Im A Mess
Romans 7:14-25
If you were to nominate a person as the greatest Christian that ever
lived, who would you nominate?
Would it be someone who seemed to always have it all together, and
never stressed about anything?
Would be someone who never had a problem with struggling against
sin?
Would it be a person who always had a smile and always seemed to
have the victory in their life?
I believe the greatest Christian who ever lived was the Apostle Paul.
Yet, even Paul would not fit the description I mentioned above. This is
apparent from what Paul writes in Romans 7:14-25. Paul is giving us a
self-portrait of the struggle that goes on within the lives of every believer
(read text).
In verse 14 Paul confesses, I am carnal [fleshy], sold under sin i.e. still
under the power of the sinful nature.
I.
Getting saved is easy. But after you get saved you discover you
are in a battle. This battle is fought on two fronts.
1. Spiritual warfare against the principalities of this world (Eph.
6:11-12).
2. A war going on within your life (James 4:1; Romans 7:23). In
our text Paul is describing this inward battle from his own
experience.
II.
It condemns sin. By condemning sin in his own life, he consents to the law that it is good.
2. "I find then a law (v. 21). This is not a legal precept like the
Ten Commandments. It is a law like the law of gravity that
operates automatically.
3. The law of God (v. 22) Gods moral law.
4. The law of my mind (v. 23). The convictions of the believer
(Ive made up my mind.). The mind wants to operate a certain way, and something in his members won't let him do it.
5. The law of sin (vs. 23, 25). The law of sin is also called the
"law of sin and death (8:2) because it brings forth death.
6. There is another law (v. 23) which is the law of the flesh
which is in league with the law of sin.
When a believer tries to live a life that is pleasing to God in his own
strength, he will fail every time.
That very failure makes him realize he needs Gods help to give him
victory found in Romans 8.