I usually like to start my sermons with a nice introduction that captures the audience’s attention. I like to paint a contemporary picture that helps you relate to and connect with the biblical pericope. But this morning, can we get down to the heart of the matter? Can you pull up your chair and let’s rap-a-taste? Is there anyone in here who would like to open up your heart; lay the cards on the table and be honest with yourself? Well, if nobody wants to make the first move let me throw out this question for you to ponder. Are you tired of struggling with sin?
(Ughh) I think I just might have messed up because I said the “S” word. I haven’t been two minutes into the sermon and I think about 46 people just tuned me out. If I was preaching at Lakewood Church in Houston, this would probably be my last sermon. Let me see if I can make the atmosphere a little more comfortable. Paul said in the third chapter of Romans that all have sinned (past tense) and fall short (present tense) of the glory of God. Some people like to replace the word “all”, with “ya’ll”. But the Bible says, “All” have sinned. This means that you and me have sinned and will miss the mark falling short of God’s glory. I hope I have everybody back on board since we’re all in the same boat.
Now back to the question at hand, are you tired of struggling with sin? I mean who’s tired of satan winning the majority of the battles in your life? Who’s been praying for deliverance, but yet you find yourself stumbling over the same sins over and over again? Is there anybody who feels like Donnie McClurkin’s song, “We Fall Down” has been scratched and reversed by the DJ and it never gets to the part that says, “But we get up?”
• Do you ever feel like life is a game of tug-a-war, but you always find yourself falling flat on your bottom? Does it feel like weeping endures night after night after night, and you never find that joy in the morning?
Can I get a witness or am I standing in this line all by myself? I just want to know if anybody ever finds themselves asking the question must I continue to struggle. This is the question placed before us on this morning, and it is the question that we are seeking to answer as we live in what we call the Christian life.
Must I continue to struggle? This isn’t a 21st century question, but in our text Paul finds himself in spiritual warfare that I’m sure led him to ask similar questions if not the same question. This letter where we find Paul’s struggle was written to the Roman Church to teach them Christian doctrines, and show them how to apply God’s Word to their lives. Paul had a great desire to visit the church in Rome, but in the meantime he just wanted them to know what he stood for and who he represented.
Paul had a very interesting life, before his name change from Saul to Paul; he was the grim reaper that fought against the church. He had no idea that God was behind the establishment of the church, therefore he tried to destroy the will of God. How many of you know that no matter what God’s will is, you can’t do anything to prevent it from coming to past?
• Maybe this is a word for somebody who feels like the man or woman is out to get you and hold you back from reaching your goals. If God has willed it in your life then you don’t have to worry because it will be so.
But in this text we find Paul who has been converted and changed by Jesus Christ. He’s a Christian and a prisoner of the Lord. And although Paul had given his life to Christ, he found himself struggling with sin. Can I bring it a little closer to home? Even though Paul walked down the aisle and gave the preacher his hand and his heart to God, was baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, attended 8 & 11:00 worship service, went to Bible study on Wednesday, sung in the choir, served on the usher board, preached from the pulpit, he still found himself struggling with sin. Holla if you hear me.
You would think that being a Christian exempts us from the battle with sin, that working for the Lord keeps the hell hounds off your track. But this kind of thinking is why some have decided that the Christian life isn’t for them. Being a Christian doesn’t keep satan from attacking you, as a matter of fact, becoming a Christian marks the moment in your life that real fight has just begun.
• You see satan doesn’t bother you much when you’re living for him, because if you’re not on God’s side, you’re on satan’s side. But when you decided that you want to serve the Lord for the rest of your life, that’s when satan attempts to make your life a living hell.
Well, what is the problem? Paul’s discourse in Romans chapter six let us know that being in Christ frees us from the power of sin, but not from the presence of sin. You see when I go into the chocolate factory I can enough self-control not to buy those chocolate covered strawberries, but my self-control doesn’t make them disappear when I walk in the chocolate factory, they’re still there looking all sweet and juicy.
• Being in Christ means that sin no longer has the power to control us, but this fact doesn’t stop satan from coming after us, and it doesn’t mean that I’m not going to fall short of God’s glory at times. But I can hear someone saying, “Must I Continue to Struggle?”
The struggle and fight against sin doesn’t make for a pretty picture. It can cause heartache and pain, grief and shame, and if you really want to be honest it makes you want to throw in the towel. At one time in Paul’s life, this is the point he had reached. It got so bad for him that he cried out, “Ohhh, What a wretched man I am! Who will set me free from this body of death?”
Paul delighted in God’s law, but he found another law at work in him, and it waged war against his mind making him a prisoner of sin. Paul was trying to live a pleasing life for God, yet he realized that there wasn’t anything good inside of him. In other words, Paul realized that his spiritual man and his flesh were occupying the same space, and at this time in his life his flesh (the sinful nature) was winning the battle. Therefore, Paul came to the conclusion that nothing good lives inside of him.
