25 NIV

21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

To do

We are set free in Christ

Sin entagles but the grace of God breaks those chains. We are given the grace of God and the freedom in him and its this freedom that we use to push past the bondage that sin has in us.

Instead of looking at sin as why do I keep struggling we Look to God as Thank God he is my savior and we work to defeat it.