Our passage this morning comes from the book of Romans.
If you have your Bible with you, feel free to open it up to Romans chapter 7.
As we initially read it, it won't be on the screen,
so you can use the Bibles in the seats in front of you, or you can use your own.
Romans was a letter written to the church at Rome by the Apostle Paul,
and this letter was written about 20 to 30 years after Jesus died
and rose and ascended into heaven.
And this letter is one of the heavier letters in the Bible.
And what I mean by that is Paul writes this letter to teach the church
about a number of different themes.
And kind of throughout the whole letter, he's developing several arguments,
and each section builds on the one that came before.
Almost every paragraph and sentence of Romans is packed full of truth
about God and Jesus and sin and how we're saved and God's great plan
and the truth about how we should live as followers of Jesus.
So we're just going to jump right into one passage here in Romans chapter 7 this morning.
And we won't have the chance to talk about everything Paul says here in these two paragraphs,
but what we will see, I hope and pray, will be a blessing to you this morning.
So we pick it up in Romans chapter 7, verse 14.
We know that the law is spiritual.
Paul is talking about the law of God,
as in the law that God gave through Moses at Mount Sinai to the Israelites all those years ago.
So probably a helpful thing to think of when you hear that is the Ten Commandments,
something from the law that most of us are familiar with.
Paul says,
We know that the law is spiritual,
but I am unspiritual,
sold as a slave to sin.
I do not understand what I do.
For what I want to do, I do not do.
But what I hate, I do.
And if I do what I do not want to do,
I agree that the law is good.
As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it,
but it is sin living in me.
For I know that good itself does not dwell 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 I do not do the good I want to do,
but 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.
Although 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 me,
waging war against the law of my mind,
and making me a prisoner of the law of sin
at work within me.
What a wretched man I am!
Who will rescue me from this body of death?
I really treasure these words.
In fact, for as long as I can remember,
since I was a boy,
these words have resonated deeply with me.
There's something Paul describes here
from his own experience
that is true to each of our experiences.
Paul describes the battle within,
that inner conflict that we all feel and face.
Paul begins this very emotional
and passionate description
by referring to the law.
He says that the law is spiritual,
but then all of a sudden,
he reflects on himself.
The law is spiritual,
but I am unspiritual,
sold as a slave to sin.
What is Paul doing here?
He is lamenting.
He's thinking about the law of God
and how good it is.
How good are those commands
that God has given?
They are the good and the beautiful
and the right things.
They are the way of love.
But I, says Paul,
I am not full of the spiritual stuff
that I see in the law,
in those commands.
I am unspiritual,
sold as a slave to sin.
When we talk about sin,
we usually think of it
as the bad things that we do.
And it is.
But notice how Paul describes sin here.
Not just the bad things he does,
it's more.
It's worse.
It's a thing that enslaves him.
Sold as a slave to sin.
It's like a slave master
that owns him,
that has him under its control
so that he is not free.
And then Paul goes on
to describe his own experience
as a slave to sin.
He says,
I do not understand what I do.
For what I want to do,
I do not do.
But what I hate,
I do.
It's almost like a tone
of frustration here.
Almost like Paul is perplexed.
Like, what's going on with me?
What's wrong with me?
There are things that I recognize
as good and beautiful and right.
And there are things
that I recognize as wrong
and ugly and evil.
And I hate those evil things.
I don't like them one bit.
But I keep finding myself
not doing the good
and the right and the beautiful
and instead doing
the ugly, the wrong,
the things I hate.
I think every single one of us
can relate to that
because every single one of us
has experienced
that inward conflict,
that inward battle.
Even our world acknowledges
this battle.
We've all seen
at least one movie or TV show
with the little angel
on one shoulder
and the little devil
on the other shoulder.
We all know
that this battle is real.
We might experience it
in some different kinds of ways.
We might be tempted
by different things
or drawn to different things.
But it's the same battle,
the same conflict
in all of us
underneath it all.
For example,
you know that it's wrong
and ugly
and evil
to say that hurtful thing
about this person
standing in front of you
just to make this friend
over here laugh.
but you say it anyway.
And the laugh
of your friend over here,
it feels good,
it feels worth it
for the moment,
but then you look back
and you see the hurt
on the face
of the person in front of you
that you just insulted.
