Assurance in Struggle

For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh sold under sin.

For I do not understand my own actions.

For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.

Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law that it is good.

So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.

For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.

For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.

Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.

For I delight in the law of God in my inner being.

But I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind,

and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.

Wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death?

Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind,

but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

Well, good morning everyone.

We're going to turn to God's word now from Romans chapter 7, verse 14 following.

Romans 7:14

Well, let's jump in at the deep end.

And I want to put a question to you, a confronting question this morning.

So, if a video of your past week as a Christian was sort of up on the screen behind me,

what would we all see?

So, as you reflect on that, how often, for instance,

did you betray the faithful love and commitment of your heavenly Father

by promoting your own sovereignty over his?

How many times did you, in a sense, make mockery of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross

to deal with your sins by choosing to walk back into the very sin that Jesus died for to deal with?

How often did that happen?

How often did you ignore the inner prompting of the Holy Spirit

to express the mind of Christ in favour of expressing your own mind and your own wisdom?

And here we are this morning, churching,

loving to sing, pray, fellowship together,

loving to be taught by God's word as brothers and sisters in Christ.

But perhaps already,

your focus and interest has gone back to social media on your telephone.

Or,

you're already planning your coming week.

You've already left the building, in a sense,

and are planning your coming week.

Or even just wishing you were somewhere else,

having come here.

Now, I can't answer for you.

You can only answer for yourself.

But I tell you, for me,

only a brief reflection on these sorts of things

fills me with grief

and threatens to overwhelm me.

Like so many Christians,

I am so thankful

for the wonderful privileges and benefits

of being united with Christ,

being a Christian.

But against that,

the awfulness of my failures,

daily,

hourly,

weekly,

monthly,

yearly,

the awfulness of my failures

attacks my assurance

or confidence

in salvation.

I even surprise myself at times

at how disobedient to God I am.

the same Lord

who has given me so much,

who wants such good things for me.

How can that be?

I ask myself.

Why do I get it so wrong

given that I want so much

to get it right by pleasing Christ?

Why is there such a gap

so often

in my life?

And then how am I to think

about that sort of daily failure?

Can I be a Christian

and be assured of salvation

given I am so much like this?

And this isn't just a one-off

I'm talking about.

This is a regular pattern

I'm seeing in my life.

Day after day after day.

People say the only certainties

in life

are death and taxes.

It's the old Jerry, isn't it?

Now we know that.

We know that life is fragile.

We know the insecurity

of life and ourselves in life.

But brothers and sisters

in Christ this morning,

when it comes to assurance

of salvation,

it's my delight

to be able to tell you

this morning

that the Lord

wants every believer here

this morning

to be absolutely sure

we are accepted by him.

That we are safe

and secure

in the Lord Jesus.

In spite of

our failures.

tension,

struggle,

failure,

as we'll see from this passage,

is the

ordinary,

everyday experience

of each of us

as believers.

In fact,

I'll go so far to say

it's actually the mark

of the true believer

to be struggling

against sin.

and this is the truth

we're going to see

in Romans 7 and 8

and a truth

I hope

we'll just soak in,

lay back like that

warm bath

and just soak in

the truths

of chapter 7 and 8

and find the comfort

that God intends us

to find

and have

through them.

We begin this morning

by looking at

the foundation

and the context

of assurance

in your sermon notes

in the back of the bulletin

if you're a visitor

there's some sermon notes there

I put those back to front

I didn't realise last night

they were back to front

but the foundation

and then the context

that's the way it should be

and the foundation

is

the foundation of assurance

is understanding

your position

or status

in Christ.

