Romans Chapter 7 (Freedom from the Law).
Romans 7:14-25(NKJV)
14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. 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? 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.
Be honest and know that the internal struggle we have is real. I struggle with consistency in me. A true battle of consistency (We all have Weaknesses and Strengths) We struggle with consistency every day
At new year we all declare what we shall do. E.g. “I will go to the gym” – By Jan 10th you have given up. (We struggle with Consistency)
We are confessed believers at LAT but the Truth is we struggle with Common Sin. There are things that keep haunting us and it causes us to feel uneasy even causing guilt and doubt in our salvation journey. (Lying, cheating, anger, lack of love, rebellion, grumbling, hating etc.)
When we take on Jesus, we are supposed to be righteous – That is unfortunately not possible.
- We are in a process and we are imperfect as a fact and if we accept that fact of imperfection it leads us to freedom
- Do we understand that God gives us power over the penalty of Sin
- But we struggle with Sin. We desire Holiness but we are Unholy. We want the Spirit of righteousness but have Fleshly carnal Sin.
- We struggle to live righteous lives devoid of the Power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 7 is about Man living without the Power that is noted in Romans 6
Romans 7 mentions “I” almost 40 times and only mentions the Holy Spirit only once. This mention of “I” therefore is in relation to the writer Paul referring to himself.
- We are sold unto Sin and in reality, we are Carnal
- We are in a struggle “We do what we don’t want to do … what we do is carnal and bad
- What is our solution (Jesus Christ).
Romans 7: 14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. 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.
The Greek word “Sarkinos” - fleshly, consisting of flesh earthly and perishable; belonging to the world natural and weak.
1st Cor 3 1-4
And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and [a]behaving like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?
We are not spiritual the reality we are sold to sin. Carnality is an arrested state of spiritual Development. We all have carnality as Paul says.
“Arrested state of spiritual Development”
Just as babies need to be fed we also need others to help us to grow in the relationship with God.
We know that babies or toddlers grow out of habits slowly but we know others don’t grow up. Sucking thumbs or chewing / biting nails.
Many of us Christians don’t grow up and remain carnal. i.e. Carnal Christians
Those who are driven by feelings in their “Journey” – They want feelings rather than facts.
- No development they get bored by the bible
- Miserable they are not satisfied – Church hopping.
- Chasing experience and feelings they never get enough of.
- They can’t be happy because they are using the Worldliness to fill the gaps.
- No matter how much we want from the world it will never make us happy.
- Carnal believer looking for worldly answers that never make us happy. Yet we have real solutions.
Carnal state is an arrested state, easily deceived, no back bone, they lean on extremes such as Prosperity Gospel (e.g. a Pastor tells his flock that he needs Private expensive car because he can’t use Taxis because people have demons and the flock agrees)
Bad or weak Churches that focus on Music and don’t teach the Bible
Ephesians 4:14
14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting.
- Fault finders and blaming others
- Mold and Manipulate Scriptures for self-interests and are frustrated.
Bare minimum Christians addicted to the highs of Sin even though it is killing them/us.
Like a drunkard they repeating going after the alcohol even when they know that it’s killing them. They are held by the Sin that is killing them. (Like dog the eats it’s Vomit).
We are addicted to Sin so we must step up to conquer it.
To defeat sin controlling us we need to move up from carnal self-indulgent living to spirit empowered life where these sins in our lives cannot Survive. If we use Sheer will Power to fight sin you will loose
If a Pork eater has been indulging too much he will say in his heart “let me eat this last piece and go to the gym to cut weight. After two days of half gym he gives up and goes back to the Pork.
Will Power cannot stop sin in you. You can only defeat sin by knowing God through Him sin will fall off.
The struggle and fight are Real:
Romans 7:15-16
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.
We struggle with this dilemma: Temper, Gossip, pride, greed, cheating.
We want to do God but we can’t do good. The struggle and Fight is real but we fail.
In reality as a Christian we all struggle with those struggles.
Romans 7 is about a person coming to terms as to who they are. Reality when you look at yourself. We are fighting with the old nature. We are supposed to be new is Christ.
Romans 7:17
17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
You cannot fight a battle without knowing your Opponent do they have Tanks, Aircraft, how can you fight them?
Galatians 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.
We need the Lord to deliver us from ourselves.
Romans 7:18
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.
To get out of Sin we need to look critically at ourselves. This applies to even the most dedicated believers.
The more you grow spiritually the more you see your own sinfulness
Isaiah 6:5 (says he is a man of unclean lips)
5 So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King,
The Lord of hosts.”
David said:
Psalm 51:3 (My sin is always before me)
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me.
John said:
1 John 1:8 (We deceive ourselves no sin)
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
In Romans 7 Paul reflects on himself “in me nothing good dwells”
Apart form God we can do nothing. Your own will power cannot get rid of Sin.
So you’re a “good sinner” you’re still a sinner. Is that what we will tell Jesus on the day of Judgement?
In me nothing good dwells. If we want to be delivered from the Clutches of Carnality we must accept “In me nothing good dwells”.
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.
We cannot fight the battle with Kids gloves. To fight these battles, one needs greater and higher power than self. You need real Jesus Power to Fight the battle.
The law reminds us of our shameful situation and we really sometimes believe it’s impossible even unto Leaving the Faith.
However, when we understand our situation and realize we need the Grace we can then go through the process of being more Christ Like. It’s a Process..
You are in a process through Jesus Christ we only become Hypocrites when we stop being willing to admit we continuously fight these struggles. We must not allow the struggle we fight with sin to disqualify us from the solution in the victorious Life that Jesus Christ Died for you and me to rid us of exposure to sin.
The solution:
24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
Wretched -Miserable/afflicted/Slavery.
You cannot Save a drowning man until he stops trying to save himself otherwise you may both be dragged down.
When you put your Trust in Jesus He will help you. Your mere determination will not help.
You must be first tired of being a slave to sin and fighting the battle alone. When you look to worldly solutions, they will kill your soul.
Drugs, alcohol, sex, money, Property, Friends – all these cant help.
25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Look to the Cross. In Jesus there is the source of Power to over come the carnal sinful you and me. He is the source of the Power.
When spiritual Power takes over then the power of sin falls away. Start accepting your forgiveness and lack od condemnation
Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 [a]gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
God bless you,
Pr. Edward Muwanga Barlow.