by 7:14-25

CHRISTIAN LIFE BY GOD’S GRACE Chosen by God before creation Born again by the Holy Spirit – Regeneration Internally called by the Holy Spirit Godly sorrow over their sin Confession of their sin Repentance from their sin Faith/Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ Justified, forgiven & adopted by the Father Baptized to publically identify with Jesus Christ Sanctified progressively by the Holy Spirit on earth(chapters 6-8) Glorified by God when in heaven An unbroken continuum

PRINCIPLES Believers are justified by grace through faith in Jesus Christ apart from law keeping Believers are sanctified by grace through the power of the Holy spirit apart from law keeping God’s Law is holy, righteous and good God’s Law cannot justify or sanctify a person On earth the believer still has a sin nature On earth the believer has an inner spiritual war Augustine, Luther, Calvin, John Owen, Jonathan Edwards, John Murray, J, I. Packer, R. C. Sproul, James Boice, John Piper, John, MacArthur

7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

7:21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

INNER SPIRITUAL WAR Romans 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Already justified, forgiven, adopted…so be who you are! But not yet home, glorified...so you are at war!

INNER SPIRITUAL WAR Galatians 5:1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

Romans 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. Paul was not struggling because he was an unregenerate sinner. Paul was struggling because he was a redeemed saint!

Romans 7:18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. Paul had sin sensitivity. Sin makes you numb. Unbelievers are content and do not struggle

Romans 7:21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.

Romans 7:24 Wretched man that I am Romans 7:24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. The more you love the Lord Jesus Christ The more you are aware of your sinfulness The more you rely on Him and not yourself!

CHRISTIAN LIFE ON EARTH Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way

PRINCIPLES Believers are justified by grace through faith in Jesus Christ apart from law keeping Believers are sanctified by grace through the power of the Holy spirit apart from law keeping God’s Law is holy, righteous and good God’s Law cannot justify or sanctify a person On earth the believer still has a sin nature On earth the believer has an inner spiritual war “The truly humble soul is devastated by the smallest expression of depravity but nearly oblivious to great progress in goodness and obedience.”  Jonathan Edwards

PRINCIPLES On earth, no Christian lives in continual defeat by sin because they are a new creation On earth, no Christian lives in continual victory over sin because they still have a sin nature On earth all Christians are in a spiritual war All Christians have the Holy Spirit in them to progressively win the war

APPLICATIONS Have you confessed, repented and trusted in The Lord Jesus Christ to save you? Do you love God and His word? Do you hate your sin nature? Are you aware you are in a constant war? Do you want to win? How often do you call on the Holy Spirit? How are you strengthening your faith?