Scripture Reference: – Romans 7:15-19 – Romans 13:14 – l John 3:9
15 I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. 16 But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 17 So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.
“Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires”
“Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God”
“You can’t stop birds from flying over your head, but you can stop them from making a nest in your hair.” – Martin Luther – As a Christian, the good news is Here, Paul is telling us that all efforts at reform and personal improvement are doomed to fail, if carried out in our own strength. Paul wants to do good but does not: For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want (v 19). Paul is still ultimately responsible for what actions he takes.
A Quick Look At Paul’s Convictions
Paul has some powerful words for the church in Rome. The sin nature in each person influences what we do and the choices we make. In these verses, Paul is telling us that even if we want to do what we know is good, the sin inside of us can cause us to do those things we don’t want to. Making mistakes is an inevitable part of being a human because we all have a sin nature.
Bible scholars disagree about Paul’s exact perspective in Romans 7:15-25. Is he describing himself before he became a Christian or after. Paul’s choice of Greek words here strongly suggests that this is a personal, literal description of his current experience. Any phrasing in this section contrasts with other parts of Romans in the use of first-person, singular, present-tense construction. In either case, he seems to be saying that his desire to do good, even if he doesn’t actually do it, shows that he agrees that God’s law is good.
In other words, the fact that any person, Christian or not, wants to “do right,” instead of “do wrong,” is itself evidence that God’s law is “beautiful, noble, & upright,” which is what the Greek word for “good” means here. Put another way, wanting to do good shows that we humans know that God is right in the commands He has given to us in His law, even if we do not keep them.
I occasionally hear professing Christians ask (with a helpless sounding voice), “Why won’t God take this desire away from me so I’ll stop sinning?” These are people who say they truly desire to be free from their sexual sin, substance abuse, gluttony, materialism, love for the world, etc. Again they ask, “Why do I keep sinning?” According to Scripture, the answer is simple — because they keep choosing to disobey God. Jesus said, “If you love me you will obey my commandments.”
We humans are really very smart creatures. We are also very predictable. Our actions show our priorities. We have a conscience to know right from wrong and while we attempt to do good, we also are willing to do wrong in spite of the fact that we know better. We also have the pathetic ability to justify our sinful choices with excuses that make us feel sorry for ourselves. While some do have legitimate 3 trauma to overcome, most of us know that our sin is simply a pathetic choice to give in to our fleshly desires for a moment or two of comfort and pleasure.
Who’s the culprit?
Why do there remain those few pet sins — those few areas we just can’t get a hold of? Here are some questions I’ve found helpful to identify the culprit of our sinful actions:
● With what and with whom do you surround yourself?
● Are your friends helping you or hurting you when it comes to living right for Jesus?
● How do you spend your free time?
● What do you find yourself thinking about when your mind is free to wander?
● Do you find yourself making excuses for your sinful actions and then feeling sorry for yourself?
Listen to what the Bible says: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world — the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions — is not from the Father but is from the world.” (1 John 2:15-16). It’s pretty clear: If you love the world and the things of the world, God’s love is not in you.
Is your heart set on worldly things? Do you find yourself longing after things you see and don’t have? Are you financially discontent? Do you notice yourself overly concerned about the way you look? Do you need to feel important in the eyes of all your friends and family? Are you preoccupied with a desire for premarital sex or adultery? If your thoughts often fall into one or more of these categories, you may have found your enemy. Jeremiah reveals, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)
Jesus said, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person” (Matthew 15:17-20). Could the problem lie within your own heart? Only you know the answer to that question, but we all can be sure that an unredeemed heart will produce all these things in abundance.
I want to go out on a limb here and say that we all would do well at this point to put our pride in check and examine our hearts carefully. I was just reading a book called Alarm to the Unconverted by Joseph Alleine. I’m always up throughout the night, but as I was working, I was pleading with the Lord to search and try my heart and bring to mind all the filth and grime that remains, that I might surrender myself still further to the mercy and transforming power of Jesus Christ.
The self-deceived hypocrite is in the worst state of all. He thinks all is well between him and his God (so he sees no need to change or examine himself), when in fact, all is not well. Please, hear my earnest plea for your precious soul. Ask the Lord to do a thorough work of exposing the inner desires and intentions of your heart. Ask him to awaken your conscience and remind you of all the dominating loves and lusts within. This is the first and necessary step toward finding victory over your sin.
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
This popular saying has helped me not worry about things that don’t matter, like spilled milk. But when it comes to transgressing God’s Law, we ought to sweat heavily. Try to always remember that when we sin against God, we need to keep short accounts with him. Don’t let your sin and ungodly behavior build up to where you don’t even remember all of your transgressions.
Come before the Lord and repent quickly, knowing that God's promise is always for those who come to Him with humility. “If you confess your sin, He is faithful and just to forgive your sin and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.” By keeping short accounts with God, we stay in constant fellowship with him.
