STRUGGLING 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 I 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 I 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 TO 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)

Everyone is Born with a Sin Nature

And the only Escape from that Nature

Is to allow Christ to live In and Through us;

To be Born Again, and walk in the Light of Christ;

To walk as Christ Jesus walked.

The Law simply identifies Sin,

But has no capacity to save anyone from that Sin.