And in your heart,
you know
that it was wrong
and that you shouldn't
have said it.
What I want to do,
I do not do.
But what I hate,
I do.
He goes on.
And if I do
what I do not want to do,
I agree
that the law is good.
At least this inward struggle
or battle
shows that I have a conscience.
At least it shows
that I have an inward sense
of what is good
and right
and beautiful.
I know
deep down in here
what God's law says.
I agree
that it's good.
I want to live
like He says
I should.
But there's a problem
with me.
There's something else
in me
that wants
the opposite.
He says
as it is.
It is no longer
I myself
who do it
but it is
sin
living in me.
Now we have to be careful here.
I don't think Paul is saying
well
I'm not really guilty
of my sins
of doing those wrong things.
It wasn't me
that did it.
It was
sin
in me.
No
the thing that
is responsible
is still
in Him.
It's still
in us.
And he calls
that thing
sin
living in us
living in me.
Do you hear that?
Paul talks about sin
like it's alive.
A thing that
lives
in us.
and at this point
we might like
to just look
at what Paul says
here and say
well
this is good
I'll put the blame
on that thing
in me
and I'll kind of
you know
deflect the guilt
away from my
true self.
But unfortunately
sin is not like
some parasite
inside of our bodies
or another organism
living in our bodies.
It's worse than that.
It lives in us
because it is us.
It's part of us.
It's hijacked
our very selves
our very bodies
and even worse
our hearts
and our minds
have been infected
and corrupted
by it.
We wish
that we could
blame
it on
the sin
living in us
and kind of
deflect the guilt
away from ourselves
but the Bible
tells us
that there's no
separating of those.
We can't separate
ourselves
from the sin
inside of us.
We are its slave
and it owns us
and has control
over us.
It's not some
other person
inside of us
or some other
entity inside of us
it's us.
We welcomed
this corruption
this thing
called sin
into ourselves
long ago
when we rebelled
against God
at the beginning.
Paul talks about
that in chapter 5.
We won't go there
this morning.
Let's keep on
here in chapter 7
verse 18
For I know
that good itself
does not dwell
in me
that is
in my sinful nature.
Sinful nature
is how the translation
on the screen
renders it
the New International
Version
literally it's flesh
I know
that good itself
does not dwell
in me
that is
in my flesh
and this term
flesh
Paul uses a lot
in other places.
He uses it to mean
more than just
our physical flesh
our body
and so
it somehow
refers to that
that place
from where that
bent towards evil
comes from
inside of us.
That's why
the translation
sinful nature
but let's not
miss the main
point of what
Paul is saying
here.
He's saying
I know
that good itself
does not dwell
in me.
There's a sense
in which good
is unnatural
to us
and it's not
the way that God
made us to be
in the beginning
but something
happened.
We rebelled
against God
and we lost
our goodness.
We lost
our innocence.
We became
so corrupt
that selfishness
is now
what comes
naturally
instead of
goodness.
Goodness now
is like
almost like
a thing
that's not
there anymore
it's a thing
outside of us
and foreign
to us
like God
is good.
He really
does care
about other
people.
about the
things he
has made
but we
are not
like him
anymore.
I know
that good
itself
does not
dwell
in me.
How does
Paul know
this?
Well he points
us back
to the
inward
conflict.
He says
for I have
the desire
to do
what is
good
but I
cannot
carry it
out.
I recognize
what's
good.
Deep
down I
know
what's
good.
I even
desire it
but I
feel powerless
to do
it.
It's like
there are
two choices
before me.
Vegetables
and candy.
I can't
bring myself
to eat
those
vegetables.
I know
that they're
good.
That's
premium
fuel for
this body.
I just
every time
I'm confronted
with that
choice.
I love
the candy.
I want
the candy.
I know
it's
making me
fat.
I know
it's
rotting
my teeth
but I
just feel
powerless
in that
moment of
decision
to do
the good
and not
the
junk food.
It's a
bad analogy
because of
course candy
is something
that even
God has
given us
as a good
gift to
enjoy
in moderation.
Maybe a
better analogy
is roast
beef dinner
and a
bowl of
raw
sewage.
Maybe
that's more
like the
choice
before us.