Every believer who is growing in Grace and in a knowledge of the Word should find it a delight to walk the narrow path of obedience each and every day; we should start each new day asking God to help us to be aware of our sin and to hate it. Yes, there is always going to be a struggle between the flesh and the spirit, until that day when Christ comes back and receives us into glory. Until that time, we fight against sin, we hate it, and our desire is to live a sanctified life, knowing as Paul says “that our labor is not in vain.”
When Jesus was in the garden He sweated great drops of blood. He was in agony, tormented by the choice he had to make between doing His own will or His father’s will. He knew that to obey God would bring Him great difficulty — physically and emotionally. He said, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done… If by any means this cup can pass from me, let it be, BUT — not my will but Thy will be done.” Jesus knew the great cost of obedience, and paid it. His only choice as the Son of God was to obey.
Falling vs. Diving
When someone says they have fallen into a serious sin like having an affair (adultery), they didn’t just fall, they dove. They made a provision for sin; they thought about it, they planned it, and they went forward with it. They continually worked and nursed their sin until it became fully grown. Think about it. If you commit sexual sin (any sex outside of marriage), you have made dozens of intentional, wrong decisions to get yourself there.
Think about the initial texts or the first phone calls. The lustful imaginations, the erotic talk; all the things that get your sexual juices flowing. You don’t realize but you are about to be another victim of S.S.S.S. – “Sudden Sexual Stupidity Syndrome.” You allowed the net to be spread before you, and in your foolishness you dove right in. Satan was working on you, making sure of one thing. “He would show you the bait, but hide the hook.” The overwhelming urge and desires of sexual gratification are so strong that men will gladly walk up the steps of the spiritual gallows to get the prize.
You have a choice of how you dress, how you act, and what you say. With each one of these and following choices, you must actively deny your conscience (God’s Law written on your heart), ignore God’s Word, and insist on pursuing what you know is wrong. That is why the Bible says that we will all be “without excuse” on the Day we stand “before the eyes of Him with whom we must give account.” The 6 Bible says, “Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:15).
This is why “adulterers … shall [not] inherit the kingdom of God.” The difference between a true believer and a false one is that a true convert falls into sin, while a false one dives. Do you ever plan to sin? Do you ever think of ways to get away with that which you know is wrong in God’s eyes? Are you so foolish to not remember that God sees anything and everything that you do. If you willfully participate in sexual sin, you should be concerned about the genuineness of your conversion.
Let’s not forget John’s words in l John 3:9. “ Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in Him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.” John continues his teaching on the topic of those who continue to live in constant, habitual sin. This is most often interpreted as a warning that such people are not believers. While this seems to agree with the general sense of Scripture, John’s advice here is actually being targeted specifically at believers.
In particular, that there is no excuse for sin in the life of a believer. Grace is not a license to sin. Those who sin without remorse, conviction, or change of heart have no relationship with Christ whatsoever. But even a saved Christian has to choose good over evil.
In this verse, the emphasis is on the one “born of God.” God lives in the believer and in every child of God they can no longer live the same life as prior to becoming God’s child. Though believers continue to sin, they will be changed more into the likeness of Christ. This is evidence of the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives, helping them to grow in grace and in a deeper knowledge of God’s Word.
God’s children are expected to reflect his characteristics to some degree. Again, the emphasis is not on perfection, but likeness. An unchanged person is not a true believer. A converted child of God cannot help but live differently because God lives within them. 7
Yes, the true Christian will occasionally fall into sin, but how pathetic is that fall! For the Christian to dive into sin, is as wicked and disgraceful as a pardoned murderer allowing himself to be enticed back into his life of crime. Christ died for us. The call of the Christian life is to die to ourselves and crucify the flesh with its ungodly desires. No matter the heinous nature of the sin you have committed, – if you have come to the foot of the cross with genuine repentance, – the outcome of your salvation is that you are a new man in Christ.
How do you know if you are a true Christian? The evidence of someone who is born again, It is obvious because you are now a slave and disciple of Christ Jesus. You remember fully well the “old man,” where your desires were to live only to yourself and for your gratifications. But Paul made one thing very clear to the Corinthian church.
“If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature ( or creation), – old things have passed away, all things have become new." So when John tells us to examine ourselves to see if we are truly in the faith, it’s quite simple to know if you have really become a child of God; You will know if you’ve really become born again.
Your heart, your mind, your thoughts and desires are no longer the same. The Holy Spirit now dwells within you, and as He comes alongside you each day, he remains the convicting force in your life, always urging you to gain a deeper righteousness and faith in Christ. If you are now truly a child of God, it will be shown in your daily thoughts, actions, words and deeds. You now have a desire to live for Christ, and you will want to strive to be obedient to Him and to His Word.