Paul said, “I really don’t understand myself at all, I really want to do right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate. And I know what I’m doing is wrong, because I agree that God’s law is good and that it shows me where I’m messing up, but it seems like I can’t help myself. The sin inside me makes me do these evil things.
• No matter which way I turn, I can’t make myself do right. Don’t get me wrong, I want to do right, but I can’t. But if I am doing what I don’t want to do, I’m really not the one who is doing it; the sin within me is doing it. It almost seems like a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I just end up doing what is wrong.”
Has anyone been through this same struggle before? Can you relate to what Paul was going through at this point in his life? You want to do good, you’re trying really hard to do what’s right, but at the end of the day you find that you did the wrong things. You just went to the store to buy some milk, but when you get in the car you pull out that penny and start scratching. You just wanted some milk, but you leave with more than you came for and really ended up spending $15 for a gallon of milk.
• You’re just trying to have friendly conversation, but at the end of the conversation you walk away with a phone number, when you already have somebody at home. You didn’t really want the number, but the sin inside persuaded you to get the digits.
These are the kind of sinful struggles that make us cry out like Paul, “Ohh, what a miserable person I am, who will set me free from this life that is dominated by sin?” It gets so bad that the ultimate question is, “Must I Continue to Struggle?” It seems like a hopeless situation, but the answer is in Jesus Christ!
• You might not see the light at the end of the tunnel, but there are brighter days. Don’t give up now, you’ve come too far from where you started, and the Lord won’t leave you nor will He forsake you. The question of the day is, “Must I Continue to Struggle,” and the answer is No!
A lot of times we struggle with various things because we accept it as a way of life, but God didn’t save you so that you can live a miserable life, but so that you can have life and have it abundantly. When we realize this, we’ll know that we don’t have to continue to struggle with sin, and if we are struggling it means that we need to check ourselves.
So, why don’t I have to continue to struggle? I’m glad you asked. It seems like at the end of Romans chapter 7 Paul leaves us with no hope at all, it seems like that although we’re saved, we still have to struggle with sin, but that’s why you have to keep reading. As we move into Romans chapter 8 we find that the answers to our question is right here.
God never leaves us hanging; He always gives us a solution to our problems, and the first solution to our question is that we don’t have to continue to struggle because we have been set free from the law of sin and death.
Verse 1&2 of Romans 8 says, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” There was a time that we were guilty and the punishment was death, but because we have been washed in the blood of the lamb we are now declared not guilty. We are not only declared not guilty, but we are also set free from the law of sin. The Spirit of life is the Holy Spirit, and it is He that sets us free, once and for all, from sin and its natural consequence, death.
Paul uses the word “law” in verse 2 to show that we are no longer under the authority of sin, but now under the authority of the Holy Spirit. We are no longer slaves to sin because now the Holy Spirit lives in us, so that we can live according to the Spirit. Now think about it, the Holy Spirit is a member of the Trinity.
• If God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are one and equal, if their power is the same and they are all God, then in reality I have God living inside of me. If the most powerful being lives inside of me and I have been set free from sin and death because of God’s indwelling, then should I continue to struggle? No!
If I’m a member of the body of Christ and I continue to struggle with sin, then that means I’m not allowing the Holy Spirit to have authority in my life. Although the Holy Spirit lives inside of me, the Spirit will not force me to do anything; I have to humbly submit myself under His authority.
• Each day the Lord allows me to see, daily I should ask God to have His way in my life. If God’s mercies are new every morning, then I should renew my commitment to follow Him daily as well.
• A child of God does not have the excuse that their flesh made them do it, because being in Christ automatically gives you the power to have authority over sin and be set free from it.
Let me clear something up, being set free from sin and death doesn’t mean that a child of God is free from sinning or free from dying. It means that we can live a life that isn’t filled with sin, which will cause one to struggle, and it means we are free from the death penalty of sin, and our souls won’t be condemned on judgment day.
So, being set free from sin mean that you don’t have to continue to struggle. The Holy Spirit will lead and guide you through the attacks of satan victoriously, but it is up to you if you want to have victory over sin. Therefore, we don’t have to continue to struggle because we’ve been set free from the law of sin and death.
In our text we find another solution to our question, “Must I Continue to Struggle?” The solution is we don’t have to continue to struggle if we change our mind set. Look at verse 6, “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.” The reason why some of us struggle with sin is because our minds are set on the flesh.
• If you choose to keep your mind set on the flesh, then it will result in death, both spiritual and physical. There may be someone who isn’t quite sure what their mind set is, so let’s see if we can make it clearer.
