We are at Romans 7:14 - Roaming Through Romans.  We are in a section of Paul’s letter to the church of… Rome - in which we are looking at the choices we make in life.  How we can respond to God’s grace - the Gospel - what God has done for us through Jesus’ work on the cross - the choices we make to respond to God’s grace in the real time of where we live our lives,

Basic Training in the Swiss Army:  “And you use this attachment if you should find yourself under attack from a platoon of wine bottles.”  Modern warfare Swiss Army style.  Swiss Army knife.  Tons of choices.  Do I use the corkscrew or the bottle opener?

Every day we’re confronted with a number of choices.  We know that behind every choice we make is one bottom line choice.  Which is to keep going along trusting our own wile and guile or to... turn towards God.  Bottom line choice:  Turn away from God or turn towards God.  God, by His grace - for purposes known only to God - God gives us that choice and the ability to make it.

To get our grey matter going on making choices and where Paul is going here in verses 14 to 25 we have a short quiz.

Question #1:  Located in France, the floor plan of Germigny-des-Pres follows a style originally found in:  A) France; B) Spain; C) Germany; or D) Armenia?

Answer:  Armenia

Question #2:  This small planetoid orbiting our sun - discovered on January 25, 1914 by the Russian astronomer Grigory Neujmin - is named after which country?  A) Ecuador; B) Belize; C) Russia; or D) Armenia. 

Answer:  Armenia (780 Armenia)

Question #3:  Mount Ararat is located across the border from which country?  A) Turkey; B) Iraq; C) Sweden; or D) Armenia?

Answer:  Armenia

Question #4:  Originally begun in the 4th century, the Cathedral of Etchmiadzin is located in which country?  A) Iran ; B) Jordan; C) Israel; or D) Armenia.

Answer:  Armenia

Last question:  #5:  Yerevan is the capital of which Asian country?  A) Laos; B) Pakistan; C) Kazakhstan; or D) Armenia.

Answer:  Armenia.

What would it be like if - instead of having tons of choices - corkscrew verses bottle opener - what if there was only one answer to every question we ask in life - to every problem - every circumstance - every failure - every desire?  If there was only one answer to every issue of our lives.  And that answer was a whole lot more than just irritating in a slightly humorous sort of way.  But an answer that devastated us - and kept on devastating us - without hope - endlessly wounding us over and over again - at the core of who we are.

That devastation - that hopelessness - is where Paul is taking us here in Romans 7 - starting at verse 14 and down through verse 24.  We’ll read through these verses together and then go back and do some unpacking.

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 in 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.

Verse 14 introduces us to Paul’s personal struggle with sin. 

Verse 14:  For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 

The law is spiritual.  We know this.

It concerns who God is and what it means to live in relationship with Him.  The law is the absolute standard of God’s holiness.  The absolute purity of God’s nature and essence.  Holiness as God is holy.  Which is a tad beyond what most us can get our minds wrapped around.  Let alone, how do we live that way?  Living holy as God is holy.

So God - in Scripture - from Genesis to Revelation - God has given us timeless principles and real time examples from the lives of real people living before God.  God has given us specific commandments such at the law given to Moses - think the Ten Commandments and what’s in the first five books of the Bible.

And God has given us cliff notes on the law - summaries like:  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart - soul - and mind.  Love your neighbor as yourself.”

God explaining to us in real time what it means to live life with Him - to live holy with the holy God.  All that is wrapped up in what Paul means by the law.

We saw this last Sunday - in the first part of chapter 7 - Paul writes that the law is given to us first - to expose sin - to clarify it - comparing how we live to what God expects.  The law shows us where we fall short of the standard of God’s absolute holiness.

Second, Paul writes that the law warns us of the consequences of sin - of falling short.  Consequences like eternal death - eternal punishment.

The purpose of that exposure and warning is to drive us back to God.  Choose God.  Which is a good thing.  And a spiritual thing.  The law leads us to living rightly with God.

But, Paul writes, “I am of the flesh.”  The brokenness of our humanity apart from God.  Notice the personal pronoun “I.”  This is personal.

