Lament #1 Bondage to Sin

October 12, 2003                                                                                                                               Northwest Bible Church

Worship Service                                                                                                                                Alan Conner

Rom. 7:14-17

Lament #1: Bondage to Sin

INTRO

Outline: Lament #1

Condition (Rom. 7:14)

Confirmation (Rom. 7:15)

Cause (Rom. 7:16-17)

I.  CONDITION (Rom. 7:14).

A.  The law is spiritual.  Paul is still exonerating and vindicating the goodness of the Law. The law not sinful but holy, righteous, and good.  The problem lies with our sin.  This is true of the unbeliever in 7:7-13, and now Paul is showing that it is also true of the believer in 7:14-25.   See Rom. 7:16, 22, 25.

The word “spiritual” is a new description of the law.  What I think Paul primarily means by calling he law “spiritual” is that -

1) it comes from the Holy Spirit, it is Spirit-inspired, God breathed, 2 Tim. 3:16-17;                                             2) it deals with the things of the Spirit like sin, salvation, holiness, obedience, faith.

3) the law is therefore “holy, righteous, and good,” in contrast to my spiritual condition.

B.  I am of flesh.  Again, from last week this is not the same as saying “I am in the flesh” (7:5; 8:8, 9) or “I am according to the flesh” (8:5).

1) The meaning of “flesh.” = “fleshly, belonging to the realm of the flesh in so far as it is weak, sinful and transitory, carnal (in older usage).”

2) Not a “carnal Christian.”

3) This unbiblical view is based on a misinterpretation of 1 Cor. 3:1-3,  but note:

a) The Christians here at Corinth are “carnal” in only some areas of their Christian life. Note in v. 3 “jealousy and strife among you,” v. 4 party spirit causing division, cf. 1:10-12.  Contast 1 Cor. 1:2, 5-7, 11:1.

b) In 1 Cor. 2:14-15, Paul divides men into two categories, not three.

c) The truth is that all Christians are both carnal and spiritual.

d) Those in the “carnal Christian” category are most likely unregenerate.

C. “Sold into bondage to sin” (lit. “sold under sin” -  can merely mean that he cannot escape sin.  Human

II.  CONFIRMATION (Rom. 7:15).

The confirmation is in the struggles he has in doing what is right.  Notice the struggle between what he “wants” to do, and what he actually does.  He ends up doing what he hates.

A. What was the nature of Paul’s bondage to sin?

B. What kind of sin did Paul struggle with?

III.  CAUSE (Rom. 7:16-17).

A. The problem is not with the law for it is good (Rom. 7:16), but “sin which dwells in me” (Rom. 7:17).

B. Notice the “I” which is not doing the sin, this is the new nature in the Christian.

CONCLUSION

1) Perfectionism is a lie.

2) The “carnal Christian” is another lie.

3) True Christians should lament their indwelling sin.  Walk humbly before God, realizing your sin, but rejoicing in your Savior.