Let me tell you

brothers and sisters

that in Christ

you are both new

and free

and those two things

are absolutely crucial

to understanding

and having assurance

but to understand

the argument

in 14 through to 25

that Beck read to us

we need to grasp

the argument

that leads up to it

what goes before

so in chapter 4 of Romans

very quick run through Romans

Romans 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1 to 4

Paul establishes

what you once were

before you encountered

Jesus

and without touching down

on lots of verses

Paul's argument

is this

that you like

every other person

stood guilty

before God

because you failed

to honour

or respond to God

as he deserves

and as a direct

consequence

not only

are you standing

guilty

before God

but you're

standing

under the wrath

of God

and facing

his condemnation

because the holy God

takes himself

very seriously

in Romans

Romans 3:23

chapter 3

verse 23

we read

that God's

righteous

judgment

is hanging

over every

person

it's

inescapable

and when we

think of

the wrath

of God

then it's

not only

inescapable

it's actually

unimaginable

to be positioned

under the wrath

of God

and friends

it's

unbearable

to think

that the wrath

of God

would be

unleashed

on us

nothing

you could do

according to

Romans

Romans 3:23

chapter 3

verse 23

nothing you can

do

would address

your guilt

and make you

acceptable

to God

you were

done for

but Paul

goes on

because what

you are

now

in Christ

could not

be more

different

could not

be more

of a

contrast

to what

you once

were

before

Christ

and the

gospel

is that

in an

amazing

display

of love

God

moved

towards

you

even

while

you were

desperately

trying to

hide

from

him

we're

told in

Romans

Romans 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3

and 4

that the

death

and resurrection

of Jesus

effected

what we

call a

great

exchange

Jesus

took

upon

himself

the

wrath

and penalty

due to

your

sin

and in

exchange

gave

you

his

righteousness

and his

life

and all

of this

we're told

was the

grace of

God's

free

and totally

was grace

that is

God's free

and totally

undeserved

gift

a gift

which

every

believer

experiences

the death

and resurrection

of Christ

is not

just a

historical

event

it is

that

historical

fact

but it's

also

something

that every

believer

experiences

the results

of

the benefits

of

and they're

absolutely

life-changing

results

as Paul

spells them

out in

Romans

Romans 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5

and 6

Romans

Romans 5:1

chapter 5

verse 1

therefore

since we have

been justified

that is

since we have

through the

work of

the death

and resurrection

of Jesus

Christ

since we

have now

been

made

acceptable

to God

and are

counted

as

righteous

before God

because of

Christ's

work for us

we have

peace

with God

being in

Christ

means peace

with God

that is

totally

forgiven

by God

totally

accepted

by God

totally

restored

to full

relationship

with him

totally

able to

enjoy

God

without

fear

of wrath

Romans

Romans 6:4

chapter 6

verse 4

being in

Christ

means

being

united

to him

and that

union

is the

picture of

a marriage

union

is such

a real

intimate

way

that we're

united

with Christ

with the

presence of

the Holy

Spirit

actually

coming

into us

that it's

not too

much to

say

we're

totally

redefined

we're

totally

reoriented

we have

a new

status

a new

position

before

God

not

pushed

off to

the distance

and under

God's wrath

but brought

into the

family

as a

full

member

as a

child

a beloved

one

totally

new

identity

totally

new

status

before

God

and my

friends

with the

Spirit

working

with

totally

new

attitudes

and

desires

created

by

the

Spirit's

renewing

power

within

us

what's

the

flow

and

effect

of

all

this

wonderful

benefit

of

Christ's

death

well it

means

this

it means

that

we are

new

people

we want

now to

live

in service

of our

Saviour

and King

you want

to live

your new

life

in Christ

with the

same

passion

and commitment

to serving

God

as you

once exhibited

in the

pursuit

of pleasure

and satisfaction

apart from

God

Romans 7

Romans 7:6

verse 6

being in

Christ

means being

freed from

the law

and that

means being

freed from

trying

to earn

God's

acceptance

based on

your own

performance

based on

your own

religious

efforts

and actions

why are we

freed from

that

because

Jesus

has done

everything

for us

in that

respect

there's

nothing left

for us

to do

all we

have to

do is

accept

what he

has done

on our

behalf

and trust

him

in that

so we're

freed

from that

frenetic

lifestyle

of just

trying to be

good enough

to win

God's

acceptance

and the

result of

that

freedom

is so

immense

or the

expression

of that

freedom

is so

immense

that we're

now just

free to

get on

with the

business

of