And this
is why
Paul is
frustrated
because he
sees in
himself
this sick
and twisted
bent,
this preference
for the
raw sewage
over the
roast beef
dinner.
I have
the desire
to do
what is
good but
I cannot
carry it
out.
It's like
it's wired
deeply into
my very
soul.
I can't
help myself.
I just
keep going
back for
more of
it.
And this
is what
sin is.
It's evil.
It's wrong.
It's at
its worst.
It's
disgusting.
At its
best,
it's just
bland and
dim and
empty.
We all
know it.
we tend
to minimize
it though.
We tend
to minimize
the sin
that we
have in
our own
lives.
But it's
there.
And it
stinks.
It's easy
to look over
at somebody
else who's
maybe arrogant
and obnoxious
and just
loves themselves
and can only
talk about
themselves and
we think,
whew, I'm
so glad I'm
not like
that.
God.
But have
we ever
stopped to
think that
perhaps we
are just
as blind
to our
own sin
as he
is to
his?
Sin is
ugly.
God and
his commands
and laws
are beautiful
and good.
Let's think
for a moment
on what God
has commanded.
Let's think
of some of
those things.
we'll just
look at
three of
the Ten
Commandments.
You shall
not steal.
It's good.
It's beautiful
when you can
go to work
and earn
and purchase
and own
something
and have
that thing
belong to
you so that
you can use
it when you
need it
and enjoy
it because
you like
it.
And it's
wrong.
It's ugly
when someone
simply comes
along and
takes that
thing from
you.
They did
nothing
for it.
You did
the work
for it.
You bought
it.
It belongs
to you
and they
just take
it for
themselves.
Or we
could look
at the
command to
honor your
father and
mother.
It's
good.
It's
beautiful
when after
years of
caring for
every little
need of
your children
who start
life
completely
helpless,
it's
good and
beautiful
when your
children
honor you
and treat
you with
respect and
kindness
and recognize
all the
love,
every
sacrifice
that you
made for
them.
And it's
wrong and
it's ugly
when they
curse you
and say,
you,
dad,
I don't
have to
listen to
you.
I'm not
going to
do what
you want
me to
do.
I'm going
to do
whatever I
want to
do.
Or we
could look
at the
seventh
commandment.
You
shall not
commit
adultery.
God has
commanded
this.
It's
good and
beautiful
when wedding
vows are
made and
kept.
It's
good and
beautiful when
husbands and
wives are
loyal to
each other
and love
each other
and cherish
each other
and protect
and honor
and are
faithful to
each other
helping each
other through
life, both
the good
times and
the hard
times.
And it's
wrong and
it's ugly
when wedding
vows and
promises are
broken,
when husbands
betray their
wives and
give themselves
to other
women just
to satisfy
their lust
or craving.
It's wrong
and it's
ugly when
women leave
their husbands
and give
themselves to
another man
because,
well,
things aren't
going as
well as
they did
before.
And this
man over
here,
he treats
me better.
Oftentimes
in these
cases,
we see some
of the damage
that comes
from that.
Families are
torn apart.
Children are
forced to
grow up,
going back
and forth
between two
homes or
without a
dad or
a mom.
this is
oftentimes what
happens when
someone commits
adultery.
Broken
vows lead
to broken
hearts,
lead to
broken
homes.
These are
just a few
examples of
the goodness
of God's
law and
the ugliness
of sin.
I got
thinking about
this.
Wouldn't it
be a wonderful
world if
everyone in
the world
just lived
the way
God told
us to?
I mean,
think about
that.
If everyone
in the
world just
treated each
other with
kindness,
honor,
respect,
spoke the
truth,
kept our
word,
our promises,
never stole,
never killed,
and the
list goes
on.
It'd be a
wonderful place
to live.
life.
But the
problem is
we can't
live like
that because
as Paul
says,
we are no
longer free
like we
were made
to be in
the beginning.
We are
slaves to
this thing
living in
us,
sin.
Paul goes
on, he
says,
for I do
not do
the good
I want
to do,
but the
evil I do
not want
to do.
This I
keep on
doing.
So I
find this
law at
work.
Although 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
me,
waging war
against the
law of my
mind and
making me a
prisoner of
the law
of sin
at work
within me.
