Riches In Romans

# (8/28/11) Bible Bap0st Church, Port Orchard, WA Dr. Al Hughes

Im A Mess
Romans 7:14-25
If you were to nominate a person as the greatest Christian that ever
lived, who would you nominate?
Would it be someone who seemed to always have it all together, and
never stressed about anything?
Would be someone who never had a problem with struggling against
sin?
Would it be a person who always had a smile and always seemed to
have the victory in their life?

I believe the greatest Christian who ever lived was the Apostle Paul.
Yet, even Paul would not fit the description I mentioned above. This is
apparent from what Paul writes in Romans 7:14-25. Paul is giving us a
self-portrait of the struggle that goes on within the lives of every believer
(read text).
In verse 14 Paul confesses, I am carnal [fleshy], sold under sin i.e. still
under the power of the sinful nature.

I.

The REALITY of the conflict.

A. A picture of an incessant FIGHT (v. 15, 23).

Getting saved is easy. But after you get saved you discover you
are in a battle. This battle is fought on two fronts.
1. Spiritual warfare against the principalities of this world (Eph.
6:11-12).
2. A war going on within your life (James 4:1; Romans 7:23). In
our text Paul is describing this inward battle from his own
experience.

B. A picture of irksome FRUSTRATION (vs. 15, 18-19). Why do I

keep doing what I know I ought not to do?
1. Strongs Concordance say, the Greek word translated allow
(ginosko) in v. 15 means to know. Paul is saying he doesnt
know why he does what he does! He wants to do right, but
before he knows what has happened, he has messed up, and
done the wrong thing.

Tracy Dartt wrote a song about Pauls experience titled Im A Mess.

All the things that I would, that I do not,
And the things that I would not, I do
But even if I could, Im not sure that I would,
Now does this seem right to you?
CHORUS: Im a mess, I guess, and I must confess
When Im at my worst, sometimes its my best
And my one conciliation, when I fail the test
Im no better or worse, but Im just like the rest.
Now the good that I would, that I do not;
But the evil which I would not, that I do
But if I do that I would not, its not I that I could not,
Do the good that would not do.

Verse 15 How many times have you done something and

then said, I wish I had not done that.
2. The thing that frustrates Paul is He really loves the Lord and
doesnt want sin, but he ends up sinning anyway, and that
bothers him. This is the difference between a good Christian
and a sorry Christian. If you sin and it doesnt frustrate and
bother you, you have a serious spiritual problem!
C. A picture of inconsolable FAILURE (vs. 19, 24).
1. Do you experience this struggle? Do you do something, then
hate yourself because you have done it? And you cry out,
God, forgive me! I've messed up again!
2. O wretched man that I am! (v. 24). The word wretched
means wore out, exhausted. Paul was tired of fighting
against the flesh and often failing to do the right thing! These
are not the words of an unsaved man, or backsliden man
These are the words of a desperate Christian who wants to
live right, but often messes up.

II.

The REASON for the conflict. (7:17-22).

A. Before a person is saved, he has one naturethe sin nature
(called the flesh). It is personified as sin that dwelleth in me.

B. When a person is born again, he is receives a new nature (v. 22

the inward man cf. 2 Cor. 4:16). The fleshly nature is not removed, and not improved (John 3:6). Flesh is flesh and will always be fleshThere is nothing good about it. Hence there is a
lifelong battle within the Christian between the nature of the
flesh and the nature of the Spirit. "The flesh lusteth against the
Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary
the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye
would" (Gal. 5:17).
C. Every Christian is a schizophrenicThere are two I's in our text.
1. For what I would is what the new nature wants to do.
2. That do I not the carnal nature rebels against doing it.
3. But what I hate... the divine nature hates it.
4. ...that do I... the carnal nature goes right ahead and does it.
Jesus said, "The spirit indeed is willing." That's one part of it.
"But the flesh is weak," and that's the other part of it.
D. v. 18...for to will is present with me; but how to perform that
which is good I find not. WHY? Because, ...evil is present with
me (v. 21). There is the problemevil is present with me. And
it will ALWAYS be present with you and I as long as we are in this
fleshly body of death (v. 24). Evil is present when I pray, read
my Bible... go to church preach the Word... witness, etc.
One old Puritan preacher said, When I pray, I sin. When I
preach, I sin. My very repentance needs to be repented of.
And my tears need washing in the blood of Christ.
E. SIX LAWS in this section of Romans 7. (v. 23I see another law
in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.)
1. ...the law... (v. 16)the Mosaic law. How does Paul consent
unto the law in this conflict? By hating and condemning the
wrong that he does, he does the same thing the law does

