September 17, 2017
Morning Service

In chapter 6 Paul explained to us a couple of different ways that we have died to sin and are alive to God.  Through our baptism we spiritually died, were buried and then resurrected to “walk in the newness of life.”  Sin’s power over us was destroyed and we are united by faith in Christ receiving an unbroken fellowship with God.  With that fact in our mind, Paul then challenged us to “not let sin reign in your mortal body” and to allow ourselves to become “instruments of righteousness to God.”   We compared that to being tools in God’s hands for His use.  Paul then compared sin’s old control over us to that of being a slave.  Before accepting Jesus, sin had total control of every aspect of our lives 24/7.  We now have been redeemed from that task master and belong to our Heavenly Father.  Paul ended that chapter with this beautiful verse:

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

·         I would place that verse right up there with John 3:16 as one that we need to memorize and share often.  Think how that fits perfectly with the point Paul was making earlier in this letter that we are saved by faith and not by works (we can’t earn it).  You don’t pay someone for a gift, you simply accept it.

·         Paul now again looks at sins control on us from a different perspective as we begin chapter 7.

 

Romans 7:1-6  Or do you not know, brothers; (for I speak to those who know the Law); that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives?  (2)  For the married woman was bound by law to the living husband. But if the husband is dead, she is set free from the law of her husband.  (3)  So then if, while her husband lives, she is married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress. But if the husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress by becoming another man's wife.  (4)  So, my brothers, you also have become dead to the law by the body of Christ so that you should be married to Another, even to Him raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit to God.  (5)  For when we were in the flesh, the passions of sin worked in our members through the law to bring forth fruit to death.  (6)  But now we having been set free from the Law, having died to that in which we were held, so that we serve in newness of spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

·         Paul again uses an illustration of something that we know and understand to make a point about a spiritual truth.  He uses the marriage relationship as a comparison of our relationship to the law.  When a spouse dies, the law of marriage no longer is binding and the survivor is free to remarry.  His point is that since we have died in the waters of baptism, our relationship with sin and the law has been broken and we are free to wed another.

·         We are dead to sin but alive to God.  Formerly we tried to please sin by doing whatever gave us gratification.  Now as we are married to Christ, we seek to please Him with all the things we do and say but not out of a sense of duty, but out of love (newness of the spirit v.6)

·         As Paul speaks here of us being free from the law, it also means we are free from sin.  He is tying together the fact that it was only through the law that we realized we were sinning and that sin even exists. He now explains that further.

 

 

Romans 7:7-13  What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! But I did not know sin except through the law. For also I did not know lust except the law said, “You shall not lust.”  (8)  But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, worked in me all kinds of lust. For apart from law sin was dead.  (9)  For I was alive without the law once. But when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.  (10)  And the commandment, which was to life, was found to be death to me.  (11)  For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me.  (12)  So indeed the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good.  (13)  Then has that which is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear to be sin, working death in me by that which is good; in order that sin might become exceedingly sinful by the commandment.

·         Paul also shows the struggle that we all deal with in what we could call the “forbidden fruit complex.”  When we are told not to do something, automatically that makes us want to do it.  Adam experienced it.  Every one of us experiences it as well.  The law by telling us not to sin actually creates sin within us.  So as we understand the law in greater depth it only revealed to us our sin on a deeper level because we alone can’t keep the law; it is impossible.

·         Now Paul actually bares his soul to us speaking with a great level of honesty that is refreshing.

Romans 7:14-25 (NLT) The law is good, then.  The trouble is not with the law but with me, because I am sold into slavery, with sin as my master.  I don’t understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don’t do it.  Instead, I do the very thing I hate.  I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience shows that I agree that the law is good.  But I can’t help myself, because it is sin inside me that makes me do these evil things.

            I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned.  No matter which way I turn, I can’t make myself do right.  I want to, but I can’t.  When I want to do good, I don’t.  And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway.  But if I am doing what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing it; the sin within me is doing it.

            It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.  I love God’s law with all my heart.  But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind.  This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still in me.  Oh, what a miserable person I am!  Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin?  Thank God! The answer is Jesus Christ our Lord.  So you see how it is; in my mind I really want to obey God’s s law, but because of my old sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

·         Wow!  I take great comfort in knowing that Paul had the same struggles I deal with.  Amen?  It is okay to struggle, we all do it.  We can take comfort in that we do all struggle. Our enemy wants us to fight that struggle alone.  He wants us to keep that fact in the dark.  Paul here reveals his struggles to us bringing them to the light.  Is there a sin struggle going on in your life?  Bring it to the light.

o    First confess it to God

 I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

o   Second, confess it to a trusted brother or sister who can help you and hold you accountable.

James 5:16 Confess faults to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous one avails much.

·         By bringing it to the light, we are admitting our struggle and that is the first step to healing.  AA always starts with:  “Hi my name is Greg and I am an alcoholic.”  God is asking us to say; “Hi my name is Greg and I struggle with sin.”

·         .  Surrender your heart to Him and let Him do His work in you.

Lord, take my life and create something that brings glory and honor to You.