Thanks Be to God!

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.

Romans 7 · chapter mention

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.

Romans 7 · chapter mention

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.

Romans 7:14

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

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.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.