Who Shall Deliver Me?

Introduction

Alright, good evening and welcome back!

Tonight if you will turn in your Bibles to Romans 7.

We are going to be looking at verses 18-25 in that chapter and one of the predicaments that Paul found himself in, during his own spiritual walk with God.

And just as a quick refresher about Romans, the epistle to the Romans is different than any of the other Epistles that Paul wrote.

It has been called by some scholars, the "Constitution of Christianity" or the "Christian Manifesto" by others because of the broad content in Romans.

And as we know, the Roman church was not a church in the sense of what we consider church.

It was a group of Christians that instead of congregating together, would meet in small groups all over the city.

The Epistle itself is not addressed to the "Church at Rome" but rather the "Saints at Rome."

And Paul had three objectives in mind when writing the Epistle to the Romans:

To teach them the fundamental doctrine of salvation in order to fortify them against the Judaizes.

To explain the unbelief of Israel and vindicate the faithfulness of God in dealing with them.

To give practical instruction concerning Christian living.

And what we are going to talk about tonight is one of those concepts of practical living.

And we are going to try to answer the question, "Who shall deliver me?"

So, let’s get into it and see where the Lord leads.

So, Romans 7, starting in verse 18, Paul writes . . .

Scripture Focus

Romans 7:18–25 NIV84

I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 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. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Nothing Good in the Flesh

So, in this short snippet of a passage we find Paul dealing with quite the internal conflict and predicament.

He is dealing with some spiritual struggles that has him quite upset actually.

So again, starting in verse 18 he says . . .

Romans 7:18–21 NIV84

I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 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. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.

I can almost hear his frustration with why he cannot do what he wants to do but rather ends up doing the things he didn’t want to do to begin with.

And what Paul is really getting at and driving home is that dual nature of humanity—that waging war between the Spirit and the flesh that takes place in all of us.

And he concludes that there is nothing good in the flesh.

Absolutely nothing, but why is that?

Why does it have to be that way?

Well, it is really because the flesh has been corrupted and damaged by sin.

The flesh is teeming with the world and the things of the world.

Let’s look back at something Isaiah wrote.

In Isaiah 64, he writes this . . .

Isaiah 64:6–7 NIV84

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and made us waste away because of our sins.

So, this was even back before Jesus was ever born.

Isaiah was all those hundreds of years ago, acknowledging and struggling with the damage that sin has done to humanity.

Isaiah, like Paul, couldn’t really pin down exactly why the people who so wanted to do good and follow God, would constantly mess up and go their own way, and even abandon God.

And his conclusion is that it is all linked back to sin—all the way back to when sin was introduced to the world by Adam and Eve.

And the personal sin that lurks beneath the surface of the flesh that is in all of us.

Because we have all been tainted and stained by sin.

We know the verses . . .

Romans 3:23 NIV84

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

And . . .

1 John 5:17 NIV84

All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.

And even though Paul didn’t write 1 John, he understands the consequences.

Paul recognizes this and he also recognizes that those who live their lives satisfying the flesh are in serious trouble.

Paul acknowledges that he desires (or wants) to do good but cannot carry it out.

And what he is saying is, absent the work of the Holy Spirit, he is not strong enough to overcome the flesh.

In verses 19-20, Paul expands and say . . .

Romans 7:19–20 NIV84

For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 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.

And that is the great mystery of human existence!

Paul desires to do good, but for some reason cannot.

Instead of the good he wants to do, he ends up doing the evil he doesn't want to do.

I wonder, does anybody ever feel like that?

Want to do good—know to do good, but just mess everything up and can’t?

Paul figures it out though.

It is not his nature (his spirit) but rather the sin nature that is present within him that causes this to happen.

Now, does this mean Paul wasn't saved? NO

Does this mean that Paul wasn't sanctified? NO

What this means was that there were still areas in Paul's life that God was working on.

Things God was ridding him of.

Remember when we talk about sanctification we are actually talking about in terms of two things:

First, an instant when we are filled and the DESIRE to sin is eradicated.

Second, a lifetime of growing in God’s grace, in which God prunes and matures us.

Relating this Paul also says in Philippians 3 . . .

Philippians 3:12–14 NIV84

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

And Peter . . .

2 Peter 3:18 NIV84

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

And it is this is the area of life that Paul is dealing with and the same area in which we struggle with daily.

Warring of the Members

And some days are more of a struggle than others.

I am sure that some days that everyone does great.

We have a “good day,” when it seems like we are clicking on all cylinders and everything is going great with God.

But then there are other days—that sometimes seem to come out of nowhere that we mess up everything we touch.

And we end the day thinking—who was I? Why did I do that? Why did I say that?

And we are left defeated and scratching our heads.

Surely, I’m not the only one that does that.

Paul tells us why. We already know about that dual nature of humanity.

But he goes on in verses 22-23 to explain . . .

Romans 7:22–23 NIV84

For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.

So, Paul is seeking after the will of God in the INWARD MAN or the SPIRIT MAN, if you will.

he is trying to walk in the Spirit, like he discusses in Galatians 5, but in his attempt to Walk after the Spirit and Follow God though Paul recognizes another force present in his life.

Again, verse 23 . . .

Romans 7:23 NIV84

but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.

So, what is this "other law" that is warring against the "law of his mind?"

He gives us a clue in Galatians 5:17-18 . . .

Galatians 5:17–18 NIV84

For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

It is that old fleshly man trying to rise up again, trying to take control of the man.

It is a constant battle a constant fight.

Folks, sanctification is not a one and done deal.

You are filled, but you have to keep coming back to the well, to get refilled, over and over, and over.

The way it is supposed to work is God fills you, and continues to fill you.

Who Shall Deliver Me

You seek after God each and every day.

Wake up looking for God.

God to bed expecting God.

Interacting with God at every step in between.

Paul asks the question—that he knows the answer to . . .

Romans 7:24 NIV84

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?

And the answer . . .

Romans 7:25 NIV84

Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

That is the key to it all.

Christ will deliver us!

He has delivered us and will continuously deliver us.

It is a day by day walk.

Though the good days and through the bad days.

So, how do we tap into this?

James 4:7–10 NIV84

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Hear what James says because he lays out the steps here.

First, we submit to God.

Second, we resist the devil—remember active resistance—fighting against the devil.

We draw ourselves near to God and allow him access to our inner selves.

We repent of our sin.

We humble ourselves before God.

That’s how, if we are willing to do it.

Pal also tells us in 1 Corinthians . . .

1 Corinthians 15:31 NIV84

I die every day—I mean that, brothers—just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Everyday he puts aside the flesh and follows God.

He makes a choice every single day of which way he is going to go and who he is going to follow.

Altar/Challenge

And I could go on but I think we get the point here.

This Christian walk is a marathon and a daily walk.

It is not a sprint race to the finish.

And the Christian life is also something we cannot live on our own.

We do not have the will power or the ability to make it on our own.

That is why God has given us the Holy Spirit as a teacher, a guide, a comforter, a source of power.

The Holy Spirit is a gift from God to enable us to make it to Him.

So, have you been filled?

When was the last time you were refilled?

Are you frustrated like Paul was that he could not gain the victory?

Maybe this is the part you have been missing.

I don’t know but God will tell you.

Let’s pray . . .