expressing

our new

life

as it

is defined

by relationship

with Jesus

and powered

by the

Holy Spirit

working within

us

but what

you're yet

to be

amazing

as all

that is

what you're

yet to

be is

even more

amazing

than anything

I've said

so far

Romans 6

23

the best

is yet

to come

and what

is that

best

well the

word used

there is

glory

eternal

life

now in

Christ we

have

relationship

acceptance

what is

yet to

come

is glory

where we'll

actually be

with Jesus

and perfectly

be like

Jesus

finally

freed

from every

remnant

and every

tussle

with sin

then we'll

experience the

full extent

of renewal

when every

bit of

remaining sin

will finally

be removed

so

you're not

what you

once

were

as a

Christian

sitting here

this morning

and thank

the Lord

for that

I don't

mean that

personally

about you

but we

can say

that

generally

that didn't

come out

very right

did it

you're not

what you

once were

you're not

yet what

you will

finally be

in heaven

but in the

meanwhile

this is what

Paul says

do not

underestimate

the power

of remaining

or indwelling

sin in your

life

now here's

how it

works for

us as

Christians

who was

the villain

of the

peace as

it were

in our

lives

before we

became

Christians

answer

our

old

distorted

sinful

rebellious

nature

dominated

us

controlled

us

defined

us

even

who's

the

villain

of the

peace

now as

Christians

well

in a very

real sense

it's still

our

indwelling

sinful

nature

it's

a real

and present

danger

for each

of us

as

Christians

and Paul's

encouragement

here then

in these

verses

I think

is put

it like

this

don't

underestimate

the strength

of your

enemy

even as

you're

enjoying

who you

are in

Christ

in Romans

chapter 7

verse 17

to 13

Paul describes

how indwelling

sin

or remaining

sin

works in us

with such

ease

he starts

off the

section by

saying

well look

here's the

irony

God's

commands

are good

by virtue

of being

God's

commands

they've

got to

be good

for one

thing

Paul says

the goodness

of God's

commands

is they

actually

expose

our sin

but

says

Paul

the irony

is our

old

rebellious

distorted

sinful

nature

can actually

take God's

command

and twist

them

and manipulate

them

to bad

effect

in us

that's

what he's

arguing

he said

something

good

can be

actually

used

for bad

effect

in us

as Christians

and then

he goes on

to illustrate

that

so he

says

our sinful

nature

is opportunistic

and what

he means

by that

is

it's

never

a spectator

it's

never

on holiday

it just

waits

for an

unguarded

moment

and suddenly

it rises

up within

us

and it

tricks us

into doing

something

that we

know

jolly

well

is

useless

and

without

profit

to us

perhaps

it's

tricking us

into going

back to the

tired old

pathway

to happiness

and satisfaction

that we

had tried

for years

in our lives

before we

became

Christians

and suddenly

it appears

appealing

again

where did

that come

from

our old

sinful

nature

is just

opportunistic

waiting to

rise up

and trick

us

our old

sinful

nature

Paul says

here

actually

provokes

us

to do

the wrong

thing

we know

this experience

we might not

recognize the

language here

but we know

the experience

you were

praying

you were

praying

and concentrating

and enjoying

the Lord

in prayer

and then

suddenly

you realize

that somewhere

along the line

your focus

has actually

been shifted

from God

onto yourself

how did

that happen

how did

I move

so far

and not

even realize

it was

happening

your focus

has now

become

your desire

to build

your own

kingdom

when you

started off

with a desire

to see

God's

kingdom

built

all in

the one

prayer

verse 10

our sinful

nature

says Paul

even uses

good things

to ruin

us

now again

we know

the experience

of that

don't we

so for instance

we so often

find that

struggle

we don't

actually

reject

God's

grace

because we

see the

benefit of

it far

too much

but what

happens is

that we

at the same

time remain

convinced

that our

own religious

actions and

efforts

in addition

to God's

grace

will somehow

or other

make us

more acceptable

to God

and make

us feel

better

because we're

contributing

to our

salvation

see how

our old

sinful

nature

has just

taken

something

good

and made

it so

bad

don't get

rid of

grace

that's

really

important

so we

keep

grace

God

says

seek

for

obedience

and we

seek

for

obedience

but we

think it

helps

make us

more

acceptable

to

God

the

examples

are

endless

and we

know the

pain

of this

experience

don't we

every single

day we

know the

pain of

this

experience

so with

that

understanding

of the

foundation

the

foundation

is

who we

are in

Christ

that's

what we

have

to keep

coming

back

to

now we

can

step

into

the

context

of

assurance

and the

context

of

assurance

my

friends

is the

struggle

