Subject: Being Free from Whatever is Controlling Us
by Rick Welborne
Romans 7:18-25 (NIV)
18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing.
20 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.
21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.
22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law;
23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.
24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
25 Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing.
20 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.
21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.
22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law;
23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.
24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
25 Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
--Last week we looked at Getting rid of our box when it comes to the size of our God…we discovered since the earth is His footstool, we do not have a box big enough to hold Him.
Natalie Grant – King of the World:
I tried to fit You in the walls inside my mind…I try to keep You safely in between the lines
I try to put You in the box that I've designed…I try to pull You down so we are eye to eye
I try to put You in the box that I've designed…I try to pull You down so we are eye to eye
When did I forget that You've always been the King of the world?
I try to take life back right out of the hands of the King of the world
How could I make you so small…When You're the One who holds it all
When did I forget that You've always been the King of the world
I try to take life back right out of the hands of the King of the world
How could I make you so small…When You're the One who holds it all
When did I forget that You've always been the King of the world
Just a whisper of Your voice can tame the seas…So who am I to try to take the lead
Still I run ahead and think I'm strong enough…When You're the One who made me from the dust
Still I run ahead and think I'm strong enough…When You're the One who made me from the dust
When did I forget that You've always been the King of the world?
I try to take life back right out of the hands of the King of the world
How could I make you so small…When You're the One who holds it all
When did I forget that You've always been the King of the world
I try to take life back right out of the hands of the King of the world
How could I make you so small…When You're the One who holds it all
When did I forget that You've always been the King of the world
Oh, you set it all in motion…Every single moment..
You brought it all to me...And You're holding on to me
When did I forget that You've always been the King of the world?
I try to take life back right out of the hands of the King of the world
How could I make you so small…When You're the One who holds it all
When did I forget You've always been the King of the world
You will always be the King of the world
I try to take life back right out of the hands of the King of the world
How could I make you so small…When You're the One who holds it all
When did I forget You've always been the King of the world
You will always be the King of the world
--We also looked at how we try to lock God into the box of our religion instead of Him being defined to us by the Word of God…no church denomination has the hold on the King of the World.
--Finally, last week we looked at how it is so imperative that we not put God in a box when it comes to Holy Spirit…some of you have heard…it was for the apostles…it is of the devil…it is so out of order.
--Hear me, Holy Spirit is not an it and He was in the beginning (Genesis) with God hovering over the chaos of this world and He is at the end in Revelations:
Revelation 22:17 (NIV)
17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.
17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.
--Don’t allow what you have heard from others define God the Holy Spirit but allow Him to be defined by the Word of God and by the demonstration of what He can do in your lives. Read Acts as if it is your first time.
--Today I want to talk to you about a reality that we deal with pretty much on a daily basis…we all know many in the world deal with addictions and bondages but the church is not very far behind. If you will be free:
1. We must first acknowledge our struggle with sin.
--A few years ago I was teaching about how all of us struggle with sin and that we have to fight that battle on a daily basis…there were three visitors in the service who approached me when I finished.
--They said the words every preacher wants to hear when he is thru delivering his message to his people…what you are preaching is wrong…you said we all struggle…we don’t…we have not sinned in seven years. I quoted:
1 John 1:6-10 (NCV)
6 So if we say we have fellowship with God, but we continue living in darkness, we are liars and do not follow the truth.
7 But if we live in the light, as God is in the light, we can share fellowship with each other. Then the blood of Jesus, God’s Son, cleanses us from every sin.
8 If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 But if we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins, because we can trust God to do what is right. He will cleanse us from all the wrongs we have done.
10 If we say we have not sinned, we make God a liar, and we do not accept God’s teaching.
6 So if we say we have fellowship with God, but we continue living in darkness, we are liars and do not follow the truth.
7 But if we live in the light, as God is in the light, we can share fellowship with each other. Then the blood of Jesus, God’s Son, cleanses us from every sin.
8 If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 But if we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins, because we can trust God to do what is right. He will cleanse us from all the wrongs we have done.
10 If we say we have not sinned, we make God a liar, and we do not accept God’s teaching.
--Being my sarcastic self and being put out with religious Pharisees I said to them…You are saying you have no sin and the Word says that if you say that, the truth is not in you which makes you a liar.
--If you are lying…you are a sinner…you are actually accusing God of being a liar and you do not believe the Word of God! They did not come back…what a surprise. Look at Paul:
--Paul said…I struggle…Hear his anguish:
Romans 7:18-21 (NIV)
18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing.
