Sermon 19

I'm A Mess, I Guess

Romans 7:14-25

If there was only a Romans 6 and no Romans 7 we might conclude that once a person is saved, he will never sin again. If we are dead to sin and free from sin, then perhaps sin can be eradicated from our lives. Ah, but there is a Romans 7! From Romans 7:1-13, we discovered that we are no longer under the law, we are dead to the law and married to Christ and that the role of the law is not to make us holy but rather to show us how sinful we are.

We have arrived at Romans 7:14-25. This is one of the most fascinating passages of scripture in the Bible. It is a very personal as is indicated from all the personal pronouns. Here, Paul speaks about his own continuing struggle with sin in a series of laments, desperate, repetitious cries of a distressed soul in deep conflict over sin.

This passage has been the subject of many interpretations. Some say that Paul is speaking from the perspective of a non-Christian with the desire to do right but the inability. Some say that Paul is speaking from the perspective of a inmature Christian, struggling with obedience. I believe that Paul is speaking as himself, a mature Christian who hates committing sin (15), who loves righteousness (19, 21), who delights in the law of God (22), but who still struggles against sin. You will notice that there is a definite change in the tenses of the verbs from verses 5-13 (past tense) to verses 14-25 (present tense).

This passage presents indwelling sin in the life of a believer in a series of personal laments. Three times Paul laments his condition, then offers proof and the source of that condition.

The Struggle, vs. 14-23.

The First Lament, vs. 14-17. Paul continues to express the character of the law. There is nothing wrong with the law of God. It is holy, just, and good (12). It is also spiritual (14a) that is, it comes from the Spirit of God and speaks to the inner man. But Paul also speaks about his own condition. "I am carnal, sold under sin." This is the first lament. Paul is simply saying, "I still sin." Once we are saved, we are no longer in the flesh (7:5; 8:8-9) but the flesh is still in us! We no longer live in the realm of sin, but sin still indwells us. Sin no longer reigns in our life but it still survives. To be carnal, means to be fleshly, to sin.

In verse 15, Paul gives the proof that he is carnal. Paul cannot do the good that he wants to do, and he does the evil that he hates. Why? The answer is in verses 16-17. The problem is not with the law. The law is good. It shows us that we sin. The reason for my sin is because of indwelling sin. Paul is not making an excuse for his sin. He is explaining why there is a continuing struggle with sin even after salvation. It is because of indwelling sin. The first lament is "I still sin."

The Second Lament, vs. 18-20. There is nothing good about my flesh. There are a number of synonyms for our flesh. Some places it is referred to as the old man. Here, it is referred to as indwelling sin. Paul is not saying that a Christian has a split personality. It's not a Jekyll and Hyde thing. We do not sin with the flesh and serve with the spirit. Salvation is not addition; it is transformation. We do not simply add Christ to our sinfulness. Christ enters our life as Lord and transforms us. However, that process of transformation is not yet complete. Sin no longer reigns in us, but it does exist in us. We will not be completely absent of sin until we shed our human body and receive a new, glorified body at the resurrection, 8:18; 21, 23. So there continues to be a struggle within us for control, the flesh warring against the spirit, the old man fighting the new man, the body of indwelling sin struggling against the mind (Galatians 5:16-18). Everything about the old nature is evil. Philippians 3:3 - We have no confidence in the flesh. This is Paul's second lament. There is nothing good about the flesh

The proof of this condition is in verses 18b-19. Paul cannot do what is right to the extent that he longs to.

The source of this condition is the same - verse 20 - indwelling sin.

The Third Lament, vs. 21-23. In verse 21, Paul laments over a law (a true principle of life) that he has discovered. Evil is always present. Sin always lies at the door. Even when we want to obey God and do what is good and right, evil is nearby, present with us. We have been saved from the penalty of sin (Romans 5), we have been saved from the power of sin (Romans 6), but we have not yet been saved from the presence of sin (Romans 7).

Because of redemption, Paul and all the redeemed, love God's law. David said, "O how I love thy law" (Psalm 119). Psalm 1 says of the spiritual man, "His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his doth he meditate day and night." We keep his commandments and his commandments are not grievous. There is not only obedience, but there is joyful obedience!

But there is another law at work, other than the law of God. It is the law of indwelling sin which causes this constant internal struggle, v. 23. Paul's third lament is that evil is always near.

I still sin. There is nothing good about the flesh. Evil is always near.

The good that I would do, I do not

And the evil that I would not, that I do

And even if I could,

I not sure that I would

Do the good that I cannot do.

I'm a mess, I guess

And I must confess

When I'm at my worst

Sometimes that's my best

The Solution, vs. 24-25.

After lamenting again and again over his indwelling sinfulness, Paul concludes with this self-evaluation ... "O wretched man that I am". As you grow spiritually you become more and more like Christ, there is an increasing obedience and a decreasing sinfulness. But there is another thing that accompanies spiritual growth. It is an increasing awareness of sin. We become more and more sensitive to the presence of indwelling sin. We see ourselves more and more as wretched.

That is not true of the legalist. The legalist becomes a Pharisee who thinks he never sins. Jesus said that He may become outwardly acceptable but inwardly he is despicable (Matthew 23:28). A true Christian becomes more aware of his sin.

After making such an evaluation of himself, Paul asks a rhetorical question. Is there any hope for me? Is there any deliverance from this indwelling sin.

Verse 25 gives answer. Jesus Christ will deliver us even from the presence of sin. He gives us, even now, the power to win the war. The source of victory is the subject of Romans 8.

The end of verse 25 summarizes the inward struggle and reminds us that until Christ returns, the struggle continues. Next time we will learn what to do while we wait for Jesus to return and deliver us from the presence of sin.