The Struggle is Real - Rom. 7:7-25
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Opening Illustration:
Last week we began chapter 7 of Romans and concluded that:
The result of God’s powerful work in you has now enabled a new motivation for righteousness – one of out love and not guilt.
You are there in Romans 7, notice with me what Paul said in v. 6
6 But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.
As we saw last week, the motivation to serve in the Spirit like Paul is speaking of here is a fulfillment of an Old Testament promise.
Rather than a natural motivation of guilt produced through the letter of the law, the indwelling Spirit of God enables a supernatural motivation of love.
But again, Paul is addressing believers who had a strong prior connection to the Law - and the question remains,
“Where does the law fit into this new context?”
As we find the answer to that question, we must remember the theme of Romans.
Romans is all about the Righteousness of God, extended to the unrighteous, through faith in the Gospel.
So, in this new context, Paul is going to show how the law is powerless to make righteous two groups of people: The Lawless (vv. 7-14) and the Law-lovers (vv. 15-23).
You will notice here in vv. 7-14 that the lawless are condemned by the law.
vv. 7-8 - Paul answers the impending question - since we are released from the law (v.6) does that mean the law is evil? Paul says - Certainly Not!
7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”
8 But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead.
The law itself is not evil, but it does reveal the evil that is within.
The law should be viewed as an exposer, not an initiator.
For example, when you walk into your kids room later today, visualize with me the familiar statement, “I already cleaned my room, I promise!”
So you walk to the room. The children have strategically shut off the lights and closed all the blinds. They have stuffed and crammed all their possessions into every nook and cranny the belongings don’t belong.
At first glance into the dark abyss, you are pleasantly surprised. Things are finally coming together. Finally, the kids have appreciated your hard work cleaning the other 17 rooms in the house all by yourself.
And then the moment comes, the light check. And to their dismay, you flip the switch and in a split second, everything holy becomes defiled.
Important question: Did the light make the room dirty? No, it only revealed what was already there.
And so is the law. Paul says, before the law of “Do not covet” was given, I didn’t even know what covetousness was.
And in vv. 9-10, Paul says in a nutshell, And I thought I was fine.
9 I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.
10 And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death.
I thought I was fine before the law revealed that I was not.
And Paul says this law that was given to show the way that leads to life, actually showed that all people are deserving of death.
11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me.
Here we find he universal truth - that sin is a deceiver.
Dear friend, if you get anything today, understand that
Sin will take you further than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and will cost you more than you are willing to pay.
Sin always overpromises and under-delivers.
Sin promises to fulfill our deepest desires better than it did before
Sin promises that our actions will be hidden - and that no one will ever know
Sin promises a great time without great consequences
Sin promises wisdom, knowledge, power and prestige in exchange for submission
In this verse, Paul says that sin twisted the law and actually produced death. And even though it did not produce righteousness, it did reveal mankind’s unrighteousness, and therefore - v. 12 is holy, just, and good.
And with this foundational truth laid, Paul begins to build on it.
1. The law of God is holy, just and good. (vv. 7-12)
It cannot produce righteousness - in fact it just reveals our unrighteousness.
Within the law we learn of the nature, character and will of God. Also, the law teaches us about sin and demolishes our self-righteousness.
2. Sin is the culprit that leads to death. (vv. 13)
13 Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful.
Paul asks in v. 13, “Has the good law caused my doom?” of which he answers, “No way!”
The law is not the culprit, sin is!
Sin takes what is meant for life and twists it into something that produces death. Sin is a deceiver!
And with that thought in mind, Paul goes on to give clarity to the balance of the presence of sin in the life of a believer.
I love what the Life Application Study Bible has to say about this passage.
A very applicable question is asked, “How can we be free from sin and yet continue to do wrong?” That is fair! With all of this talk of a new ruler and freedom to be a bondservant to God in chapter 6, why do I still struggle with the old ruler?
The Life Application Study Bible answers it this way: In Christ, we are free from the penalty of sin (judgment) and the power of sin (hopelessness). But while still in the flesh, we are not free from the presence of sin (temptations) and the possibility of sin (failures).
free from
the penalty of sin (judgment)
and the power of sin (hopelessness)
while still in the flesh, we are not free from
the presence of sin (temptations)
and the possibility of sin (failures).
And although I still struggle with the presence and possibility of sin, our hope should never shift back to the law.
A list of more dos and don’ts won’t fix your struggle.
And this is why we must daily focus on Christ.
More rules won’t fix what ONLY Jesus can.
We are justified through faith in Jesus and we are progressively sanctified through faith in Jesus.
I initially ran to the Gospel for my salvation, and I must persistently run to the Gospel for my sanctification.
And although we may know and AMEN that “More rules won’t fix what only Jesus can,” Paul brings up what each of us are thinking.
THE STRUGGLE IS REAL!
