Good to be here. Once again, good to see all of you. Our scripture this morning is found in Romans chapter 7 Romans chapter 7 verses 14 through 25. Romans chapter 7 verses 14 through 25. So before we read the text, let us go to our God in prayer, shall we? Do your heavenly Father? We come to you in this time asking that you would do the unthinkable, Lord, that you would perform a miracle, Father, that you would speak the same way in which you have spoken throughout thousands of years, the same way that you spoke the universe into existence from nothing, Father, that you through a preacher. That's not much better than nothing. Speak to your people that we will behold your presence this morning. Father, I am sure that there are some people in this room, myself at the top of the list that struggle with sin, that wrestle with sin, and it is because of our love and because of the devotion that we have, and we share for you that our sin bothers us, Lord. And sometimes we may ask the question, are we yours? Are we in your fold, Father, that you in one way reminding us of what your son did for us that we would be assured that we are yours and that that truth would sustain us, would empower us, would motivate us to progress in this thing we called life. Father, be with every single person in this room with, with all the leaders, Father, and the teachers, and the music ministers, and all the ministers that are here and acquired, and everyone else, Father, we are here for you to serve you, Father, to receive the blessings of your grace. Father, be with Pastor Joseph, I anticipate his coming as well and sister Lisa, Lord, that you would be with them. Thank you for gifting us with the great man of God. We love you, Lord, and your son, Jesus name we pray. Amen. Romans chapter 7, verses 14 through 25, and this is the word of God. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, stowed, under sing, 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 not, if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but the sin that dwells within me, for I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is in my flesh, for I have the desire to do what is right, for not the ability to carry out. Right, do not do the good that 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 the 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 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 his body of death. Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, so that I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. May God bless the hearing and reading of His holy word,
struggling, struggle, the opposite of victorious, and may sleep. Nobody likes talking so much about the journey. They like talking about the destination. They want to celebrate the end result, but sometimes fail to explain the hardship, the journey, the toil, the labor that it took to get there.
I really like one of these commercials that MJ had, where he, it's like 30 seconds or something, and he's talking about, you know, his failures, like no one remembers the shots that I missed, because there were shots that MJ took at the last second that he missed, and they, the bulls lost the game because he didn't make it, and I'm not going to get into the LeBron MJ discussion because I seek not to get disciplined by my fellow elders and deacons.
They have spoken, they have spoken, but he also mentions in this commercial, beautifully done, the practice, the thousands of shots a day, the hours, the sweat that he had to go through to then make some shots at the end of games, to then win more games, that those games will end then in championships and rings, and he ended people forget about my journey and the struggle. Because that's all we talk about today, right? Have a victorious Christian life, ran it for the victory. You can live a life full of victory. Everything that you touch is victorious. If you just speak it unto your life, that's the message that we hear of today, right? I heard someone say, if you tell Jesus, please, he'll bring home the cheese.
That dude made me black toast and talking real quick after hearing the real quick cheese, really? For the thousands of people, that's what you take to declare into God's people that he has said this. That's what you prophesy. What a waste of time. But we've been gathered in this room for a different story. That our lives wouldn't be the ones that are celebrated in victory, but that our lives would be hidden in the one, the only person who lived a victorious life. And his name is Jesus Christ. No one in the history of civilization has lived a victorious life. That's why he had to come down and live it for us so that he could sit at the right hand of a father and he, the victory. The only victory that we have, the only victorious life that we live is a one that is hidden in him, but on the road, we might stumble a little bit.