Here it
is.
This is the
problem with
the whole
world right
here.
We often
read the
news and
we hear
about all
the messed
up and
twisted and
evil stuff
going on.
Some of you
got texts
on your
phone this
morning saying
that somebody
has been going
around stabbing
people.
And then
we hear
people in
the world
proposing
solutions to
this problem.
We need
changes in
government.
We need
better policies
and laws.
We need a
better justice
system.
We need to
fix systemic
problems.
We need to
do better at
promoting peace
and stopping
war.
And if you
over here and
you over here
and you over
there would
just stop
behaving the
way that you
are and
start behaving
the way that
you should,
this world
would be a
better place.
But all of
this is not
the reason.
It's not the
root issue
of the
problem.
It's not
the root
issue of
the evil
we see in
the world
today.
There is a
systemic
problem.
But it's
much, much
deeper than
matters of
race,
privilege,
legislation.
The
systemic
problem is
something we
all have.
And it's
this.
There is
another law
at work
within me,
within all
of us,
waging war
inside of
me and
making me a
prisoner and
a slave of
sin.
It is that
principle, that
power of sin
within us.
That's the
systemic problem
with the
world.
God.
And that's
what Paul's
lamenting
here.
Even the
good Jew
that he
has been
growing up
all these
years taught
from the
time he
was a
little boy
to obey
the commands
of God
and what
the good
commands of
God are.
And yet,
what does
he say?
He says,
all this
time I've
been seeing
another law
at work
inside of
me.
There's been
this battle,
this war that's
raging inside of
me.
Although I
want to do
good, evil
is right there
with me.
And all I
feel is pull.
And
oftentimes,
says Paul,
I do the
thing I don't
want to do.
I do the
thing I
hate.
So much
so that it's
as though Paul
just weeps
about it.
He says,
what a wretched
man I am.
Who will
rescue me from
this body of
death?
There's things
I've done.
There's things
that we've all
done and
things that we
know we've
done and we
know we're
not proud of
them.
I hate the
me that chose
to do those
things.
What a wretched
man I am.
Who will
rescue me
from this
body of
death?
Do you
hear the
frustration
and the
angst in
Paul's tone
here?
The inner
regret and
turmoil?
And it
almost seems
like a
question that
expects the
answer to be
no one.
Like,
nobody can.
Who can fix
this brokenness
inside of me?
I've tried and
I've tried but
I can't do
it.
But then
Paul tells us
the good news
that we've all
been hoping
for.
He says,
thanks be to
God who
delivers me
through Jesus
Christ our
Lord.
God.
There is
someone who
can fix the
brokenness
inside of
me.
There is
someone who
can make
right all
the wrongs
that I've
done.
There is
someone who
can give
me victory
in that
inward
battle.
There is
someone who
someday will
put an end
to that war
going on
inside of
me for
good.
And that
someone is
God.
And he
has done
all this
and he
will do
all that
remains of
this through
Jesus Christ
our Lord.
Think back
over the
story of
Jesus.
Jesus
atoned for
our sins,
making right
what has been
made wrong.
He suffered
the punishment
that we
deserve for
all of those
things that
we've done
when he died
on the cross.
and he
was able
to do
it because
he had
no sins
of his
own.
Perfect
son of
God
that he
was.
Not only
that, but
Jesus teaches
us how to
fight that
inward battle.
We see
Jesus go
head to
head with
the devil
himself in
the wilderness.
He was
tempted and
he won.
God
and we
hear him
urge his
disciples
and us
pray so
that you
will not
fall into
temptation.
We hear
him urge us
if you
love me
you will
keep my
commands.
And then
we see how
his disciples
they sometimes
failed and
gave in
anyway.
They did
the wrong
thing.
And then
again we
see the
depth of
his love
for them
still.
Forgiving
them.
Wiping
the slate
clean.
Giving
them
another
chance.
Next
Sunday we're
going to
see how
it's the
spirit of
Jesus.
The Holy
Spirit of
God who
Jesus gives
to every
believer.
And that
spirit enables
and gives
us power to
overcome and
win this
inward battle
like we
never could
do it
before.
And then
finally there's
the promise
of Jesus.
that when he
returns he's
going to
raise all
who believe
in him to
new life.
