Sometimes I Don’t Want to Obey
15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
Romans 7:15
You’re absolutely right! Two men who lived in the same village got into a terrible dispute that they could not resolve. So they decided to talk to the town sage. The first man went to the sage’s home and told his version of what happened. When he finished, the sage said to him, “You’re absolutely right.” The next night, the second man called on the sage and told his side of the story. And the sage responded to him, “You’re absolutely right.” Afterward, the sage’s wife scolded her husband. “Those men told you two different stories and you told each of them they were absolutely right. That’s impossible. They can’t both be absolutely right.” The sage turned to his wife and said, “You’re absolutely right.”’
This is one of my favorite passages of scriptures. In Romans 7:14-25 the Apostle Paul paints a picture of this struggle between good and evil that is going on right now on the battleground of our hearts and in the depths our very souls. In this battle it really is as if we have a angel of the almighty God sitting on one shoulder and a red demon with pitchfork and horns sitting on the other. The one whispers in one ear that we should do good and follow God’s ways. The other shouts in the other ear that we ought to be able to do what we want to do and to look out for number one.
The War of Two Worlds
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.
Romans 7:21-23
So there you have it… on the one hand we hate the idea of sin. And on the other hand… we love to sin.
Which is true? They are both absolutely right. They are both true. I hate sin… and I love sin.
There used to be a TV show in the 60’s called the Twilight Zone. In this weird world anything can happen – and usually does.
Well, I confess that I often feel like I live in a twilight zone – a strange land between two worlds at war with one another. It is my private war of the worlds – the world of sin and world of God.
In this great cosmic battle for my soul I am both hero and villain. I am the valiant knight astride his noble stallion and I am the filthy peasant wallowing in the pig sty. I am the gentle nobleman and I am the barbarous criminal. I am the captain of the Kings ship and I am a pirate who bows to no one and lives only for his own pleasure.
I am both. I am a saint – and a sinner.
And I’m not the only one in the room living in a battle ground between two worlds am I?
A couple of weeks ago I asked you to turn to some one and say, “It’s not you – it’s me.” Most of you did ok with that – a few of you said, “It’s not you, It’s Rick. Some of you were brave enough to say, “It’s not me – it’s you.” You can recognize those fellows pretty easily – just look for the guys with black eye and who startle easily whenever there a quick movement or sudden noise.
Well, today I’d like you to turn to someone and say, “It’s not me – It’s me! Do that right now and no cheating!
Good News!
Well have I got some good news for you!
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!
Romans 7:24-25
Now here is the good news! It’s the good news of Jesus. It’s the gospel of God. This news was declared to the shepherds on the hillside on the day Jesus was born. It was predicted by the prophets whose words are recorded for us in the Old Testament. It has been proclaimed by preachers of God to anxious crowds from the day of Pentecost until this very day.
The battle against death has been joined and Jesus won. It’s over and the victory is assured even as the battle continues inside of me.
If you are a follower of Jesus you have joined the battle for your soul. Paul says it this way as he describes himself and all of us. Let’s look at the reality of our battle that rages inside of all of us.
Two Natures in One Person
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
Romans 7:25
Our condition is that we have become righteous because we have put on Jesus.
Our position is that we have entered into the battle of two natures in one person – the old carnal, selfish, sin centered nature and the new spiritual, Godly nature.
So we not defeated… In fact we’ve been rescued by Jesus who was sent to save us from the evil one. The victory is ours – we just need to live like the winners we are.
So how is this to be done? Paul tells us how in his next words.
Change Your Mind
5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
Romans 8:5
When you put your faith in Jesus – God changes you.
Let me show you how this works. Before Jesus our carnal nature or sinful nature ruled but when we entered into our covenant with God something changed… We were born again. We got a free do-over and we have a new spiritual nature that was resurrected in our dead end life.
Put the Sinful Nature to Death
6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
Our God is a God of second chances. Our God is a God of forgiveness. When we repent – change our minds about who we are going to live for – God wipes the slate clean and gives us a new
This is the hard part but Jesus did that for us on the cross. Tabula Rasa – blank slate.
Romans 8:6-8
Repentance is the turning of the heart toward God
You died to the sinful – carnal nature
Set Your Mind on Christ
9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
Romans 8:9
Baptism
Romans 6:3-5
3 …don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
Your parents can’t do this for you when you are a baby. You as a repentant believer give up your life to Jesus. You die to the old self and you live for Jesus.
You can’t be buried with sprinkling of dirt.
You can’t be cleansed with cup of water.
Baptism is the perfect picture of our death, burial to our old carnal nature and our resurrection to a new life in Jesus.
If you have never been baptized into Jesus you need to do this thing. It is your way of declaring yourself dead to the sinful nature and alive with spirit of Christ.
It’s not just an optional symbol that you can take or leave. It is so much more than that. Baptism is the declaration of your soul – I belong to Jesus!
There is nothing quite like it.
Reset Your Mind on God
10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
Romans 8:10
Remembering
Renewing
Refreshing
I am like a computer that gets clogged up with all kinds of spyware, pop ups, pop unders, and poorly written programs. Sometimes you just have to reboot and start up fresh again.
The Lord’s Supper is a way of resetting and rebooting my life.
Living with your Mind on God
12 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
Romans 8:12-14
I am God’s son. You are a child of God. His son. His daughter. We all belong to his family with all the rights and privileges a royal son should receive. They are all ours.
If anyone tells you different – they are a liar – and that includes Belezebub.
God wants to give you incredible blessings:
An acceptance that can never be questioned. (Ephesians 1:6).
A nearness to God that can never be reversed (Ephesians 2:13).
An inheritance that can never be lost (I Peter 1:3-5).
A deliverance that can never be excelled (2 Corinthians l:10).
A righteousness that can never be tarnished (2 Corinthians 5:21).
A grace that can never be limited (2 Corinthians 12:9).
A hope that can never be disappointed. (Hebrews 6:18, 19).
A salvation that can never be canceled (Hebrews 5:9).
A bounty that can never be withdrawn. (I Colossians 3:21-23).
A joy that need never be diminished (John 15:11).
A peace that can never be disturbed (John 14:27).
