Winning The Battle Within

As Compiled by Ptr Ronald Camiling Church of God Lesson on Human Behavior

partly based

INTRODUCTION: “Why is it that I can’t control myself? I know what‘s right and wrong but I just don’t seem to be able to do what’s right?

It wasn’t the first time I had heard those statement in fact it is a common experience.

This is the same experience from our Scriptures today…

TEXT: - Rom 7:14-25 TITLE: WINNING THE BATTLE WITHIN

14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do-this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

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. 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! 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.

According to Dr Tim La Haye; a Christian Psychologist, at the moment of conception we all inherited a kind of what we call …

BASIC GENETIC TEMPERAMENT that contains both our strengths and weaknesses. Temperament: we are born with them.

It is a combination of inborn traits that affects our behavior (subconsciously)

– It is passed on genetically and 6 people contribute to our:

– features. Ex: color of the eyes; body, hair, face, etc;

– skills: artists, musically inclined, sports, business and industry minded.

We have ALSO inherited our “temperament or tendency read V 18- 20)

18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do-this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

This is called several things in the bible namely: sinful nature; old self; flesh; old man… it is the impulse that seeks to satisfy our wants.

CHARACTER

- IS THE REAL YOU. The hidden person of the heart called “ inner being”

- V 21- 22 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;

- 1 Peter 3:4 Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

- The result of childhood training, education, basic attitudes,faith, principle, motivation you learned from parents, school, church, etc

- It is what you really are when no one is around.

PERSONALITY according to Dr Tim la Haye;

- Is the Outward expression of oneself w/c may not be necessarily be the same as the person’s character.

- “ the face we show to others”

- Our personality as we grow older improves and matures.

People are trying to change their life with so many ways doing all that they can. (Rehabs, psychiatric centers, psycho clinics, counseling center, but…

There is nothing like accepting the Lord and allowing the H.S. to mold our life.

- it is when a hard driving, demanding, angry person becomes gracious and kind

- And a fearful and timid and shy individual becomes active and strong

Let us HAVE A BETTER AND MORE OBJECTIVE LOOK AT BOTH YOUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES AND,