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On Apr 12, 2023: Romans 7 Laws Are Not As Good As I Think · Teachings On This Day On FerventWord

• We're working our way through the Book of Romans right now and continuing our journey through the Bible in three years, and Romans is one of those books that you get to that is just always refreshing and impactful and powerful. It is one of those books that is just so dense. With good doctrine, with important things for us to remember and learn, and really foundational things for us in our lives and in the Christian faith. I want to walk through just a brief summary of the first few chapters to kind of prepare us for what the Lord wants to speak to us this evening in Romans Chapter 7. So in Romans chapter one we started out and Paul makes the case that there is no excuse for unrighteousness. Because of the fact that God has revealed his existence. To all of humanity, it removes all excuses for us to behave as if there is no God, because God has clearly revealed himself. Then in Romans chapter 2, Paul continues to build this case a little bit and he says that God's law applies to all human. Entity and so whether it was the Jewish people or any Gentiles, any person anywhere in all the world God is going to apply his law to all of humanity and he will judge perfectly according to the deeds and the hearts of every person. Continuing on in Romans Chapter 3, Paul explains that righteousness. Cannot come from God's law, however, but only from faith in Jesus Christ. And so you can see the case that he's. Building here. Everyone knows that there is a God. He's revealed his existence. God's law applies to all of humanity, and there is no way for anyone to be righteous. Based upon the law that the only means of righteousness for us, the only hope of righteousness for us is found by faith in Jesus Christ. In Romans chapter 4, Paul goes on to elaborate on this and to say that righteousness is available to all people because it is offered by grace and received by faith. Righteousness is available and accessible to everyone. God designed salvation, and this imputing of righteousness in this way so that anyone could become righteous because it's by grace and received by faith. It's not through efforts. It's not through deserving, it's. Not through works. It's by Grace received by Faith, which makes it accessible to any person, young or old, whoever lives. Romans chapter 5 Paul goes on. To make the case that all people sin and die as a result of that whole problem of sin and death is rooted in the sin of Adam. And then in the inverse of that, all people can have eternal life because Jesus died for us. Looking at that representative Adam who represented us. Sinned and disobeyed God. We all experience sin and death as a. Result of that. Sometimes we don't like that representative style like Adam, you know, he's to blame, but it's because of that represented representative format that we now can have a representative to give us eternal life. Jesus, who took our place and died for us upon the cross. Just as we were in Adam, there in the garden in that sense and we are affected by his sin, we are in Christ by faith and are affected by his crucifixion and then resurrection. Well then in verse or Chapter 6, Paul goes on to make the point that by believing in Jesus we are included in that death and resurrection, which gives us freedom. We're free from sin and we're free to serve God. And now as we head into Chapter 7, Paul is continuing that that line of thought, the freedom that we have as a result of. Of the inclusion that we have with Jesus in his death and resurrection, the faith in Jesus that brings us righteousness that includes us with Jesus in his work. Thereupon the cross that same freedom, now Paul is going to apply it not to sin and death like he did in Chapter 6. But now to the Law of God. And so here in Romans Chapter 7, we're going to be talking about the law. Now, as we talk about the law, we of course are referring to Moses or Paul is referring to the law of Moses, the Law of God, the old covenant that we have here in the scriptures. But also I would encourage you to kind of extend that beyond because there is the law of Moses, of course, and that's appropriate for us to walk through and consider. But there's also man made laws. Our society has laws. Governments create laws, right? There's those kinds of laws, but there's also laws of religious systems that are not established by God or laws that were in religions established by God, like Judaism. But but there was additional laws that were added to Judaism that God did not. Establish and that happens in any religious system. And then we also have our own self-made laws that we create for ourself, rules and determinations that we make for ourselves and and and so we can get wrapped up in the law of Moses, we can get wrapped up in man made laws. We can get wrapped up in religious system laws or our laws of our own. And the point that Paul is making here is that it does not benefit us the way that we often think it does. As we look at Chapter 7 tonight, I've titled the Message Laws are not as good as I think. Laws are not as good as I think. Paul is here breaking down the the deficiencies of the law, even the law of Moses, the highest law there could ever be, the law that God established there in the old covenant. There's never going to be a better system of law than what God established there and delivered through Moses, but even the best of the best of the best as far as laws are concerned are not sufficient. At least not in the way that I think of them. The tendency for me is to lean on laws. It's kind of part of my personality trait I make systems. When there's a new problem to face, a new thing to work through in the workplace, in the home, in the church. I begin to think OK, let me build a system. Let me build a framework by which we can resolve this. Not just for this one time, but for all future times and I it's the way that my mind is drawn. It is the way that I like to operate. I I in some ways like to establish laws