Romans 7:24, 25 - The Sinful Nature Is Conquered in Christ!
Romans 7:24, 25 - The Sinful Nature Is Conquered in Christ!
Romans 7:24, 25b (KJV) O wretched man that I am! who shall
deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus
Christ our Lord.
Romans 7:24, 25b (NIV) What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue
me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God,
who delivers me through Jesus Christ our LORD!
Romans 7:24, 25b (NLT) Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who
will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25
Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 7:21-25 does not suggest that you live a divided life
because that is impossible. You must choose your Master (6: 15-23) and
be true to your Husband, Jesus Christ (7:1-6). "The mind" refers to
the new nature from God and "the body of death" the old nature from
Adam. We cannot serve God with an old nature that is sinful (7:18),
but the Holy Spirit enables us to do His will as we yield to Him.
The human body is not sinful, but human nature is. [Chapter by
Chapter Bible Commentary by Warren Wiersbe re Rom. 7]
This passage portrays quite a contrast between Our Redeemed
Inner Being - which is created in righteousness, wants to do good,
rejoices in God and serves him willingly; and Our Flesh - which practices
what our inner being hates, produces nothing good and wars against
our mind. The result is something of an internal civil war, and we
experience turmoil. We do what we don't want to do and neglect to do what
we really want to do. Who can deliver us from this spiritual split
personality? Only Jesus. If we let him. He promised that the Holy Spirit
would "help [us] and be with [us] forever" (John 14:16) to overcome
our sinful tendencies. [NIV Once A Day Bible re Rom. 7:7-25]
Paul knows from personal experience the internal conflict
that every Christian faces at one point or another. There is great
tension in the daily Christian life. The conflict is that we agree with
God's commands but cannot do them. As a result, we are painfully aware
of our sin. Paul struggled with sin as much as we do.
For Paul, finding hope meant returning to the place where he
started. When he felt overwhelmed by the spiritual battle, he refocused
on Jesus alone and the freedom from sin found in him.
Life and the struggle with sin can become complicated and
disorienting. We can lose our hope and shut our eyes in despair. Yet even
while these complexities swirl around you, remember the simple faith
you started with, the simple cry to God, the simple trust, the
relief. When you feel confused and overwhelmed by sin, focus on the
freedom Christ gives. Remember the love God has for you - it's
unconditional. [One Year NLT SB re Rom. 7:15-25]
Does the wrong seem oft so strong to you? Do you say "Ditto"
to Paul's words in Romans 7:19? - "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." Do
you really truly want to do good but find yourself repeatedly
breaking your own promises, resolutions, and goals? I do too.
Discouraging, isn't it? OK, take a deep breath.
The cheetah is an exceptionally skilled predator. Just in
three strides it can accelerate from 0 to 40 m.p.h. and top out at 70
m.p.h. a few strides later. Built for speed, its heart and circulatory
system are super-duty in size and strength. The narrow, sleek body with
small head and big prominent eyes gives little wind resistance with
maximum vision. The whole musculoskeletal system is adapted for quick,
tight turns and exceptionally long strides, up to three of them per
second at full speed. And since racers need good traction, the cheetah
has seminon-retractable claws that are short and blunt, like cleats
on running shoes. The pads on its feet are much harder than those
on other cats, giving it much more control. I think you get the
idea. The cheetah appears designed for the chase.
The downside is that cheetahs are not aggressive cats. Much
smaller than lions and leopards, they defer to other predators. At such
fast speeds they tire quickly, so a chase usually lasts only 20 to 40
seconds. If it goes more than a minute, they are winded. Only about half
of their pursuits are successful.
At this point I can hear you saying, "Huh? How does cheetah
data relate to me not doing what I want to do and doing what I don't
want to do?" Like Paul, we have asked God for a new heart, and He has
given it to us. The more pure and holy we become, the more sensitive
we are to the sin that still lurks in us. Yet the fact that we are
struggling means that we have been renewed. The unregenerate heart doesn't
resist. It just goes along. Like the cheetah, never give up trying. Even
though you miss your mark, get up and run again. Keep listening to your
conscience and submitting your will to God.
Lord, let me hear You say again, "My grace is sufficient for
you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor. 12:9, NIV).
Let my life be a demonstration of that reality. [God of Wonders by
David Steen]
No one gets to start in the middle - we're all beginners in
one area of our lives or another. But for many of us, what we need
is more like a new beginning, a fresh start, a walking journey from
chaos to wholeness that is accomplished one step at a time. We call
that journey recovery. Let's look at the first step:
We admitted we were powerless over our addictions and/or
compulsive behaviors. That our lives had become unmanageable.
This first step is a big one. We are finally ready to admit
that we are powerless to control an addiction or a behavior. The
harder we try, the more unmanageable it becomes. Our lives have
descended into chaos. When we take that first big step - giving up control
- we are stepping away from denial and acknowledging our own
need.
There is hope in that first step, for we can't be helped
until we admit that we need help. Until then we are trying to be God
in our own lives, and really we just aren't up to the task. We are
powerless to control much of anything by our own power. This initial step
allows us to find freedom from ourselves and move toward healing and
wholeness in Christ. [Celebrate Recovery Daily Devotional by John & Johnny
Baker mod.]
Have you experienced this pattern when you tried to make
healthy changes? You can't always make yourself do right. You want to,
but you can't. And when you try not to do the wrong thing, you do it
anyway. Why does this happen?
We all have an old nature with deeply rooted habits inside
us. It loves to do those wrong things that have become routine for
us. We can't break free of those habits on our own, and the apostle
Paul went on to write, "Who will free me from slavery to this deadly
lower nature?" Then he gives the answer, "Thank God, Christ Jesus has
done it. He has set me free."
In Romans 7, Paul uses the words "I, me, my" twenty-seven
times. But in Romans 8 he uses the word "Spirit" nineteen times. That's
the difference between defeat and victory: trusting in "me" versus
surrendering to the Holy Spirit. God's Spirit is ready and waiting to break
you free of old patterns and move in a new direction. Why not let
Him and find victory in Christ? [The Daniel Plan 365-Day
Devotional]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE:
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2007/20070129-0914.html
EXCELLENT SERMON ON THIS PASSAGE
The Struggle With Sin by Pastor Ivan Blake:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdw62kyIQ-I&feature=youtu.be
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Seeking God Made Real: http://vimeo.com/31489782
Musical Devotional On Christian Living:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcotY5K7T0c
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDY:
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Discover Bible Studies: http://studies.itiswritten.com/discover/
LINKS FOR PROPHECY SEMINARS:
Revelation Today by Pastor John Bradshaw:
https://revelationtoday.com/other-streams/
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