What we looked at last Sunday - chapter 7 - verses 1 to 13 - what Paul wrote there is a pretty deep theological discussion of the law and sin.  Tough stuff to chew through.  Verses 14 to 25 are very personal.  Paul sharing from his heart his own struggle with the law and sin.

A struggle that every one of us here can relate to.  While the law is spiritual - focusing on God and what it means to live life with the holy  God - all of us - like Paul - are living in the flesh - the reality of what it means to be human.  Humanity 101.

There’s a hopeless bondage to sin that we all share that’s been a force in our lives since the day we were born.  Like gravity that drags at us every day of our lives.  An inescapable reality that binds us to behavior that we cannot free ourselves from.

So while the law is spiritual - calls us to reform and to live holy before God - our flesh draws us ever deeper into bondage to sin.

Can anyone here relate to that struggle?

Look where Paul goes with this:  The struggle in our mind. 

Verse 15:  For I do not understand my own actions.  For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 

“Understand” here is the Greek verb “ginosko” - what we understand because of what we experience.  The school of hard knocks.

There’s a prayer that’s pretty familiar that gets posted every now and then.  Maybe you’ve heard this:

Dear Lord,

So far I’ve done all right.

I haven’t gossiped,

Haven’t lost my temper,

Haven’t been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or overindulgent.

I’m really glad about that.

But in a few minutes, God,

I’m going to get out of bed.

And from then on,

I’m going to need a lot more help.

Heard that?  Can you relate?

Its not like we wake up in the morning and say ourselves, “Today I’m really going to mess up.  Today I’m going to choose to be creative and sin in a whole new way.”

We really do want to do what is right before God.  We try so hard to be good Christians.  We make decisions - choices in our minds - to do what it means to live God’s way.

If we’ve been around church for about 30 years or so we’ve probably listened to 1,500 plus sermons - been to thousands of Bible studies and Sunday School classes and prayer meetings and conferences and camps and seminars and memorized tons of Scripture and seen Christian movies. 

We spend time in personal devotions.  We even listen to Christian radio and have Christian CD’s.  For extra bonus points - we’ve even been to a Billy Graham crusade.

We try so hard to place boundaries on our lives - where we go - what we do - what we watch - who we’re with.  All of which is good and has its place.

And yet, no matter how hard we work at disciplining our minds - choosing to do what is godly - we continually run into this hideous force - a malevolent - powerful - dangerous - self-destructive force - subconsciously - continually - subtly warring with our minds.

Seeking to influence us - to entice us - causing us to do things that we’ve resolved not to do. 

Its like golf.  No matter how hard we work at disciplining ourselves - training ourselves - to do what we want to do - something else happens. 

Verse 16:  Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 

When we mess up in sin we prove that the law is doing its job - clarifying sin - warning us - showing us that we fall short.  “That was sin.  You blew it.”   

Verse 17:  So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.  Meaning sin has taken up residence in my flesh

Mind over what?  matter.  Mind over the flesh.  The bottom line still balances out the same.  Whatever we experience in life.  What we know about life because we learn by experience.  Even knowing all that - the good, the bad, the ugly - even though we choose to do the right thing we still fall short.  Even though we hate sin we still sin.

Coming to verse 18 - Paul focuses on the struggle with our will.

Verse 18:  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. 

Jesus - on the night He was arrested - Jesus took His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane.  He told them, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.”

Then He took Peter, James, and John and went a little bit farther into the garden.  Finally Jesus left Peter, James, and John to keep watch - to be in prayer with Jesus - leaves the disciples to pray while He went a little farther - fell on His face deeply distressed and grieved - and began Himself to pray.

Remember what He prayed?  “Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” 

That’s intense.  Yes?  Spiritually this ground zero in the battle against sin and the forces of the Adversary.

When Jesus comes back, the disciples - who are suppose to be praying with somewhat that kind of urgency that Jesus had - the disciples are doing what?  Sleeping off a good Passover meal.

Jesus turns to Peter and tells him, “So, could you not watch with Me one hour?  Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation [sin].  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  

When Jesus goes away again to pray the disciples did what?  Fell asleep. 

We could just see them trying their hardest - wanting desperately to stay awake.  Like some here now.  Nodding and jerking their heads and by a shear effort of the will trying to stay awake.  And yet falling asleep.  Not just once.  But three times.  (Matthew 26:36-46) 

Sometimes we think that by our desire - our wanting and willing - that we can be obedient to God.  That if we just try harder at being more spiritual then somehow we can be at the place spiritually where God desires for us to be.