to live

an

undivided

life

for

Christ

a few

years ago

there was a

documentary

on TV

I know

most of

you won't

have watched

it therefore

because it's a

documentary

but it is

I would

recommend it

instead of

some of the

other

anyway

a few

years ago

there was a

documentary

on TV

called

Struggle

Street

somebody

remember

it

right

okay

so

what it

did was

feature

the voices

and stories

of people

living in

public

housing

areas

in suburbs

in western

Sydney

it was a

very sad

thing really

created a

lot of

controversy

but it

was very

sad

because what

it did

was on

the one

hand expressing

their hopes

and aspirations

just like the

rest of

they had their

hopes and

aspirations

of a good

life

but their

hopes and

aspirations

were constantly

being thwarted

by their

context of

unemployment

and crime

and substance

abuse

and the

more you

watched

the more

the gap

opened up

Struggle

Street

well Paul

says in

these verses

here

chapter 7

verse 14

onwards

welcome

to Struggle

Street

the normal

experience

of Christians

as our

hopes and

aspirations

of serving

and obeying

Jesus

are constantly

thwarted

by that

opportunistic

trick

deceitful

sinful nature

that remains

within us

our aspirations

of being true

to who we are

in Christ

our aspirations

of being

intentional in

choosing righteousness

over sin

our aspirations

to demonstrate

the mind

of Christ

in our

everyday life

these things

are constantly

being ambushed

or if you like

run off the

road

by opportunism

of our

indwelling

nature

the remnants

of our old

rebellious

sinful nature

or remaining

sin

will always

try to get

the upper

hand in us

on says

Paul

therefore

we must

struggle

to keep

the mind

of Christ

now

I want you

to understand

that Paul's

focus here

in these

verses

is not

on how

many times

he gets

it right

as opposed

to how

many times

he gets

it wrong

that's not

his issue

at all

he's not

a bean

counter

what he's

interested in

and what he's

trying to

establish here

is what he

calls a law

or a principle

verse 21

he describes

the principle

so I find

it to be a law

now what he

means by that

is not the law

of God

it's not the

ten commandments

it's just a

principle is what

the word means

here

I find it to

be a principle

that when I

want to do

right

evil lies

close at hand

the principle

is that Paul

recognizes two

realities

simultaneously

in his life

as a Christian

two combatants

if you will

which are

who are at war

within him

on the one

hand

is what he

calls his

mind

and the idea

here is his

renewed mind

in Christ

what he calls

here his

innermost

being

verse 22

his new

desires

the new

desires of

his heart

for obedience

and worship

of God

verse 18

Paul is

really clear

that it's his

new mind

his new

desires

which define

him

and which

he wants

to operate

on and

express

what we

heard in

Philippians

was the

mind of

Christ

Paul has

no illusions

as to

where he

wants to

be

and how

he wants

to be

but on the

other hand

he says

here's the

principle

what he

calls the

law of

his

members

that is

his flesh

in a

different

verse

18 and

25

the body

of death

verse 24

that is

those are

all

descriptions

of the

old

distorted

sinful

self

remnants

of that

and they're

in battle

and four

times in

these verses

Paul affirms

his hopes

and aspirations

for obedience

and faithfulness

and pairs

it each

time

with a

very honest

recognition

of another

reality

pushing him

to be

quite the

opposite of

what he

wants to

be

when I

want to

do right

evil lies

close at

hand and

I find it

pushing me

to do the

very opposite

of that

thing I

want to

do

the very

thing I

know

defines

me

and there's

the struggle

he ends

up doing

that which

he hates

and which

he knows

makes a

mockery of

the gospel

my friends

if we're

going to get

the foundation

and context

of assurance

right as we

move into

Romans 8

over the

next few

weeks

we need

to start

by acknowledging

that the

struggle

is real

and

endless

and

painful

as

repeatedly

we find

ourselves

choosing to

act contrary

to who

we know

we are

in Christ

but in

that struggle

we're not

alone

remember

actions

are not

always

evidence

of inclination

actions

are not

always

evidence

of inclination

Paul admits

to confusion

and frustration

he can sense

it as he

writes here

he knows

failure

and expresses

a strong

sense of

disappointment

in himself

he knows

that all

too often

unguarded

moments

have allowed

his old

distorted

sinful nature

to get the

upper hand

in a particular

decision

or a particular

situation

or a particular

circumstance

but he also

knows

that his

struggle

and his

failures

do not

define him

that his

actions

at those

points

do not

reflect

his

inclinations

he knows

he is defined

by newness

of Christ

and the new

inclination

of his

heart

is to love

and serve

