I didn’t have many opportunities to preach this term as it was really hectic with HSC and Kelly finishing up, and two weeks’ holiday, etc. Always blessed to be given a passage that I haven’t preached before, and spend the time meditating on it and dwelling on it and being blessed by it. This one was invaluable as I went on holiday for two weeks in November.
This is not the talk that spends a lot of time arguing the merits of different arguments in regards to who Paul is speaking as, so don’t listen to it for that. We did that more in Bible studies and articles outside the Sunday Sermon. Read this for more. This talk focuses on how to live with remaining sin. I’m giving you the thorough outline below to skim through, as most people don’t have 30 minutes to spare. The feedback I got from people was that it was helpful.
Introduction: Kevin’s Story
Kevin had been battling hurt for many years after his dad left his mum right before his HSC
Eight years later, he shared what was going on in his mind now:
Angry thoughts about his dad
Continued punishment through subtle comments and passive-aggressive actions
Knowledge that he needed to forgive but lacked the desire to do it
Kevin spewed out the good, hard and ugly inner battle of trying to live like Jesus
If you’re a Christian, you know that battle, though its intensity varies
Some fight every second; for others it’s the quietly selfish thought of “What about me?”
God’s word tonight will make sense of this inner battle
Context: Romans Overview
Paul’s letter is all about the gospel—God’s good news of salvation in Jesus
Chapters 1-3: The problem—all humans instinctively sin, rejecting God to assert themselves as God; all stand condemned
Chapter 3: The good news—saved through what Jesus has done; through faith we stand as saints, perfect before God
Chapter 6: Does grace promote sin? No—why live in death and slavery when you understand what you’ve been saved from?
Chapter 7: What was the point of God’s Old Testament law? The law is good, but it’s not there to make us good—it makes us realise we are bad and need Jesus. The law is not the problem; sin is the problem
Paul now talks about his inner battle with sin—a battle between the flesh (old person) and the new united-to-Jesus person
If you are a Christian, this is your experience as well
Main Point 1: Saved Saint with Remaining Sin (verses 14-20)
Verse 14: “We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin”
Many suggest Paul is speaking as a Jew before becoming a Christian
But the original wording is “of the flesh, sold under sin” (not “slave to sin”)
Chapter 5: When you trust Jesus, you go from being “in Adam/in the flesh” to being “in Christ”
You become a new person, a saved saint, united to Jesus
Although we are not “in the flesh” anymore, we are still “fleshly”—we still live in fallen bodies
We have remaining sin (it will be completely removed when Jesus returns and we get new bodies)
Paul is describing the Christian experience of being saved saints with remaining sin
Verses 15-17: The upside-down inner world
“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do”
Paul’s inner world is upside down—he knows the good but doesn’t do it; does things he hates
Examples: You hate when people mistreat their bodies but work yourself into the ground; you want to support your anxious friend but avoid them instead
This conflict shows Paul thinks the law is good (not bad, as he’d been accused)
“It is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me”
This isn’t blame-shifting—sin is still his; there’s no place for blaming our bodies as if they’re not part of us
We are our bodies; if our bodies sin, we are sinning
Paul is a saved saint with remaining sin
Main Point 2: The Solution Is Not In Us (verses 18-20)
Verse 18: “Good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature”
In sinful humanity passed on from Adam, there is no source or power to do good
He’s not saying humans never do or think good things
He’s saying the source and capacity for good doesn’t come from within us
For Christians, the source is God’s Spirit
For non-Christians, their capacity to do good comes from God’s common grace (conscience, families, laws, societies)
If you’re not a Christian, the good you do is not something within you—it’s a gift from God you’re not willing to recognise
Verses 19-20: The ongoing struggle
The new person has the desire to do good (not just conscience—renewed mind, Holy Spirit empowering new desires)
But every time he wants to do good, there’s another force—remaining sin—that opposes it
Sin is like a virus affecting every cell of our body (not just habits, thoughts, emotions, or will)
Verses 21-23: Two laws at war
When I want to do good with godly motives, ungodly motives sit right beside them
Example: Wanting to serve by preaching God’s word, but also desiring to be liked
Remaining sin pollutes our motives and thoughts
This conflict is the mark of someone who is a Christian
Story: A lady walking away from Jesus said, “If I was a real Christian, I shouldn’t have that struggle with sin”
But Paul struggles with sin—if you’re in that war, that’s not a sign you’re not a Christian; it’s a sign you ARE
You are a saved saint in a battle with remaining sin
Main Point 3: Hopeless Hope in Jesus (verses 24-25)
Verse 24: “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?”
This is the cry of a Christian on their knees who knows the answers are not within
No sin hack, no silver bullet
Feeling hopeless about remaining sin
Personal example: On holidays, walking the dog, Jesus gently put his finger on subtle sin—selfish and ungodly desires that keep coming back; cried in the park
Maybe that’s you tonight—God keeps bringing up sin you’ve become complacent about because you’ve lost hope you could change
Or maybe you live in verse 24—you always feel wretched with hyper-consciousness of how sinful you are
Kevin lived in verse 24
Verse 25: “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
This is the cry of someone both hopeless when looking within and hopeful looking out to Jesus
Knowing we have remaining sin in these bodies, but one day we will have new bodies when Jesus returns
Our sin is great, but our Saviour is greater
Someone on their knees with hands raised, crying out Psalm 51: “Let the bones you have broken rejoice”
Expressing never-ending thanks for everything God has done and will do for us in Jesus
Christians are saved saints who battle remaining sin, living constantly thankful to Jesus
This is not just Paul’s experience—if you’re a follower of Jesus, it’s your experience as well
Four Implications
1. Enjoy living as a saved saint
If you have trusted Jesus, you are a person united to Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, with new desires to do good
2. Expect sin to remain
Don’t be naive to the reality of your sin or other Christians’ sin
3. Look OUT, not IN to fight sin
The answer is never found by looking within yourself, your will, or the good part of you
Insight into your sin does not bring change
Look out towards Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith
In the mirror of his glory we will see our sin
But as we see it, we’ll also be reminded who we are in him, what we’re called to become, and why we want to be that way
4. Stay hopeful about change
Don’t become cynical about your capacity or others’ capacity to change
If they have the Holy Spirit, they can change
But recognise some things aren’t sin—they’re differences brought about by human weakness
Example: Parkinson’s means struggling with names after 20 meetings; need to be realistic about what’s sin versus human weakness
Knowing what’s particularly tempting and making decisions to avoid those things is wise
Conclusion
For those exploring Jesus:
Maybe things haven’t sat right in your soul for a long time
You’ve come to the conclusion that you can’t fix yourself
This is your chance to have Jesus make you a new person
A new force, new power, forgiven and restored
To live out the humanity you were made to live
For those stuck in verse 24:
Whether you’re there particularly tonight because something just happened
Or your wretchedness is the drumbeat to your life—you feel hopelessly sinful all the time and it makes you turn further in
Jesus is crying out: “In hope look at me. Although your sin is great, I am greater”
Look at him, see how much he loves you
Let him look deeply into your soul, seeing your sin in his beautiful eyes
Without fear, confess whatever sin is there
Raise your hands in thanks, knowing we are made clean
