The Problem Of Sin Is Worse Than We Thought

Introduction - Our Society does not take sin seriously.

You don’t often hear people publicly admitting to sin.

I’ve made a mistake, I should have done that better

When we look at ourselves with honesty, we admit that we don’t take sin seriously

We make allowance for it in our lives

We think that we can deal with it when we want to.

It's not a question of do we take sin seriously, we don’t. The question is why don’t we take sin seriously?

My guess is that we underestimate the power of sin in life and that we underestimate God’s hatred of sin.

Today we are going to join in progress Paul’s letter to the Church in Rome.

We are jumping in at chapter 7

So far, Paul has been building a case for salvation apart from works. We are not saved because we do the right things.

In chapter 7, Paul begins to build a case for sanctification apart from the law, the law of God on its own does not have the power to make us holy. (The problem is with us, not Gods law).

The first 6 verses in Romans 7 show us our spiritual reality. This is a descriptor of your status if you are a Christian.

Romans 7:1–6 (HCSB)

1 Since I am speaking to those who understand law, brothers, are you unaware that the law has authority over someone as long as he lives? 2 For example, a married woman is legally bound to her husband while he lives. But if her husband dies, she is released from the law regarding the husband. 3 So then, if she gives herself to another man while her husband is living, she will be called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law. Then, if she gives herself to another man, she is not an adulteress. 4 Therefore, my brothers, you also were put to death in relation to the law through the crucified body of the Messiah, so that you may belong to another—to Him who was raised from the dead—that we may bear fruit for God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions operated through the law in every part of us and bore fruit for death. 6 But now we have been released from the law, since we have died to what held us, so that we may serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old letter of the law.

There are a few things going on this section.

An example from marriage

The marriage example applied to our standing with God through Jesus

The conclusion, we are released from the law so that we can serve God in a better way.

Lets quickly touch on these. The example from marriage

A couple is married, and is bound together by marriage.

When one of them dies, the other is no longer legally bound.

?Simple, lets apply that to our standing with God through Jesus.

Jesus died on the cross for our sins. In God’s sight, when you become a Christian the part of you that is bound by sin is put to death as well, through Jesus sacrifice. So legally, in God’s eyes, sin no longer has any claim on your life.

Let me remind you, that sin’s claim on your life was death. That claim is resolved in Jesus. You are no longer sin’s slave, you are completely free to love God and serve him without any obstacles.

Let me give you an illustration to help you understand this.

Pretend that you are married

How would your heart feel towards your spouse?

You would want to daily show love and faithfulness, holding nothing back and being completely free and open.

Take that heart desire, and use it to shape your perspective on your relationship with God.

That is our ideal, but I know and you know and Paul knows, that none of us are living this out the way that we want.

Why is this the case? How come we want to serve God and we have a clue to how loving and amazing he is, but then we still sin?

The title is starting to make sense, The problem of sin is far worse then we thought. We have the opportunity for a perfect relationship with God, but we still sin. If it were easy, this wouldn’t happen, but’s harder then we want to admit.

Lets learn a little more about how sin is working against each one of us. Sin’s plan is to use God’s law against you.

Romans 7:7–8 (HCSB)

7 What should we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin if it were not for the law. For example, I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, Do not covet. 8 And sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind. For apart from the law sin is dead.