If all you do is sit around thinking about your next sin, then your mind is set on the flesh. If a certain sin feels so good to you, that you have to get another hit, then your mind is set on the flesh. If you know deep in your heart that what you’re doing or about to do is wrong, but you do it anyway, then your mind is set on the flesh.
• But your mind is set on the Spirit when you don’t curse out (back home we say cuss), when you don’t curse out that person who just gave you a mouth full. Your mind is set on the Spirit when you follow God’s way of life, rather than doing everything the world does. Your mind is set on the Spirit when you fall to sin and not waddle in it, but get right back up.
• A mind set on the flesh leads to death, but a mind set on the Spirit is life and peace. The choice is yours.
If your mind is set on the flesh, then you can expect to continue to struggle, but this sermon wouldn’t be beneficial if I didn’t tell how to change your mind set. Changing your mind set can be very simple, you just have to use some of your five senses to do so.
• #1 – Sight, stop looking at everything that comes before your eyes. There are some things on television that we see and if we see it long enough we decide that we want to try it. Television isn’t the only place we see things, but we need to stop watching everything others do, their actions and attitudes.
• There are some things we see so much that it starts to desensitize us to the point that we think it’s ok to watch and do. Satan has a way of making things look innocent, but behind the curtain all we find is sin that separates us from fellowship and relationship with God.
#2 – Hearing, stop listening to everything and everybody. This is from music all the way to conversations. Some of us may need to stop picking up the telephone at night when you know it’s pass your bedtime. There are some things we hear that will cause our mind to be set on the flesh, rather than the Spirit. And the other three senses I’m going to leave alone, but I think you get the picture.
It’s not hard to change our mind set when we filter what comes through our five senses, and it will help us to have a mind that is set on the Spirit. We do not have to continue to struggle if we simply change our mind set.
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Finally, as I get ready to close, prepare for momma’s cooking on Thursday, sit down and be happy all by myself, I see one more solution to our question, “Must I Continue to Struggle?” It is, we don’t have to continue to struggle when we are led by the Spirit of God. Verse 14 says, “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”
There is a game that we played as children called Simon says. One person was chosen to be Simon, while the others did whatever Simon said. It was one person, dictating what everyone else did. (Do a little sample of Simon says) If it wasn’t too crazy, we did whatever Simon said.
• Well, this game is still being played today, except the world is Simon, and there are some Christians doing whatever Simon says. Simon says cheat your way up the corporate ladder, so you do. Simon says abortions are ok, so you get one. Simon says it’s ok to have a girlfriend, and you’re a woman yourself. Simon says God doesn’t care what you’re going through, so you lose faith in God.
We need to be careful listening to what Simon says, because it would be a shame if one day you lift up your eyes from hell, standing right next to Simon!
We should be led by the Spirit of God and do what God says. God said let there be light and there was, God spoke all of creation into being, except for man who He formed from the dust, but if I’m being led by the Creator of all things, then I don’t have to continue to struggle with sin.
To be led by the Spirit of God is to simply obey His commands. If the Spirit says go right, go right. If the Spirit says stop, then stop. If Spirit says that man or woman isn’t good for you, then you bet not walk down aisle.
• Whatever direction the Spirit of God leads us in then we should follow. Struggles with sin won’t be struggles at all if we allow the Spirit to lead.
• How many times has the Spirit led you one way, but you decided to go the other way, and in the end and through all the pain and consequences you finally understood why the Spirit’s way was better?
We see that those who are led by the Spirit are called sons of God. As children of God, one of our privileges is the leadership of the Spirit. Only those who belong to God have the opportunity to be led by Him, it is also God’s children who don’t have to struggle with sin because of the power of our Father and the power He has placed inside of us. We don’t have to continue to struggle as long as we are led by the Spirit of God.
The question presented this morning, “Must I Continue to Struggle?”, has been answered in several different ways, but the simple answer to the question is No! Paul had obviously struggled as a believer at one point in his life, but as we saw in chapter 8, Paul found the solutions to his struggles.
Paul found that the Spirit of life had freed him from the law of sin and death, so he didn’t have to struggle anymore. Paul realized that if his mind set changed and was set on the Spirit, then he didn’t have to struggle anymore.
• And Paul understood that being a child of God and being led by the Spirit of God, meant that he didn’t have to struggle anymore. Is it anybody here who is going through what Paul went through?
• Do you feel like all hope is gone when it comes to the battles with your flesh. Do you ever wonder when will you finally get your act together?
You’re not alone, for there are many Christians that are going through the same thing, but you have to realize that the battle is already won. Victory was declared when Jesus rose from the grave, with all power in His hands. Live through the power of God that’s inside of you, and you’ll see your victories outnumber your defeats…..
We won’t be perfect in this world, but we don’t have to struggle with sin