Reality check:  No amount of our willing and wanting is going to overcome the reality of what lies within us.

Verse 20:  Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

Do you see what Paul is getting at here?  As Christians we never really want to do what God says not to do.  We’d like to be awake spiritually - all wide eyed and bushy tailed and doing God’s will.  But there’s this power - this force - called sin - this ugly beast that lays dormant - comes to life - and causes us to do what we do not desire to do.  And we by our shear willing cannot overcome that power.

Verses 21 to 23 are what Paul found.  Let’s say that together, “Paul’s discovery.”

Verse 21:  So I find it to be...

We all know this word.  “Find” is the Greek word what?  State motto.  Eureka.  “I found it!”  Discovery of Gold - what was hidden.  Paul bringing to light - holding up for us to see - what he’s found to be true about himself - and true for all the rest of us who struggle with sin.

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. 

In the Star Trek episode “The Trouble With Tribbles” - Captain Kirk and the Enterprise are summoned to Space Station K7 to protect a shipment of quadro-triticale bound for Sherman’s Planet - to guard this shipment of grain from the dreaded Klingons who just happen to be enjoying shore leave at the same space station.

How many of you have seen this episode?

There are these tribbles.  These.  Warm fuzzy fur ball type creatures - extremely cute - that make this kind of hypnotic purring sound.  Curiously attractive.  Seemingly harmless.

Tribbles - are born pregnant - consume tons of this grain - reproduce at astronomical rates - and get into everything - the engine room - the food processors - everything.  And are extremely difficult to get rid of.  In part because they are so attractive.  Finally Kirk orders them been cleared off the Enterprise.

One other thing about tribbles - that you need to know for this scene.  Long set-up - short scene.  Tribbles love humans - even love Vulcans - but they hate Klingons.  Terrorize Klingons.   And the Klingons detest these things.

(scene:  Star Trek “The Trouble With Tribbles”)

Are we together?  Sin is like tribbles.  Looks innocent - harmless - attractive - cute - hypnotically lures us in - but it’s incredible destructive.  It just won’t go away.  Given the opportunity it multiplies exponentially.  We wish that we had it in our power to just beam it out there someplace - or into a Klingon engine room - where it would be no tribble at all.  We’d be done with all this struggle and self-destructive behavior.

Are we together with Paul?  What he’s found?  Painfully so.  We agree with God.  We’re sinners.  The law has done its job.  And yet, even with every choice of our minds and every ounce of our wills desiring to do what is right - what we discover is that we are hopelessly held as sin’s prisoners - slaves - bound by the sin we would so much desire to be rid of.

Paul’s conclusion - verse 24:  Wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me from this body of death?

“Wretched” has the idea in Greek of misery - being distressed - suffering - extreme weariness.  Slaves driven beyond the point of exhaustion.  We got nothing.  We got no hope of anything different.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit…”  (Matthew 5:3)

Poor in spirit - spiritual poverty - is like the Prodigal Son - who comes to that defining moment of truth - a realization of where’s he’s come to with all of his efforts to grab hold of life.  Rejected by people he thought were his friends.  Destitute.  Eating pig slop.  Surviving by doing what he himself would have despised others for doing.  With no hope of anything ever changing except to get worse.

The prodigal son who returns home - having wasted his inheritance - having done everything possible to grieve his father and earn his father’s scorn.  Who returns destitute and begging for the smallest kindness to be shown to Him.  (Luke 15:11-32)

Spiritually - its that kind of poverty - being destitute - that Jesus is talking about.  Most of us struggle to see ourselves in that kind of extreme.  Messed up… maybe.  But wretched?

That’s the picture Paul has been painting for us since chapter 1.  Deluded.  Deceived.  Bound.  Perishing.  Hopeless.

Who are we before God?  Why should God be gracious to us?  Spiritual poverty is acknowledging our spiritual bankruptcy before God - we are destitute - condemned - unworthy - trapped - helpless - hopeless bound to sin over and over again - all around us is death and dying and corruption.  There is no way out.

