THE STRUGGLE WITH SIN

Romans 7:7-25

7 What shall we say, then?

IS THE LAW SIN?

CERTAINLY NOT!

Indeed I would not have known what Sin was

Except through the Law.

For I would not have know what it was to Covet

If the Law had not said,

'DO NOT COVET.'

8 But Sin, seizing the Opportunity

Afforded by the Commandment,

PRODUCED IN ME EVERY KIND OF COVETOUS DESIRE.

FOR APART FROM THE LAW SIN IS DEAD.

9 Once I was alive apart from the Law;

But when the Commandment came,

SIN SPRANG TO LIFE AND I DIED.

10 I found that the very Command

That was intended to bring life

ACTUALLY BROUGHT DEATH.

11 For Sin, seizing the Opportunity

Afforded by the Commandment,

DECEIVED ME,

And through the Commandment

PUT ME TO DEATH.

12 SO THE, THE LAW IS HOLY,

AND THE COMMANDMENT IS HOLY, RIGHTEOUS AND GOOD.

13 DID THAT WHICH IS GOOD,

THEN, BECOME DEATH TO ME?

BY NO MEANS!

BUT IN ORDER THAT SIN

MIGHT BE RECOGNIZED AS SIN,

IT PRODUCED DEATH IN ME

THROUGH WHAT WAS GOOD,

SO THAT THROUGH THE COMMANDMENT

SIN MIGHT BECOME UTTERLY SINFUL.

14 WE KNOW THAT THE LAW IS SPIRITUAL;

BUT I AM UNSPIRITUAL,

SOLD AS A SLAVE TO SIN.

15 ID DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT I DO.

FOR WHAT I WANT TO DO, I DO NOT DO,

BUT WHAT I HATE I DO.

16 AND IF I DO WHAT ID DO NOT WANT TO DO,

I AGREE THAT THE LAW IS GOOD.

17 AS IT IS, IT IS NO LONGER I MYSELF WHO DO IT,

BUT IT IS SIN LIVING IN ME.

18 I KNOW THAT NOTHING GOOD LIVES IN ME,

THAT IS IN MY SINFUL NATURE.

FOR I 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 DO 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 MY SELF IN MY MIND AM A SLAVE TO GOD'S LAW,

BUT IN THE SINFUL NATURE A SLAVE TO THE LAW OF SIN.

(Romans 7:7-25)

We are all born with a Sin Nature;

With nothing good within us.

The Law of God tells us what Sin is,

But we, in our natural selves, have no ability to obey it.

It is only Christ living in and through us

That gives us the ability to say no to Sin.

Only by being Born again can we say no to Sin.

That is why Christ Jesus came

To Save us from our Sin Nature;

To give His Nature to those willing to receive it;

The Holy Spirit living in and through us.

There is but One Hope in this World

And that is Christ in us the Hope of Glory.

(Colossians 1:27)

Apart from Christ Jesus, all is Hopeless.