"Paul's War Within"
Romans • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 37:11
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· 27 viewsIn Romans 7:14-25 Paul identifies with believers by giving a personal analysis of the struggle against sin within himself.
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In Romans 7:14-25 Paul identifies with believers by giving a personal analysis of the struggle against sin within himself.
If anyone has a reason not to sin, it’s believers.
If anyone has a reason not to sin, it’s believers.
Justification by grace through faith in Christ (Romans 5:1–2; Romans 5:8–11; Romans 5:18–21).
Dead to sin (Romans 6:1–7).
Alive to God (Romans 6:8–11).
We have the Spirit (Romans 7:6).
But, we know that believers do sin.
But, we know that believers do sin.
We can sin, and we must choose not to sin (Romans 6:12–13).
We must choose to do right (Romans 12:1–2; Romans 13:8–14; Romans 14:23).
There are cautions, corrections, and commands for believers throughout the Word.
Then, why do believers sin?
Then, why do believers sin?
Take Paul for example. Why did he sin?
Paul sets himself up as an example (1 Corinthians 11:1), but he does not exempt himself from sin (1 Corinthians 10:6).
Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.
Paul identifies with believers. That’s what he is doing here.
Something has changed for the believer.
But, something has been retained for now.
This is why the believer sins
The purpose of the law is not for justification/sanctification BEFORE or AFTER salvation, because we can not keep it in our own strength.
Why did Paul Sin? (vv. 14-23)
Why did Paul Sin? (vv. 14-23)
Because of the flesh (v. 14)
“Spiritual” - of God, of His Spirit, it is not of this world (1 Corinthians 2:13)
And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
“Flesh” - the physical part of humans that is of this world, prone to sin (1 Corinthians 3:1–3).
But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?
“Sold under sin” - in bondage or slavery to sin (see v. 23)
The flesh is this, not the whole person, not the whole truth. There is another part of Paul/the believer (Romans 6:17–18; Romans 6:22).
So, there are 2 parts/ 2 natures in conflict within Paul. Throughout this text he goes back and forth between who he is…and the remains of who he was - the flesh, which is so powerful and so contrary to his new will, that it feels like a slavery.
“this may be understood of his other I, his carnal I, his unrenewed self, the old man which is always under sin, when the spiritual I, the new man, is never under the law of sin, but under the governing influence of the grace of God.” John Gill, An Exposition of the New Testament, vol. 2, The Baptist Commentary Series (London: Mathews and Leigh, 1809), 472.
“There is something in humanity, even in regenerate humanity, which objects to God and seeks to be independent of him. This ‘something’ is what Paul here calls his ‘flesh’ (cf. verse 18), which lays him wide open to the tyranny of indwelling sin.” F. F. Bruce, Romans: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 6, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 156.
“From this kind of bondage believers are redeemed, 6:22. But there is another kind of bondage. A man may be subject to a power which, of himself, he cannot effectually resist; against which he may and does struggle, and from which he earnestly desires to be free; but which, notwithstanding all his efforts, still asserts its authority. This is precisely the bondage to sin of which every believer is conscious. He feels that there is a law in his members bringing him into subjection to the law of sin; that his distrust of God, his hardness of heart, his love of the world and of self, his pride, in short his indwelling sin, is a real power from which he longs to be free, against which he struggles, but from which he cannot emancipate himself. This is the kind of bondage of which the apostle here speaks, as is plain from the following verses, as well as from the whole context and from the analogy of Scripture.” Charles Hodge, A Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans, New Edition. (Grand Rapids, MI: Louis Kregel, 1882), 360–361.
Paul has a choice that he did not have before because he was only of the flesh before. Now he is saved and has a new life/a new man, but he still has the old with it’s pull (Romans 6:15–16; Ephesians 4:22–24; Galatians 5:16–17).
to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
“This is a vivid way of bringing out the truth that Paul sins, though he does not want to.” Leon Morris, The Epistle to the Romans, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press, 1988), 291.
Positional vs. practical; even now and not yet; we have been freed, but we can still feel enslaved.
So there is a conflict in Paul (v. 15)
“Understand” - it is the doing that he doesn’t understand, it makes no sense, it is contrary to his reasoning
There is a conflict in his mind because there is a conflict in his actions.
Because he knew better (v. 16)
Think of the law as representing what God wants.
Paul’s desire not to sin against it, though he does sin against it, shows his agreement with it.
So he can have agreement with the commands of God and yet disobey the commands of God.
This is why it is necessary to “consider” (Romans 6:11–14).
Because it is not who he really is (v. 17-20).
Here Paul further qualifies the other nature that remains - sin which dwells in him (v. 17). This is when the other nature is apparent - when Paul sins.
Paul is not dodging personal responsibility (v. 18).
??? (v. 18)
But there are new desires in him due to the change that God had worked in him, though the pull of the old desires remain (v. 19).
This includes sins of omission and commission (v. 19).
Again, this is why Paul sins even though he knows better (v. 20).
Paul is not passing off his so to someone else, or blaming someone else. He he saying that when he give is to sin, that is not who he really is. He is taking responsibility for his sin nature while still identifying with the new nature.
What he is saying is, THIS is his sin, BUT THIS is his identity.
Paul draws a conclusion about all of this (v. 21-23).
It is real enough to call it a law - principle, standard truth (v. 21)
Two opposite realities (v. 22-23)
“delight”/ “joyfully concur” - “to experience joy in connection with” (BDAG) - stronger and deeper than agreement
“captive”/ “prisoner” - now we see what he meant by “sold under sin” (v. 14)
He feels both because both are true
A law is not usually true for one person.
Why was Paul thankful? (vv. 24-25)
Why was Paul thankful? (vv. 24-25)
He is certain of a deliverance that he longs for due to this battle in him.
“Wretched” - miserable, distressed - this is real, significant suffering that Paul is acutely aware of.
“Body of death” - another qualification for “the flesh”/ “sin that dwells in him” / “the law of sin” (v. 24).
It is so much it’s own part/nature, though it is his and in him, that he can foresee a deliverance from it.
This is the dual awareness of the believer (v. 25; Romans 8:18–23).
If you are not feeding the new man, then you will feel the pull of the old man even stronger, and this is why Christians sometimes don’t feel like Christians. It is bi-polar spirituality.
Do you identify with Paul?
Do you identify with Paul?
There is encouragement in this though it acknowledges the strong difficulties of being a Christian.
The genuine Christian has this struggle and will have this deliverance.
Paul moves directly to the work of the Holy Spirit in all of this.
Benediction: Romans 11:33–36 “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”
Scripture Reading: Galatians 5:16–26