It's Hard Out Here For A P.I.M.P.
Romans 7:14-24
For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23 But I 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. 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Reads like this from the message translation Eugene Peterson
I can anticipate the response that is coming: "I know that all God's commands are spiritual, but I'm not. Isn't this also your experience?" Yes. I'm full of myself-after all, I've spent a long time in sin's prison. What I don't understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can't be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God's command is necessary. But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge. I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question?
Thank you Eugene Peterson, is there anybody out here who love the Lord, come on put your hands together I mean you really, really love Him. Isn't it interesting that no matter how you love God and how much you remember what he done for you, you still find yourself struggling. Struggling with issues of life, struggling with this thing called our flesh. Yes we love God, but we still struggle.
The Apostle Paul understood it all too well, we read in the 7th chapter of the book of Romans that Paul himself had struggles. You know Paul the one who persecuted, that was there when Steven saw stoned, you know Paul the who had the miracles conversion on the road to Damascus. Well it this same Paul who has written most of the new testament, and he says it this way, when I would do good evil is always present with me, that way he said it back then but he could said it another way using a phrase we all can relate to, I think he might of said it like this: It hard out here for a P.I.M.P
My subject to night is; It's hard out here for a P.I.M.P
I'm not talk about the move Terrence Howard stared in call Hustle and Flow even tho that where the word come from, but P.I.M.P stands for something else, I know I lost about some of you as soon as I said P.I.M.P but stay with me I want to use this word as acromion’s P-person I- In M-My P-Position
Paul writes this letter while he is in Corinth it was in the book of Romans, where he discussed such things as righteousness, condemnation and sin. These topics are discussed in the first six chapters of the book of Romans and it is here in chapter seven, where he begins to discuss the topic of sanctification. Paul communicated to the church in Roman that he himself understood that sanctification was a process; he understood that it was a process then and it’s a process now. He understood all too well the struggles of daily life and what one live endured in trying to live holy in a sinful world.
This bring us to our text it is here Paul discusses the difficulties he experiences by living in this world, we all can relate to Paul, here he is trying to do the right thing but he ends up doing the wrong. What I am suppose too do I can’t do and what I don’t want to do I find myself doing.
Paul says I can’t do what I’m supposed to do and I end up doing what I’m not supposed to do, I try to do right, and then I do wrong. Anybody knows what it is to try to do right and to not do right? We must understand that people who love God are real people who go through real things, who have real hurts and real tragedies and trauma in their lives, we come to God and we love God and yet we struggle.
Paul acknowledges that in verses 22 that he loves God word and his commends, it happen regularly that Paul say it has become predictable. He says according to Eugene Peterson it’s pretty obviously that not all of me joins in that delight.
It’s hard out here for a Person In My Position, what is my position to be a save person and the fact that I am saved makes it even harder. We are not just taken up any kind of position but a save position that understands that there are struggles. My position is I have made up my mind that for God I live and For God I will die, but there is so much going on around me at times that it just gets hard, and every now and then I find myself struggling to hold on to the last little bit of self-control that I have. (It’s hard out here for a PIMP!)
There are three things a pimp needs to know:
1. Purpose In My Pain P.I.M.P
2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
You got to understand that God will not allow you to go through something just to allow you to go through it, if you are going through something it's because God is trying to teach you something. I challenge each of you to start asking the question; “Lord what are you trying to show me?) When all hell is breaking out in your life, you need to ask God what are you trying to show me? Don’t cry woe is me song but ask God what are you trying to show me, what lessons are you trying to teach me in this, and once you learned the lesson then you can teach someone else.
Take Peter for an example in Luke chapter 22 verse 32-34 the Lord trying to teach Peter that before the cock crowed you would have denied me three times, but he also said Peter satin desires to sift you as wheat but I have prayed for you that your faith fail not, and Peter when you have been converted go strengthen your brothers. In other word Peter when you changed, when you learned the lessons help somebody else.
2. Passion In My Prayer
Hebrews 4:15-16 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
A person in your position must understand that you must be passionate about talking to God and about the things of God. Go loves us so much that he sent His Son Jesus to die for us and the bible says it’s because of that death that we now have and advocate with the Father. He pleads our cases when the devil comes and accuses us of failing and coming short, and Jesus jumps in and say I know what it’s like even though I did not do I know what it’s like to be tempted.
We have to be passionate about prayer, prayer is how we talk to God and it’s because of what Jesus went through that we can come boldly before the throne of grace. And when we get in trouble we need to run to Him and be passionate about needing His help!
3. Power In My Praise
2 Chronicles 20:22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.
A person in my position has to understand that there is power in my praise it’s only when understand that our praise is a weapon and it is the most powerful tool that we have. You confuse the enemy and God will send ambush against everything that comes against you. It is Isaiah 54:17 that says; No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the LORD.
Some of us need to get a flash back testimony are connected to flashbacks and flashbacks are connected to praise, every now and then God want you to take a look back, to see how God has blessed you, every now and then you ought to rehear it in your spirit. We need a flashback praise!
Now I'm going to give y'all three choices of a praise, y'all better call the fire department tell them the better be on standby because it about to be an implosion. I'm going to give you three kinds of praises a
1. Could a
2. Would a
3. Should a
Praise, somebody alt to praise God for what could a happen, what would a happen and what should a happen but it did not work, every setback was a set-up, every cruse was a blessing, every trail was a triumph, every crook it place was made straight. For those of you who have never been through nothing you have my permission to daydream for the next 90 sec. But for those of you that said I had to fight through Hell and High water just to get through here, but when I think about the goodness of Jesus, and all He done for me.
