Sin: Two Powers at Wat

Sin: Two Powers at War

We began our study on sin with the account. We discussed how unbelief begins the process which leads to pride which leads to disobedience. We talked about at its root, this sin condition is based on not letting God be God and instead doubting God, thinking we are masters of the universe, and then acting on these by deliberate sin.

Then we talked about how all fall under the power of sin. Neither Jew nor Gentile was immune and neither was with an excuse for not knowing right and wrong.

Today we will dive deeper into this struggle with sin and recognize the two powers at war within ourselves. We will study Romans 6-7

[Pray]

Romans 6:12–14 NRSV

Therefore, do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

Romans 6:12

Here Paul has built up the case to state clearly, it is a choice we make to let sin dominate our thoughts and actions, or allow Grace to dominate our thoughts and actions.

Here also in this chapter we find the quote many of us are familiar with.

Romans

Romans 6:23 NRSV

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If you choose sin, you choose death, if you choose salvation, you gain eternal life. To be clear and fair on this, it is not a one time transaction but it is a mental, physical, and spiritual turning away from sin. This is a daily struggle that Paul expresses well and I believe each of us can relate to.

Romans 7:14–25 NRSV

For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin. I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin.

Romans 7:14-

This sounds familiar doesn’t it? We struggle to do the right things we know. We struggle to not do the wrong we know. The struggle folks is with the power of sin. We wrestle all the time with this.

There is debate around exactly what Paul is meaning here in this struggle. Does Paul mean that before he met Christ, the struggle was hopeless and now it is a reality that sin is dead to him? Does Paul mean that he is caught between two ages in that Christ has given hope in that when he returns, sin will be completely dead to him?

This is a very tough topic. It is easy to say that sin is dead, I am free and that is that. And if that is true, then why do we continue wrestling against temptation to sin? On the other hand do we simply say it is going to be an endless losing struggle against until Christ returns?

I am not here to give you the answer to this dilemma because I believe each of us needs to personally wrestle with this and ask yourself, what does Scripture say? What does my experience say? What does Tradition say? What does logic say?

In case you did not know this, the technique is what Methodists call the Wesley quadrilateral. Scripture is first, then reason, and experience, and tradition are considered. The point in it is that Scripture is the primary source but not the sole source. Reason, Tradition, and Experience are also valuable in interpreting scripture. However two things are important to know. First Scripture is above the other three but the other three are on equal footing meaning none are superior to the other.

Paul makes a point here to show that there are two powers at work within us. The good that God has placed in us and the sin nature that we have put in there.

Sin wrestles with you and tries to dominate your mind and body

The Holy Spirit is placed in you to do this battle together. Think of the Holy Spirit as the counselor guiding you along the right path. The Holy Spirit is not what we think we need as in taking over and making the right decisions for us. I know we have all at one point thought, “God make me follow the right path and make the right decisions” Again, remember counselor is the key idea in this battle with sin.

The thing about sin is that it will try and deceive you but the truth is that although you may be tempted, God promises a way out. Flee from the temptation! Don’t think on it, don’t ponder on it, don’t even let it dwell in your thoughts but instead turn away, flee. God will provide the way out of it but we must do our part in rejecting the temptation and turning away so we can see the path God has provided to flee sin’s temptation.

God is alway more powerful and more clever than sin so think of it this way. Sin and temptation will try to appear as an overwhelming force that controls you but that is lie from the enemy.

This is the war we face each day. The more we turn away and flee temptation, the less hold and the smaller it can be in our lives.

Back to the quadrilateral interpretation technique.

Read what Romans says. Think on that.

Think on your own experience with sin. When did you flee or avoid temptation or tempting situation? Have you felt more empowered the next time you faced it? Or did it take several times? How easy was it to sin again when you gave into that temptation? In other words, how much easier is it to sin after that initial time?

What does reason or logic tell us? Do I always have an escape when it comes to temptation to sin? Is it possible to flee from temptation?

What does tradition teach me about this topic?

After wrestling with all of this, you must decide how you understand these two powers at war within you. The Grace of God and the sin nature. Choose today, which one are you going to believe and follow?