And it's amazing, right? Because struggle, victory, wrestling, holiness, all these things look like false dichotomies. Look like contradictions, but they are paradoxes. What if there's a mystery and sanctification? What if the evidence of you being bought and sealed by the Holy Spirit is that you struggle with sin? What if God has declared and designed it to be that way? I'm not talking about a struggle, a sin in taking delight in sin and abhoring what God declares in his law. I'm talking about you seeing the law of God and you delighting in it as part delights in it and you struggling with that reality knowing that you know it, what's right, you know what God has said to be right, but yet you do the opposite because you're frail, because you're weak. That's the struggle that Paul is talking about here. He's not talking about licensiousness and just living and doing whatever you want. One of the warnings when we come to this passage is that the struggle for sin doesn't give us a reason to keep on sinning, to keep on sinning, but gives us more reason to keep on repenting, but nevertheless, he only, he not only mentions the struggle, but he reminds us of something that the only way that he is motivated to progress. Isn't it amazing that God has chosen for us to grow and to make progress in the Christian life through struggle? That's amazing. And the way that he does this, the only way that this is possible, that we are motivated to keep on doing what's right, to keep on pleasing our Savior, to keep on pursuing holiness is with that reminder that it has been done, that he has already delivered us. It's been done on the cross. It's the only way we can move forward until that day comes where we are presented, thoughtless and blameless and holy before the throne of God. There is struggle. And no one knows more about struggle than the Apocalypse Paul. Let me just remind you a little bit of some of the things that this man, this anointed man of God had to go through. If you would please turn with me to 2 Corinthians chapter 11, 2 Corinthians chapter 11, verse 23, 2 Corinthians chapter 11, verse 23, he's speaking of other false preachers, another servants of God that are distracting the flock of God. And he's fighting for his integrity and credibility as an apostle. And he says, in verse 23, are they servants of Christ? I'm a better one. I am talking like a madman and far greater labor than far more imprisonments with countless beatings and often near death. Five times I received the hand of the Jews, 40 lashes, less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned three times I was shipwrecked a night and a day. I was adrift at sea on frequent journeys in dangerous rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger in the sea, danger from false brothers. And he is in verse 29 who is weak. And I am not weak, who is made to fall. And that might not indignant. If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The guy went through a lot,
a lot. And as 28 we read that Paul on his way to Rome, he was shipwrecked. He was thrown out of the ship on open sea. He was probably being robbed in the middle of the ship. When he was there, he was finally let out, captured out of sea. And he probably was like they got on up and deal with these people anymore. And he's in the sea in open water. He finally sees land. And he's like, yes, I see land. I'm free. I made it. He gets to the land to this island and he gets bitten by a snake. If you had a bad day, Paul had a month, much worse day than that day. Struggle that he had to go through. And he had 20 years of ministry experience preaching here, planting churches there. When he wrote this letter to the churches in Rome, to the church in Rome, in chapter 15 we read that he's on his way to Spain. And when he's on his way to Spain, he plants a stop by Rome and see the labor and the fruit of what God is doing out there. And then hey, expect me as just a person who would be a recipient of this letter that someone with 20 years of ministry experience has something to say. I'm like some sort of secret. Something that maybe I haven't heard before. And he speaks to these Romans and he tells them the secret is in the struggle.
Let me tell you the secret. I am an apostle. I have been appointed by God. I saw Jesus Christ. He appeared to me. I've done many miracles. I've crossed the side. I've done so many things. But at night, when I'm alone, the midst of battle was sin in my flesh. I am no better than you. I am no better than you. And if he says that, the big guy, Paul, how much more confidence and assurance is it awaited for us, awaits us as sons and daughters of God that in the midst of his struggle, he could go through it, but still know that there is someone who holds him. And that is the grace of Almighty God. Let us get to our text this morning for we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh so understood. I know that the law is spiritual. I know what to do. I know that the law isn't bad. The law is good. The law is not sin. He says in verse 7. But here's the dilemma. I'm so understood. There are times where I struggle to do what is right. And me as an apostle, I don't understand my own actions. It is as if he is commuting to us this morning that don't even seek to worship me. There's nothing to worship me for. I'm just like you. For I do not understand my own actions. But I do what I want. I do not do what I want. But I do the very thing. I hate you see there's some people that say that Paul wrote this prior to his conversion. And that he couldn't be writing this as an apostle because it almost means that he's like living in habitual sin. And that he has sin that still indwells him. I haven't met anyone who doesn't live in habitual sin. Because to not live in habitual sin and not have indwelling sin is to be perfect. So if your name is not Jesus Christ, you live in habitual sin. That is just the truth. I'm sorry. They cut it for you. I know that you thought it was bad. Maybe we thought it was better, but that is just the truth. He does the very thing that he hates. How could he write this prior to his conversion if he shows that much appreciation for the law of God and so much hatred for his actions? Some sort of Pharisee can't show that much passion, devotion to doing what's right internally in the eyes of God. And notice in the Greek, there's not a past tense verb in this passage. It is present. Right now, I'm doing the things that I hate and see how his hatred for sin is the same hatred that God has for sin. And that is what's key here. Now, if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law that is good and he does. So now there's no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. His identity is in Christ, not in his behavior or in his patterns of life. He knows that his life has been sent and filled by the Holy Spirit. He knows that he has someone in his feeding on behalf of him. And he knows that that identity can't be touched, can't be robbed. It is protected. But nevertheless, he struggles with this sin because he's talking and speaking of an internal sinful nature that will be taken away later on. So the truth is that we are not promised our best life now. We are promised a better life later. That is the truth. For I know, verse 18, that nothing good dwells in me. That is in my flesh, but I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. This guy is going crazy. Like he wants to do what's right, but he knows that he can't. And he's repeating the same thing over and over again. Making me sick. Why do not do the good that I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. This guy. Now, if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but the 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. It looks like he comes to a conclusion over and over again that he can't do it on his own, that no results come when he tries on his own by his own merits, by his own power, gathering from his own motivation. He needs something else for I delight in the law of God in my inner being, but I see my members of another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells within my members. Richard, man, that I am who will deliver me from this body of death. He wants to do which right. He sees that the law communicates and declares that God is righteous, that God is holy, that God is pure, that God is wise, that God is all powerful, but he sees in himself and he looks at himself in the mirror and he sees the opposite, but he delights in doing what is good. That's why grace is not an excuse to say some motivation to repent. Grace doesn't give us an excuse to keep on sinning, but it gives us and motivates us in a fresh way to keep on trailing, to keep on pursuing the righteousness that we have been giving. That is the truth, but he knows that it's not within him. He's saying, look at me, I'm wretched. I'm an apostle. I'm wretched. I'm nothing. I'm cursed. Amazing grace was about me. That was my ringtone. You didn't have a phone that day, but I'm sure he wouldn't dislike that one.