Jesus

and to act

in accordance

with who

he is

in Jesus

so my

friends

with Paul

we need

to learn

to talk

to ourselves

in the

struggle

we need

to say

these

sorts

of things

is it

possible

that while

I'm locked

in struggle

I'm actually

engaged

in the

wrong

struggle

that is

I'm still

struggling to

be good

enough

or to win

acceptance

before God

well if that's

where your

struggle is

then you need

to say to

yourself

hey

I need to

remember

as a

Christian

as one

united with

Christ

I'm already

completely

accepted and

loved

and free

I don't

have to

struggle for

acceptance

that would

be a

wrong

struggle

I need

to struggle

to express

that

newness

life in

my

actions

or perhaps

you say

to yourself

well am I

thinking that

because I'm

locked in

struggle and

the struggle is

so painful and

so unrelenting

that perhaps I'm

not really a

mature believer

at all

well I need to

tell myself

then that as

long as I

live in this

world I am

new in

Christ but

I'm not

finally and

perfectly free

from sin

so struggle

in the meanwhile

is actually a

confirmation of

my renewed

mind and

confirmation of

the spirit's

life within me

because before I

became a

Christian there

was no

struggle there

was nothing

he struggled

with I just

enjoyed life as

it was

or perhaps

you say to

yourself well I'm

a Christian and

I'm actually a

bit guilty a bit

uncomfortable here

because I know

nothing of the

struggle he's

talking about this

morning what

struggle I

consider myself a

Christian but yeah

I get that bit but

what struggle

well perhaps

you're not

thinking about

sin probably

perhaps you're

only thinking

about struggling

against what we

might call the

big sins or the

unrespectable sins

adultery stealing

and murdering

murder and

because you haven't

done those things

because you're not

guilty of those

things when there's

nothing to struggle

over

perhaps you're not

saying the need to

struggle

as a believer in

how you use your

time

in how you use your

money

perhaps you're not

struggling with the

notion of maintaining

purity in your

thought life

well because nobody

sees that that's not

really important

and struggling

perhaps to be like

Jesus if you're a

parent or if you're a

child or if you're a

husband or if you're a

wife or struggling to

be like Jesus with your

workmates or on the

soccer field or wherever

you find yourself

or struggling to

demonstrate the love and

commitment to church

and fellow believers that

Christ wants me to

have

see sometimes we can

find ourselves not

struggling because we've

so limited the

parameters for struggle

that we just we just

talk ourselves out of

it

we need to be talking

to ourselves

and in the midst of

struggle we need to be

able to say

with Paul

I really do delight

in the direction of

God's word in my life

I hate what I just

did because it is so

contrary to who I am

in Christ

with God's grace and

enabling I will

struggle to do it

differently next time

and friends most of all

remember you're never

alone in your struggle

verse 24 and verse 25

so beautiful

Paul expresses

frustration

I don't think it's

despair

it's certainly

frustration but I

don't think it's

despair the way it's

all put together here

wretched man that I

am I don't think it's a

it's a mission of

defeat at all

it's a it's an

expression of need

not defeat

wretched man that I

am

who will deliver me

from this body of

death who will

deliver me from this

struggle

thanks be to God

through the Lord

Jesus Christ

you're never alone

in the struggle

with Paul express the

cry of need and

indeed the cry of

confidence

the tension and

struggle will continue

until Christ returns

or we leave this world

to go to be with him

but in the meanwhile as

we heard from Philippians

in the last series he

who began a good work in

you will bring it to

completion

he will bring you through

the struggle he will

keep you safe in the

struggle

in the face of this

endless struggle you

can be confident that

the Holy Spirit will

hold you secure you

can be confident of

your acceptance and

relationship with God

in spite of your

failures in the

struggle

why can you be

confident

because of the work of

Christ for you

and in you

in the past

and into the future

my friends

don't despair in the

struggle

don't give up

struggling

don't think you can

avoid the struggle

but most of all be real

in the struggle

ask for the help of

your brothers and

sisters

desire the help of

your brothers and

sisters

look to the Lord

with confidence

and joy

and hopefulness

remember

the mark of the

Christian

is not

perfection

this side of

heaven

but the struggle

to express

who we are in

Christ

let's pray

Lord I know

only too well

the temptation

just to give up

the struggle

it's all too

hard

Lord even the

thought that goes

with that

easier to walk

away from

from the Lord

Jesus Christ

than to

continue this

endless struggle