Hi and welcome back. Last week’s podcast ended up being a little off.
Somehow, someway, the very beginning of the podcast was chopped off. I must have done some creative editing on my end. But, overall the message was intact. I just want to apologize for not being more diligent and releasing something that definitely wasn’t quite up to par. So, this week we will pick up with Romans chapter 7 verse 11.
Romans 7:11 For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.
Sin is The great deceiver.
Sin gives us pleasure and leads us down the garden path, where we encounter our own forbidden fruit. We see nothing wrong with the fruit, after all it looks good, it tastes good, and it satisfies the hunger pains. But does it really satisfy us? It’s not like we can just stop and walk away from that fruit. Oh no, you’re going to get hungry again and you’re going to want that forbidden fruit. Sin leaves us lacking. Sin will not satisfy your soul. Sin always leads to death. Sin is just going to kill you. Not only in a physical sense, but spiritually. Sin will lead you to eternal separation from your Lord and Savior.
Romans 7:12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
The law was given by God and is a perfect expression of His will for His people.
This perfect expression was given to a people that are far less than perfect. The law gave the knowledge of sin, but above and beyond that we need a Savior to deliver us from the penalty and the bondage of sin.
Psalms 19:8 the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
1 Timothy 1:8 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully,
Romans 7:13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.
That which is good is the law and the law by no means brings death to us.
The following analogy is from the believers commentary Bible. The law cannot improve the old nature on the one hand nor cause it to sin on the other. In other words it can reveal sin just as a thermometer reveals the temperature. But it cannot control sin like a thermostat controls the temperature.
Romans 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.
In this verse Paul is speaking of two opposing forces.
The law which is spiritual since it is god-given and the flesh which is carnal and is inherently sinful. Even with this knowledge that God has given us through the law we choose to do the bidding of our flesh.
In the next verse Paul shares his own struggle with that sinful nature.
Romans 7:15 I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
Under our own power we will always succumb to the desires of the flesh.
In this verse Paul keeps using the pronoun I. Whenever it’s about me or l we are trying to do something in our own strength, not in the strength of our Lord and Savior. Paul finds himself hating the very things he’s doing. Because he is not endowed with the power of Jesus.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Romans 7:16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good.
Paul is saying that his conscience is in agreement with the law. If he doesn’t want to do it then his conscience through the law is convicting him. That is always a good thing.
This bears repeating, if you are a Christian it is your duty to awaken the conscience of a non-believer.
By sharing the moral law, the ten commandments you are making that individual totally aware and convicted of his or her sinful nature.
Romans 7:17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
It is not the New Man in Christ, but rather the corrupt nature that dwells within us.
This verse is not a get out of jail free card. It doesn’t mean that just because we have indwelling sin that we can excuse what we do. We are still responsible for our actions. All Paul is doing is showing the source of sinful behavior, not giving it license in our lives.
Romans 7:18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
Again, Paul is using that I or me mentality. He says, I have the desire to do what is right. Again, if we try to do something in our own strength we are going to fall short. We won’t be able to carry it out. Always put your desires in the right place.
Psalms 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Romans 7:19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.
Romans 7:20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
There’s a battle going on here. As long as Paul keeps fighting this battle on his own, sin is going to keep popping up in his life.
That indwelling sin is going to get its way as long as Paul fights this battle alone. It’s hard to tell from the scripture whether Paul is referring to his time before he became a Christian or after. But either way, it is a daily struggle to live a life without sin rearing its ugly head.
Romans 7:21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.
Paul doesn’t sugarcoat sin. Sin is evil. If it ain’t good, pure and lovely, then it’s just pure evil.
Romans 7:22-23 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
Isn’t that where the battle begins? It’s in our mind and if we don’t have a renewed mind we are going to be captives to sin.
Romans 12:2 and be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. That ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Paul is getting ready to wind up this chapter. He’s going to end it with a bang.
It’s what you’ve been waiting for the whole chapter. It’s what you need to hear, it’s what you need to believe, it’s what you need to accept.
Romans 7:24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
Who indeed? So here it is verse 25.
Romans 7:25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
I can’t think of a better ending for this chapter. We are all worthy of death. We don’t deserve God’s mercy and Grace. But thanks be to God we are delivered from this body of death through Jesus Christ.
We’re going to stop for today. Next week we will dig into chapter 8 and see what God plans to reveal to us.
Thank you for listening and as always may you have a week full of opportunities to share this good news with those that need to hear it.