Rev. M.D.Rogers
Romans 7:18-20
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to
will is present
with me; but [how] to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I
would I do
not:
but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is
no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
INTRODUCTION:
There are many believers walking around in the world who have at one time or
another
experienced great disappointment with themselves.
Although we are living an obviously blessed life, there is a disappointment, not
in a friend
or a co-worker that let your down, or in a situation that failed but in
disappointment in
ourselves.
We experience self disappointment whenever we fail to do that which we think we
should
do in the way we should do it.
Dealing with self disappointment is a private war, an internal struggle that is
not seen by
others but is felt by every believer, from time to time, as we measure where God
what
wants us to be and where were really are.
Unless we tell someone else, other than God himself, the only other person who
knows
about our self disappointment is the man or woman in the mirror.
The man or woman in the mirror reminds us of what we promised ourselves that we
will be
and what are actually doing about that promise.
The face that keeps changing in the mirror, keeps pointing out the size of the
gap
between our ideas and reality, and that disappoints us.
As Christians, we struggle daily with our self disappointment.
We lied when we promised ourselves, we wouldn't lie…
We cheated when we said we would be faithful…
We lost our temper when we said we would remain under control…
We lit up a cigarette after telling ourselves over and over we were going to
quit…
Promises, Promises, Promise…
Our only redeeming grace is the knowledge that, while the God we serve is not
happy with
our personal failures, he is forgiving and merciful.
Despite our flaws and short comings, he blesses us continually. That is why we
praise him
continually.
This is why I believe that King David proclaimed that "I will bless the Lord at
all times, His
praise shall continually be in my mouth".
EXPOSITION:
The first part of the text focuses on Paul as he explains the nature of the
believer's life in
Christ as opposed to the law.
The Apostle Paul identifies to the reader that there is a war raging on the
inside between
the natural man/flesh and the Spiritual man/Converted believer.
This war is evident in the fact that Paul declares within himself that there is
a struggle
between an opposing forces to do what is right.
In essence Paul is telling us this morning that the spiritual man wants to
please God, but
the flesh wants to please it self.
Therefore causing a continual war on the inside to see who will gain the upper
hand.
Today there are many believers who are frustrated over their inability to stay
on the right
path.
The fact that it bothers us means that we are no longer at war with God. We
have
accepted his moral standard.
1. WHAT IS THE LAW?
• God's moral standard reflected in the 10 commandments (Exodus 20)
• The attributes of God Himself.
• When each of us stands before the law, we fall short.
• Romans 3:23
• The Law is rigid and unchanging
• There is no room for compromise or compassion
• You either live by or be condemned by it.
THE HOLY SPIRIT PUSHES ME TO KEEP THE LAW
• The law is spiritual. (Vs. 14) The law was given to man by the Spirit of God
• The Greek word used is the very name of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is
the source
of the law.
The reason why the Holy Spirit motivates me to keep the law is because the flesh
is "sold
under sin".
What Paul means by this is that as a creature of flesh, that is, as a man, he
is...
• a slave to sin.
• under sin's influence.
• subject to sin.
• capable of sinning.
• guilty of sinning.
• cannot free himself from being short of God's glory.
• cannot keep from sinning—not perfectly.
• cannot erase sin's presence—not completely.
• cannot cast sin out of his life—not totally.
• cannot get rid of sin—not permanently.
The one promise from this struggle is that I am experiencing the indwelling of
the Holy
Spirit.
CONCLUSION:
Paul's conclusion is that man has a sinful, depraved, and corrupt nature. What
causes him
to conclude this?
As a man who was a genuine believer, he did not want to sin; he actually willed
not to sin.
However, he found that he could not keep from sinning.
He continually came short of the glory of God and failed to be consistently
conformed to
the image of Christ.
He came short and failed because of sin that dwells in him, because of sin
within his flesh.
The carnal man finds a principle, a law of sin within his flesh that tugs and
pulls him to
sin. He finds that no matter what he does, he sins...
• by living for himself before he lives for God and for others.
• by putting himself before the laws concerning God and the laws concerning man.
(This refers to the Ten Commandments where the first laws govern our
relationship to God
and the last laws govern our relationship to man.)
No matter what resources and faculties man uses and no matter how diligently he
tries, he
is unable to control sin and to keep from sinning.
Sin is within his flesh; it dwells in him. In fact, man is corrupt and dies for
this very reason.
He was never made to be corruptible nor to die; he was not created with the seed
of
corruption that causes him to age and deteriorate and decay (Romans 5:12).
The seed of corruption was planted in his flesh, in his body and life when he
sinned.
The carnal life proves that man cannot keep from sinning, that man is diseased
with the
seed of corruption, the seed of a sinful and a depraved nature.
BUT CHRIST MAKES UP THE DIFFERENCE…
Jesus declared in Mark 17 "I did not come to destroy the law, but I came to
fulfill it…"
Jesus fulfilled the law by keeping the law. He fulfilled the law by not
breaking the law.
What Adam failed to do, Jesus was successful and victorious.
Illustration: Standard grade scale
Standard Grading Scale
A 90-100
B 80-89
C 70-79
D 60-69
F Below 59
God's grading scale is different.
The Law of God requires 100 percent participation and anything less is a failing
grade.
Therefore this standard puts man in a no win situation.
Jesus made up the difference in the life of all believers.
When I was at 80% according to God's standards, Jesus made up the difference by
supplying me the much needed 20% so that I would equal up to 100%.
When sin caused me to fail the test, Jesus Christ was the extra credit needed to
pass the
course.