It condemns sin. By condemning sin in his own life, he consents to the law that it is good.
2. "I find then a law (v. 21). This is not a legal precept like the
Ten Commandments. It is a law like the law of gravity that
operates automatically.
3. The law of God (v. 22) Gods moral law.
4. The law of my mind (v. 23). The convictions of the believer
(Ive made up my mind.). The mind wants to operate a certain way, and something in his members won't let him do it.
5. The law of sin (vs. 23, 25). The law of sin is also called the
"law of sin and death (8:2) because it brings forth death.
6. There is another law (v. 23) which is the law of the flesh
which is in league with the law of sin.

III. The RELEASE from the conflict. (7:24-25).

In 1886, Robert Louis Stevenson, who was a Christian, wrote The
Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. He got the idea for the story
from his own experience with the conflict of his two natures.
Dr. Jekyll has great inward battles A desire for good and a part of
him who desired evil. He finally resolves to separate his evil side from his
good side in order that his life could go as he wished. He concludes if he
splits his two natures, then he can enjoy life as Dr. Jekyll during the day
and allow Mr. Hyde to roam freely at night.
As time went on, Dr. Jekyll discovered he could not overcome his evil
nature because it became more and more powerful. In the end, the only
thing that freed him from his conflict with Mr. Hyde was death.
There is a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in all of us. If you dont believe it,
just let an unexpected problem arise, or hit your thumb with a hammer,
or stub your toe on something in the dark. Watch Mr. Hide reveal himself.
Just as Dr. Jekyll could not control the evil nature of Mr. Hyde, we do
not have the power within ourselves to eliminate the power of the flesh.
We will battle with Mr. Hyde (sin that dwelleth in me) as long as we are
in this flesh. Our ultimate release will be death or the coming of Christ.

A. Pauls DESPERATION (v. 24). Paul cried, Who shall deliver me

from the body of this death? Do you feel this way sometimes?
Are you trapped and frustrated? Are you crying, Who will deliver
me from the body of this death?
Near Tarsus, where Paul was born, an ancient tribe sentenced
convicted murderers to a gruesome execution. The corpse of the
person they murdered was chained tightly to the killers back until he died. Wherever the killer moved or walked, the body was
tied to him. The stench of decay, flies, maggots, and psychological trauma plagued or infected the killer and led to his death.
Some murderers were buried with their victims still attached to
their body.
Paul desired to be free from the body of death or body of sinfulness that shadowed him. O wretched man that I am! Paul has
come to an end of himself and realizes he cant win on his own
and need help from outside himself.
B. Pauls DELIVERANCE (v. 25). He cries out WHO shall deliver
me from the body of this death? This is where God can finally
step in and give victory!
Paul answers his own question (v. 25) I thank God
THROUGH JESUS CHRIST our Lord. Our deliverance comes from
without, from the Lord Jesus Christ.
SUMMATION: (v. 25) So then with the mind present tense ...I myself the real me, ...serve the law of God. The real me wants to obey
God and serve God but with the flesh the law of sin. In other words,
My body goes right on under the curse of the law, rebelling against God.
Romans 7 sets the stage for Romans 8 The Victory Chapter.
1. Death has severed our bondage to the Law. We are not to be controlled by the Law, but by our new husband.
2.
3.

When a believer tries to live a life that is pleasing to God in his own
strength, he will fail every time.
That very failure makes him realize he needs Gods help to give him
victory found in Romans 8.