Paul cries, “Wretched man that I am.  Who will set me free?”  

Verse 25 - Paul’s hope.  Our hope.

Verse 25:  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!  Underline that.  Highlight it.  Marinate in it.

Let’s say it together.  “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

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.

Meaning - even though we live with this in the mind struggle between the willing to do what is right before God and the physical living in the flesh of humanity failure to do it - we are able to give thanks to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

That name - those titles - are significant.

Jesus - the Greek form of Joshua - meaning “Yahweh saves.”  Yahweh - meaning the God who covenants with His people - who is relationally with His people.  God Himself entering into the flesh and blood of humanity - taking our place on the cross.  Jesus our Savior.

Christ - Greek for Messiah - the long awaited One that the Old Testament has been pointing to.  The Messiah who is anointed - appointed - set apart - unique in all of creation - to be the one sacrifice on the cross acceptable to God.  The one who - through His work on the cross alone is victorious over sin and death.

Lord - meaning sovereign ruler - master of our lives and potentate of His creation.  The One who alone is willing - able - and faithful to accomplish all that He has promised to us.  The One who alone is worthy of our complete devotion and surrender.

We cannot be set free from sin by any act of our own.  The law is spiritual.  I am flesh.  The answer must be spiritual.  It must come from God - which it has through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Sin may win battles.  But it will not win the war.  Amen?

Processing all that...

The confession and clarity of Paul is crucial for us to hold on to.  Paul isn’t just blowing holy smoke.  He’s not giving quick fix answers.  Take one of these and life will be just peachy.  5 easy steps to wonderful Christian life.  

What Paul is writing about here is an intense ongoing struggle that all of us deal with every day of our lives.  And we will continue to deal with every day of our lives.  Sin is a powerful addiction. 

Like an alcoholic - or any addict - addicted to porn or drugs or cigarettes or food or gossip or anger or money or stuff or whatever - we can see the evil of what’s happening.  See the cost to our wives - our families - the cost - financially - feel the emotions - see the scars - we can see all that and more and resolve to never take another drink or another drag or to not clique there or whatever.

And yet, we go through the frustration - the shame - the depression - the sense of hopelessness because we try and try and come up short.

What Paul is offering us is a prodigal son type decisive moment of clarity.  We are desperate.  We are powerless.  We have nothing.  We are spiritually poor.  The problem isn’t just going to go away.  It is an ongoing struggle and a process of transformation.  We’ve learned well how to live in sin.  It takes time to learn how to live in righteousness. 

Paul is clear.  The Christian life is a work in progress.  No matter how dysfunctional we may feel - because we are.  No matter how messed up we may seem - because we are.  Don’t give up hope.    Jesus doesn’t give up on us and we shouldn’t give up on Him. 

One thing we’ll never find in the Mosaic law - or any set of regulations coming out of the Mosaic law - or any regulation anywhere in Scripture - or anything God’s people are going to come up with - one thing we will never find in any of that is the assurance of our final victory over sin.  That assurance is found only in our connection to the death of Christ and in the presence of the Holy Spirit.

You don’t treat cancer with cough drops.  You don’t treat sin with rules, principles, bandages and adages.  You treat it with Jesus Christ our Lord.  He alone is able to deliver us from this body of death. 

Do you remember these words?

Amazing love!

How can it be?

That You, my King,

Should die for me!

Amazing Love and I know its true,

And its my joy to honor You ,

In all I do to honor You. (1)

Thanks be to God because we know that even while we struggle from day to day - in the midst of the worst failure we may find ourselves in - in the lowest depths of where our sin may take us - in the spiritual poverty of where we live - Jesus has already died on the cross for the sin of that struggle - triumphed over it - has authority over it - and is with us right in the middle of the struggle.

Give thanks because God has revealed His great love and grace and mercy towards us in Jesus Christ.  Give thanks because God has worked salvation on our behalf through Jesus Christ.  Give thanks because God reigns - for us He has conquered over death and sin.  Give thanks because God has prepared for us an eternal heavenly home.  Give thanks to God because while their should be devastated at the core of who we are there is hope.  

_________________________

1.  Chris Tomlin  “You Are My King” - Authentic, 1998

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®  (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.