I know that my thoughts, words, and deeds should match my profession.
I know my relationships should be opportunities to share the Gospel. I know the intake of music, movies, and other entertainment venues should point me to holiness. I know the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart should be God focused. I know the aim of my heart should be purity. I know the goal of my life should be eternal. Yet I find myself struggling with all the things I think I should be over. ANYONE ELSE WITH ME?
Well Paul IS with us on this one. Look with me at vv. 15-24
15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.
16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good.
17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.
19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.
20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.
22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
He says here, the things I don’t want to do, I do - and the things I want to do, I don’t.
There is always a battle going on within me.
He stated similarly in Gal. 5:17:
17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
There is a battle going on within the believer, even with Paul’s heart...
And this battle culminates in v. 24 as Paul blares with frustration - O wretched man that I am!
You see Paul understood that within his gospel-redeemed heart there were two battling principles or laws. He does not say that these laws are equal, but he does identify the battle, and that is the first step.
A few months ago, Heidi and I hopped onto a plane and took a trip to Florida.
If you know me real well, you know I don’t care for heights. I don’t like ladders and I don’t like peaking over rooftops or canyons. However, I love to fly.
And every time I hop onto a plane, I don’t sit there and calculate all the possible ways things could go wrong - why?
Because there is a principle or law of gravity, yes but there is another law than enables the plane to fly - it’s the law or principle of aerodynamics.
Likewise, Paul says there are two competing laws within the believer - the law of sin and the law of God.
And as you live with these competing laws, it’s crucial to remember these 3 truths:
1. More knowledge about the Law is not the answer (v. 9)
2. More self-determination won’t succeed (v. 15)
3. Becoming a Christian won’t rid your life of all sin (vv. 22-25)
And although your response to the struggle may be similar to Paul’s, so too can your hope.
You see, Paul battled inwardly over his sin. This passage is clear that even the godliest of believers is far from godly.
Paul had already been saved. He was redeemed from the penalty and power of sin in His life, but he was yet to be delivered from the presence and possibility of sin. There is coming a day of glorification for those who pursue after Jesus, when no longer will sin be present. There will be no possibility for you to sin any longer. There is coming a day we anticipate, we hope for, we long for.
Yet in between the already of our salvation and the not yet of our glorification there is hope too - and His name is Jesus.
Look with me again to Paul’s lament in v. 24
24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
O friend, the struggle is real. All around us are signs and symptoms of death. And we long for deliverance just like Paul!
And then he writes - v. 25
25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.
Who will deliver me? Where is relief to be found in all of the struggle?
The answer - Jesus!
The answer to the daily struggle with sin is a daily walk with Jesus. This is the application of the Gospel in everyday living.
In the midst of temptation run back to the Gospel.
In the midst of frustration over something that is quite temporal - run to Gospel truth - it’s eternal!
In the middle of that talk you wish you didn’t need to have - rely on the God who provided the Gospel for you.
Nothing is bigger than the Gospel.
Nothing will outlast the Gospel.
Nothing matters more than the Gospel.
Oh wretched man - Paul understood the that the struggle was real. He understood that sin always overpromises and under-delivers.
He knew that although with his mind wanted to serve the law of God and his flesh would want to serve the law of sin, there was still hope.
And this too is our weekly focus:
Sin always overpromises and underdelivers. Thankfully for the believer, there is hope between the already of our salvation and the not yet of our glorification.
And friend, that hope is Jesus.
Do you know Him today, or just know of Him?
Have you simply added Him to your religious regiment, or are you developing a relationship with Him?
Has He changed you and is He continually changing you?
If not, why don’t you trust Him today?
You were created by God and fall short of His perfection. You deserve eternal separation from Him because of your sin, yet Christ came to take your punishment and give you forgiveness. Will you repent (have a change of mind) about your sin and fully rely on Jesus today?
Perhaps you know Christ, yet you identify with Paul - that the struggle with sin is real!
Join the club. But don’t allow the commonality of sin to justify your sin. And don’t allow the vastness of your own sin to isolate you from seeking help and accountability from fellow believers.
Chapter 8 is going to deal with how we are to live in between the already and not yet. But another reality of Christian Community is having such close bonds with our fellow believers that we can be open and honest without fear of ridicule or rejection. Friend, if there is a specific area that you are struggling with, know two things:
1. You aren’t alone in that struggle. We are all made out of the same stuff, and although the manifestation of that struggle may appear different from everyone else, the root is the same thing. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
2. God didn’t design you to be independent - He made you to be interdependent. You should be developing relationships that are deep and abiding that can weather the storms of trials and sin struggles. If you don’t have that Christian Community already, you need to plug into a small group of believers and begin the process of developing those bonds. Those bonds will not just draw you closer together, but will push you closer to Jesus.
So, know that you are not alone and that you need one another.
Jesus is your only hope! Let’s pray.