Eternal life.
And Paul
tells us in
another letter
that we're
going to
receive a
new body
and it
will be
incorruptible.
From that
day forward
we will be
free of the
corruption and
taint of
sin forever.
That will be
the day that
the inward
battle ends
for good.
All of
this, all
of these good
things come
from God
as a gift
of love
and mercy
through Jesus
Christ
our Lord.
Which brings
us this
morning to
the table.
Let me
read you
Paul's own
way of
telling us
how this
works just
in the next
few verses.
We'll just
go through
this quickly.
Paul says,
therefore,
there is
now no
condemnation
for those
who are
in Christ
Jesus.
Why?
Because,
he says,
through Christ
Jesus,
the law of
the Spirit
who gives
life has
set you free
from the law
of sin
and death.
How does
it work?
He goes
on.
for what
the law
was powerless
to do
because it
was weakened
by the
flesh,
God did
by sending
his own
son in
the likeness
of sinful
flesh to
be a sin
offering.
And so,
God condemned
sin,
that's our
sins,
in the
flesh,
that's
Jesus'
flesh,
in order
that the
righteous
requirement
of the
law
might be
fully met
in us.
That's the
good news
according to
Paul.
And he'll
go on and
he'll talk
about how
the Spirit
is then
given and
we have
new power
to fight
the battle
within
but the
decisive
turning point
in this
battle
is one
here
at the
cross.
That's what
Paul's
talking about.
God
condemned
sin.
That's our
sins.
In the
flesh,
that's
Jesus'
body,
so that
the righteous
requirements
of the
law might
be fully
met in
us,
so that
there is
now no
condemnation
from God
for those
of us
who are
in
Christ
Jesus.
Our
forgiveness,
our life,
our victory
over this
power of
sin and
death,
it came
through the
suffering and
death of
Jesus
on our
behalf,
on the
cross.
It was
there that
God condemned,
he punished
Jesus for
our sins.
This was
the plan
and gift
of God
to save
us.
And this
was the
loving
decision of
Jesus
made to
rescue us.
And so
once a
month we
mark this
love,
this
sacrifice
with bread
and cup,
just like
Jesus taught
us to on
the night
of his
betrayal.
The bread
that's broken
and shared
out represents
the body
of Jesus,
which was
broken,
died for
us.
And the
cup represents
the blood
of Jesus,
also another
symbol of
his death,
which atones
for us.
And we
eat and
drink this
bread and
cup to
signify that
yes,
we have
come to
share in
all that
Jesus'
sacrifice
secures for
us.
And so
this morning
if you
believe in
Jesus,
if you've
made that
decision,
if you've
made that
declaration,
yes,
Jesus is
the Lord.
He is my
Lord.
Then I
invite you to
partake with
us this
morning of
the bread
and of the
cup as we
pass them
around.
It's a
solemn thing
that we
do,
but it's
a deeply
sweet thing
that we
do,
because it's
all about
the love
of Christ,
which saved
us and
which set
us free
from sin
and
condemnation.
So I
want to
invite you
to pray
now quietly
in your
hearts in
these next
minutes.
I want to
invite you to
examine yourselves.
confess your
sins to
God and
to give
thanks to
him for
the body
and the
blood of
Jesus,
which was
broken and
shed for
you.
After a few
minutes of
this, I'll
invite Charles
to come up
and pass out
the elements.
If you do
not wish to
participate,
just raise
your hand
quietly and
signal that.
Otherwise,
we'll wait
until everybody
who wishes to
partake has
been served.
And then we'll
eat and we'll
drink together
in unison.
Amen.
morning.
How many
do you
know
Amen.
I wrestled for a moment whether to put that image up on the screen,
but it brings home to our hearts the reality of the love that Jesus had for us,
that he did that for us.
So let's eat and drink in celebration of that love.
Amen.
Father in heaven, we thank you for sending Jesus.
Lord Jesus, we thank you for being willing to do this for us.
Thank you that we can have complete forgiveness,
complete peace between us and you,
life forever,
and that one day this war which rages inside of us will be gone,
never to be remembered.
We give you praise and we give you thanks for your great sacrifice
and the love that you have for us.
To your name be the glory.
Amen.