One day at Calvary the semester was about to come to an end for mankind and he
was
failing with no possibility of passing…
Romans 7:18-20
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to
will is present
with me; but [how] to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I
would I do
not:
but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is
no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
INTRODUCTION:
There are many believers walking around in the world who have at one time or
another
experienced great disappointment with themselves.
Although we are living an obviously blessed life, there is a disappointment, not
in a friend
or a co-worker that let your down, or in a situation that failed but in
disappointment in
ourselves.
We experience self disappointment whenever we fail to do that which we think we
should
do in the way we should do it.
Dealing with self disappointment is a private war, an internal struggle that is
not seen by
others but is felt by every believer, from time to time, as we measure where God
what
wants us to be and where were really are.
Unless we tell someone else, other than God himself, the only other person who
knows
about our self disappointment is the man or woman in the mirror.
The man or woman in the mirror reminds us of what we promised ourselves that we
will be
and what are actually doing about that promise.
The face that keeps changing in the mirror, keeps pointing out the size of the
gap
between our ideas and reality, and that disappoints us.
As Christians, we struggle daily with our self disappointment.
We lied when we promised ourselves, we wouldn't lie…
We cheated when we said we would be faithful…
We lost our temper when we said we would remain under control…
We lit up a cigarette after telling ourselves over and over we were going to
quit…
Promises, Promises, Promise…
Our only redeeming grace is the knowledge that, while the God we serve is not
happy with
our personal failures, he is forgiving and merciful.
Despite our flaws and short comings, he blesses us continually. That is why we
praise him
continually.
This is why I believe that King David proclaimed that "I will bless the Lord at
all times, His
praise shall continually be in my mouth".
EXPOSITION:
The first part of the text focuses on Paul as he explains the nature of the
believer's life in
Christ as opposed to the law.
The Apostle Paul identifies to the reader that there is a war raging on the
inside between
the natural man/flesh and the Spiritual man/Converted believer.
This war is evident in the fact that Paul declares within himself that there is
a struggle
between an opposing forces to do what is right.
In essence Paul is telling us this morning that the spiritual man wants to
please God, but
the flesh wants to please it self.
Therefore causing a continual war on the inside to see who will gain the upper
hand.
Today there are many believers who are frustrated over their inability to stay
on the right
path.
The fact that it bothers us means that we are no longer at war with God. We
have
accepted his moral standard.
1. WHAT IS THE LAW?
• God's moral standard reflected in the 10 commandments (Exodus 20)
• The attributes of God Himself.
• When each of us stands before the law, we fall short.
• Romans 3:23
• The Law is rigid and unchanging
• There is no room for compromise or compassion
• You either live by or be condemned by it.
THE HOLY SPIRIT PUSHES ME TO KEEP THE LAW
• The law is spiritual. (Vs. 14) The law was given to man by the Spirit of God
• The Greek word used is the very name of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is
the source
of the law.
The reason why the Holy Spirit motivates me to keep the law is because the flesh
is "sold
under sin".
What Paul means by this is that as a creature of flesh, that is, as a man, he
is...
• a slave to sin.
• under sin's influence.
• subject to sin.
• capable of sinning.
• guilty of sinning.
• cannot free himself from being short of God's glory.
• cannot keep from sinning—not perfectly.
• cannot erase sin's presence—not completely.
• cannot cast sin out of his life—not totally.
• cannot get rid of sin—not permanently.
The one promise from this struggle is that I am experiencing the indwelling of
the Holy
Spirit.
CONCLUSION:
Paul's conclusion is that man has a sinful, depraved, and corrupt nature. What
causes him
to conclude this?
As a man who was a genuine believer, he did not want to sin; he actually willed
not to sin.
However, he found that he could not keep from sinning.
He continually came short of the glory of God and failed to be consistently
conformed to
the image of Christ.
He came short and failed because of sin that dwells in him, because of sin
within his flesh.
The carnal man finds a principle, a law of sin within his flesh that tugs and
pulls him to
sin. He finds that no matter what he does, he sins...
• by living for himself before he lives for God and for others.
• by putting himself before the laws concerning God and the laws concerning man.
(This refers to the Ten Commandments where the first laws govern our
relationship to God
and the last laws govern our relationship to man.)
No matter what resources and faculties man uses and no matter how diligently he
tries, he
is unable to control sin and to keep from sinning.
Sin is within his flesh; it dwells in him. In fact, man is corrupt and dies for
this very reason.
He was never made to be corruptible nor to die; he was not created with the seed
of
corruption that causes him to age and deteriorate and decay (Romans 5:12).
The seed of corruption was planted in his flesh, in his body and life when he
sinned.
The carnal life proves that man cannot keep from sinning, that man is diseased
with the
seed of corruption, the seed of a sinful and a depraved nature.
BUT CHRIST MAKES UP THE DIFFERENCE…
Jesus declared in Mark 17 "I did not come to destroy the law, but I came to
fulfill it…"
Jesus fulfilled the law by keeping the law. He fulfilled the law by not
breaking the law.
What Adam failed to do, Jesus was successful and victorious.
Illustration: Standard grade scale
Standard Grading Scale
A 90-100
B 80-89
C 70-79
D 60-69
F Below 59
God's grading scale is different.
The Law of God requires 100 percent participation and anything less is a failing
grade.
Therefore this standard puts man in a no win situation.
Jesus made up the difference in the life of all believers.
When I was at 80% according to God's standards, Jesus made up the difference by
supplying me the much needed 20% so that I would equal up to 100%.
When sin caused me to fail the test, Jesus Christ was the extra credit needed to
pass the
course.
One day at Calvary the semester was about to come to an end for mankind and he
was
failing with no possibility of passing…
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