20 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.
21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.
18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing.
20 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.
21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.
--Many of you who are sitting here today are struggling with habitual sin and you feel the anguish Paul was talking about…you don’t want to keep sinning but you do.
--Paul said…the law has revealed my sin to me…the Word has brought conviction…but I am still trapped in my sin and in my addiction even though I want to be free.
--Maybe you are here today and Sunday after Sunday you say in your heart…I want to be free…I want to live the way God wants me to. I love when people say…I know you were preaching right at me.
--Think of the arrogance of that statement…with hundreds of people coming…you really believe the pastor would develop his sermon aimed entirely at you…what if you did not show up! Oops!
--Maybe…just maybe God sees you where you are and He is allowing conviction to fall upon you so that you can get things right with God…why we give altar calls…a time to get things right.
--Hear me, just because your sin is a secret to the pastor, the church, your spouse, your co-workers, or your kids does not mean it is a secret to God…example…cheating on your fast…Hello! God knows!
--I personally believe that Paul and Holy Spirit wanted us to feel the pain and the struggle of sin in Romans 7 so that when we find the answer it is that much more impactful. Listen to Paul’s cry for help!
Romans 7:24 (NKJV)
24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
--Here is one of my fears for the church…we live in our sin and we live with our addictions but we never get where Paul got…O wretched man that I am!
--You see, if we do not acknowledge our sin and our struggle or if we just think…everyone else is doing it or I am not as bad as them or hey, we live under grace now so it really doesn’t matter.
--When we become comfortable in our sin and we have moved so far away that His Spirit is no longer bringing conviction to us…we are in a dangerous place.
--Who will deliver me from this body of death? Listen to this description of this verse.
Adam Clarke's Commentary…for there seems to be here an allusion to an ancient custom of certain tyrants, who bound a dead body to a living man, and obliged him to carry it about, till the contagion from the putrid mass took away his life! Virgil paints this in all its horrors, in the account he gives of the tyrant Mezentius.
--Can you imagine the horror of being bound to a dead body and having to carry that around until the contagious mass infects you and causes you to die…that is what Paul was saying sin did.
2. We must acknowledge our need of Jesus.
--There has to be an answer for this dilemma, there has to be hope in the middle of our desperation, there has to be deliverance from this constant battle with overwhelming sin…with addiction.
--How cruel would God be, how sad would the Word of God be, how frustrating would the Apostle Paul be if we were left hanging with this body of death that is consuming us from the inside out.
--If we have no power over sin, if we cannot overcome the power of addiction, if we are no different than every other person on the planet…where is our hope.
Romans 7:18-20 (NIV)
18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing.
20 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.
18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing.
20 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.
J. Vernon McGee: This is not an unsaved man who is crying, "O wretched man that I am"; this is a saved man. The word wretched carries with it the note of exhaustion because of the struggle. "Who is going to deliver me?" He is helpless. His shoulders are pinned to the floor -- he has been wrestled down. Like old Jacob, he has been crippled. He is calling for help from the outside.
--Thank God the Apostle almost shouts the answer…the hope to all of us…the deliverance we desire…the freedom we seek…where does he find it?
Romans 7:25 (NIV)
25 Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!
25 Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!
--He is telling you and he is telling me that our answer is found in the Lord Jesus Christ and the salvation that comes from Him.
--Listen to me, Honey, yes, you were saved back there somewhere, you are being saved by the Lord on a regular basis (every day in my account), and you will be saved eternally someday.
--Either we believe the Word of God or not…we believe we are saved or not…we believe we are free from the grip of sin that was destroying us or not.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Romans 7:25 (NIV)
25 Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!
25 Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!
3. We must acknowledge our need of Holy Spirit.
--Please, again remember the Bible was written one verse after another, not in chapters. Chapter 8 is a continuation of the thought…the battle with sin that Paul was talking about.
--Paul tells the Romans your first answer to the problem of sin is always Jesus Christ and His power to make you free but he does not stop there…He tells them and us we need Holy Spirit in our lives.
--I believe God sent me to Life Church 28 years ago tomorrow to strongly encourage you with two things… Fulfill the Great Commission thru Missions and depend on Holy Spirit for your power.
…Listen to Paul in these next eleven verses and see how many times he mentions Holy Spirit in the context of helping you in your battle with sin. Eleven times…why do we ignore Holy Spirit?
Romans 8:1-11 (NKJV)
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
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