You will find yourself with a desire to commune with God regularly and you will have a new thirst to read, study and meditate on God’sWord. Jeremiah said it better than I could. “And thy words were found, and thy word became the joy and rejoicing of my heart." Treat the Word of God as if it were buried treasure, literally the bread and water to your soul.
You should find yourself with a new love and passion for the Scriptures, for God’s Word alone will show you the way to stay on the narrow path of righteousness. The Holy Spirit will help you to fight against sin and give you a desire for holiness. The writer of Hebrews told us, – “holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”
Don’t make any mistake about it. If you claim to be a believer, a born again child of God, and yet there is zero evidence of any change in your life, you have deceived yourself. You're no more saved than the devil himself. For that person who says that I got saved X number of years ago, but I’ve just been backsliding for the past 30 years. Sorry, my friend, -you may as well wear a sign on your back that says, unrepentant sinner here, “hell bound.” My God is in the business of changing hearts, and there is no greater delight than finding yourself in a right relationship with God with a heart and mind that now desires the things of the Lord.
Jesus has broken the chains that once bound you to sin, but have you walked right back into your comfortable prison and put them back on because you like the way they make you feel? None of us have an excuse when we willingly give in to our favorite sins. Scripture describes the religious hypocrite as a “dog [that] returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”
So the unregenerate will return to his familiar sins and lie down to enjoy the pleasure of his transgressions. Let’s be honest about this; you know in your heart of heart if you have become a child of God! If you have no desire for true righteousness, then that can be remedied today; you need simply to come to Christ with a broken and contrite heart, knowing that is what God will not despite. Memorize Paul's great declaration in Romans 10:9-10.
“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” One of the greatest joys of my life for more than 20 years is sitting in the presence, talking on the phone, or writing letters to incarcerated men all over this country, a handful on death row, more than 75 who are “LWOP,” - (Life without parole), lifers, and many others who are in prison for some length of time. D Why am I so encouraged? For the simple reason that they have come to embrace the Savior’s forgiveness, and now live a life of faith everyday, serving the Lord with a life of obedience and trust.
I’m thankful for the opportunity to pray for these men and women in bonds, everyday, lifting them up before the throne of grace, pleading with God to keep His hand of grace and mercy upon them, and to strengthen their faith so they may overcome the rigors of incarceration. Oh how I wish that I had more strong men and women of God who would like to have the rewarding experience of becoming a spiritual mentor to “the least of these.”
Anyone reading this who would like to get more information about serving in prison ministry is welcome to call or email me. “folsomprisonministry@yahoo.com – PH: 817-500-1333. Our website is goippm.org – PO Box 763 - Rocklin, CA 95677 In this work, one thing has always been true. “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”
The Antidote
God is not slack in providing a way out of your sins. He is not holding back the answer to you who are still enslaved to your old nature. God is willing if you are willing. He says, “Choose you this day whom you will serve.” You must get desperately honest with yourself. I must get honest with myself. God has given us a mirror to see ourselves in truth and we must look into it. So look intently at the Commandments, and then confess and forsake your sin completely.
Jesus said, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Choose you this day whom you will serve. God is loving, forgiving, compassionate, redeeming, and all-powerful. But you must choose “whom” you will serve. No excuses, no self-pity parties: only surrender. We must once and for all let go of the deceptive pleasures of our sin and cling to the cross for mercy and a new heart that only God can give. God gives strength in abundance to those who repent and trust in him.
Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” If you want to stop sinning, YOU need to stop. God gives you the strength, but YOU do the stopping. If you struggle with alcohol, don’t check out the specials at the liquor store. If you struggle with overeating, don’t drive into McDonald’s for the “Big and Tasty.” Replace your belly’s lusts with a love for honoring God with your body.
If pornography is your problem, stop your monthly subscription to filthy publications and don’t visit those Web sites. Make yourself accountable to your wife and family by having your computer in a common space. It sounds simple because it is. However, these are choices you must make. You need to stop making a provision for sin. But before conversion, a man (or woman) is a slave to sin, unable to bridle the lust of the flesh, but after true conversion, he is not longer a slave to sin (because he has willingly crucified the flesh) and is a new creature, a servant of righteousness.
Final Thought
Our goal needs to be to recognize the voice of the flesh. The flesh may pose as “me” and convince us we have no choice. It may pose as the Spirit. It may frame life as death, and death as life. It has many qualities, but they are all bad, for nothing good dwells in our flesh.
This is a profound insight; Paul will soon tell us “if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13). We have a will, and when we submit our will to the Spirit, we can set aside, separate (put to death) ourselves from this no-good flesh dwelling within. That has the result of leading us to experience the great fruits of life. Therefore we can, by faith, be restored to living according to God’s (good) design for us.
From: Fight the Good Fight of Faith / Life Journal: By Gregg Harris
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