What if you would end there? What if the passage would end in verse 24? How scary. What if after seven chapters of declaring the riches of the gospel, Paul would end there? Richard, man, that I am. Who would deliver me from this body of death? He is saying, he is screaming, he is declaring there is salvation in no other name. There is not salvation in me. There is not salvation in them. There is not salvation in you. There is salvation in one name, the name of Jesus Christ, one name. That's why then he says, in verse 25, thanks be to Jesus Christ, our Lord, to God, for Jesus, it is because of Jesus that we are no longer defined by our behavior. It is because of Jesus that our faith is not anchored upon who we are, what we feel, or what we will do, but on who Christ is, what he has done, and what he will do for us. And it is because our faith is anchored in that truth, brothers and sisters, in that reality, that we are able to pursue holiness, that we will look at sin and despise it as God despises it, that we will take every chance that we have to please God our Savior, to pursue holiness and to pursue righteousness, not just because it is right. It's because he is right. He is what's right. He is what defines righteousness, and our love for God also empowers us to love everything that he is defined by. And if he, if his law is right, because he is right, we have no choice but to love him with every center of our being. And you can experience this right with anyone that you've loved before. If you're after someone, you're pursuing someone and they like cheesecake, and you are your life, you've hated cheesecake, all of your life dreaded it, spit it out of your mouth, don't even talk to me about it. The one day you meet the person that you love, and they like cheesecake, it's the best cake in the world. The greatest, most majestic, most glorious, judge-dropping cake in the world. I've been sanctified in that moment, spotless, clean, car-washed with the grace of God to believe that cheesecake is not that bad. It's pretty good. And what motivated you to have those affections to stir that up in you, the person whom you love is prior to your conversion, or in the midst of your conversion. You are at face with the law of God and you see it and you see your inability to do duties and requirements. You don't hate it because of your love for God. You love God so much and it's not love that you have created in yourself. It is a love that God has bestowed upon you because he loved you first and he gifted you with that love because it isn't a gift to love God that you say even though this is what the law requires and I'm so far from it, I see the beauty of God's law, I see his protection, I see a father protecting me from what is not right, I see a father earnestly desiring desperate for my protection after me, running after me, to set fences upon that which will do me harm and now before I hated this to because I love my maker, I love this now and I want to please you. That is the attitude of all believers, brothers and sisters. There will be time where you ask questions because because our sin is so deep sometimes.
What if I'm not part of this fold? What if I'm not really part of the body because of this sin that I struggle with? What if God has deserted me and tell you brother and sister
with all love? You better stop that. You better stop that thinking that's not from here, that's from the pit of hell. God does love you. God does care for you. He showed it in your existence. You exist to enjoy God and worship Him forever. He created you for Him. Don't ever doubt that He loves you. No matter what you've done, you can have done the biggest most horrendous most deprecating sin ever. If you're in Christ Jesus righteousness, for your righteousness, there's nothing but a bunch of filthy rights but the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Spotless, clean, pure, so much that when you are justified, when you put your faith in Jesus Christ and God justifies you on behalf of the merits of Christ alone. God no longer sees your sin or sorrow or incapacity or inability. He sees the marvelous spotless, unblemished righteousness. There's only begotten Son and that's what you possess and that's what you have to go back to brothers and sisters that your identity would not be defined by your behavior or what you do or what you fail to do but on what Christ has done on your behalf. This Christian life is tough brothers and sisters. There's brothers and sisters that are much much more seasoned and wiser that can tell you about the hardships and the realities but in the midst of those realities. Let's do one thing. Let's not try to remember or pay attention to the weight and gravity of our failure to do what God calls us to do in his law but let's celebrate, favor, remember, be strengthened by, be motivated by what Christ has done on our behalf, that our life would be hidden with him and that when people would see us they wouldn't see the whole instrument but that they would see only a mouthpiece, that they would see only a mouthpiece that God would use to speak the riches of his grace and glory. Brothers and sisters there is a struggle, the journey is tough but there is something great that awaits us. There is something great, there is something amazing that awaits us when you see him, when you finally die and you see him and you see Jesus the weight of your sin, the weight of your frustration, the weight of the burden that you carry for trying to satisfy God and you can't over and over again we'll be taken away with one glance, with one glance that the glory and majesty and dominion of the one who gave his life for you isn't that great but until then we will struggle until then we will have to journey through this and through that he has promised that he will be with us and he has promised that he will never leave us so until then we don't have our best life now but God has promised us a better life tomorrow. Thank you.