We know the war is real when we experience the wrestle between the flesh and the spirit. All Christians know this fight.
Romans 7: Released from the Law
1 Or do you not know, brothers---for I am speaking to those who know the law---that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives?
2 For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage.
3 Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.
4 Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.
5 For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.
6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.
The Law and Sin
7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, "You shall not covet."
8 But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead.
9 I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died.
10 The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me.
11 For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.
12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.
14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.
15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good.
17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.
20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.
22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being,
23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
Things to think about…
1. Paul says the law is binding – like marriage is binding before God, Rom 7:1-6. But if a husband dies the wife is free to marry. So too with the law. Christ has died and rose again; we are now free from the law, vs 4. Paul’s point is that we belong to Another and as such are released from the law. We now serve the Spirit, vs 6 and not the law. Praise God for the freedom we have in Christ.
2. Does the law now have no purpose? Paul asks, is the law sinful? His answer – certainly not!, Rom 7:7. What then is the purpose of the Levitical law and the Ten Commandments? Paul goes on to say that it showed up our problem – our sin, Rom 7:8ff. We don’t have the need for a Saviour unless we are shown the fact that sin is working in us and that this is the thing that separates us from God. Paul says it (sin) killed him, vs 11. This is why we need to preach the OT law. We need to know that we are all spiritually dead and if Christ is not accepted as our Saviour we will remain spiritually and eternally dead. A fearful thing.
3. Paul then goes on to explain that his fleshly nature makes him do what he doesn’t want to do and vice versa, Rom 7:15-20. Some commentators believe that Paul is speaking about his previous life as one who was under the law and not under grace. They say this is not the case for the Christian. But Paul seems to be saying in these verses that he still struggles with the sinful nature, hence his conclusion on Rom 7:25. I do too and as such I find incredible comfort from Paul’s honesty in these verses. The war for the Christian is still very real. Even though we have the Holy Spirit we are still sinners at heart. This is the tension we must hold until we finally depart and be with the Lord.
4. I believe one of the things that confirms that Paul is speaking as part of a post conversion experience in Rom 7 is found in vs 22. We can only delight in the law in our inner being through the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul tells us before his conversion he obeyed the law outwardly, but he did not delight in it in his ‘inner being’. He was a Pharisee and everything to the Pharisees was outward and hypocritical, their hearts were hard. As such as a Pharisee Paul could never say what he says in Rom 7:24, 25. The Pharisees believed they could fulfil the law through their righteousness. Paul says this is only possible through the righteousness of Christ, who delivers us from the law’s death sentence. The glorious truth remains for Paul and for us “Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”, vss 24, 25.The is the good news of the gospel. Amen.
Vision statement for CBC
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Prayer Points
1. Baptism service on Sunday 5th Jan
2. Conversions and more visitors this time of year.
3. Prayer for Israel and Ukraine.
4. Pray for the work we have going on with site development and TMR and the ways forward whether with our friends at the Drive-in or elsewhere.
5. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to increase.
Praise Points
1. Praise the Lord for Carols and Christmas services. Had around 100 people. Biggest Carols in many years. Most were from the community and had never been to CBC.
2. PlayPatch finished. Most we have had this year, 7 families came – mums and dads
3. More baptisms in the new year.
4. Café, music, sound and technical team every week
5. Joy, peace and grace we see at CBC. Thankyou Lord
Announcements
1. Baptism service 5th Jan.
2. Working bee at Church 18th Jan
3. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
4. Tune in again this week on our YouTube page. Subscribe to the CBC channel Chuwar Baptist YouTube channel.
Catechism questions for January...
Q. 28. What effect did Adam’s sin have on all mankind?
A. All mankind are born in a state of sin and misery.