to make systems and and I think that they are good. It's the first tool that I reach for. And when dealing with issues in our personal lives, this can be a great danger to us, and that's what Paul is going to illustrate here. Working through this chapter here in Romans Chapter 7 and so laws are not as good as I think. They're not as good. They're not as effective, they're not productive in the way that we might think that they are or that they should be. And so let's walk through this chapter, beginning in verses one through 6, we get point number one this evening, point one of four laws are bad at producing godly fruits. And me? And I really would encourage you to try to take a moment and absorb that idea. Let it kind of sink in a little bit. So that you could say it confidently. Laws are bad at producing godly fruits. In me, we we may not have this as the automatic response in our minds and in our hearts we need to maybe correct our thinking. We might be of the impression that laws are really good at producing godly fruit in me. But that whole idea is false. And our doctrine needs to be corrected. Let's read verses one through 6. Paul says. Or do you not know, brethren, for I speak to those who know the law? That the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives. For the woman who has a husband, is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man. Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead. To the law. Through the body of Christ that you may be married to another, to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members, to bear fruit to death. But now we have been delivered from the law. Having died to what we were held by so that we should serve in the newness of the spirit and not in the oldness. Of the letter. You can tell right at the beginning in verse one Paul starts with the word or so you can tell that he is continuing his thoughts, right? This is a chapter break, but it's not really like a change of subject. Now Paul is going to talk about something else. He's talking about the association that we have with Christ in his death. Burial and Resurrection and Paul is building upon that previous doctrinal point that he established. We have died. With Christ, go back to Romans, chapter 6, verse 3. Or do you not? Know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death. Therefore, we were buried. With him through baptism into death. That, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father. Even so, we should walk in newness of life. Paul says here is the doctrinal truth to understand. We who were baptized into Christ Jesus. That's not necessarily talking about water baptism. It's talking about us being immersed into Christ by faith, immersed into the body of Christ. By being born again by the Holy Spirit. We were baptized into Christ, and therefore we were baptized into his death. And so when Jesus died upon the cross. The doctrine here is that we were included with him. It was as though we were up there on the cross receiving the penalty for sin with him. He represented us, and so we were included in his death. Yeah, that's the doctrine. Paul works it into the application. In verse four there of Chapter 6. So we also should walk in newness of life. So just as Jesus has resurrected. Then that doctrine teaches us that we now have this new life to walk in because we were crucified with Christ, buried with him, and then resurrected from the dead by the glory. Of the father. And so Paul goes on in Chapter 6 to make the point that means then you must reckon yourself to be dead to sin. Romans, chapter 6, verse 11. Count yourself as dead to sin, but alive to God. In Christ Jesus our Lord. There, there is some mystery here. There is a little bit of spiritual work that's happening that we don't fully perceive and understand, but believing in Jesus means. His death upon the cross, his burial. His resurrect. Was representative of us. We were included in that spiritually speaking. And so we have experienced. A death and resurrection we have experienced being born again, which means that we need to acknowledge that truth and reckon ourselves to be dead, to sin and live according to that truth. In regards to Jesus Christ and our relationship with sin. And so now as Paul continues, he's going on to say that also means so all of that stuff, yes. And also in addition to that, you're not just free from sin and death. You are freed from the law. The law has no more dominion. That's what he says in verse one. The law has dominion over a man as long as he lives. As long as he lives, that's the. Key point here, Paul is saying. You've died. So your relationship to the law has changed. There's a new. Relationship that you have as a result of the death, burial and resurrection that you experienced. By believing in Jesus Christ. And so now the law has no more Dominion. That's why he's able to say, as we continue on in the reading tomorrow, Romans, Chapter 8, verse one. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. The law brings condemnation, but there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus because their relationship with the law has changed. Having been included with Christ. In his death, burial and resurrection. And so it's building upon this doctrinal idea, this theological thought here that Paul is making this case about our relationship to sin, our relationship to death, and now our relationship to the law. And it now he's going to go on and illustrate that point in verse two and three by looking at marriage. And then remarriage. And whether or not that is adultery, now he's bringing this up because even those who would argue with Paul about whether or not the relationship with the law has changed here in verse two and three, the most radical proponents of the law would agree to the point that he is making here. He says, look, a a woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband. So if she leaves her husband and gets remarried, it is counted as adultery. She will be called an adulteress. But if her husband dies? Then that changes. And you can imagine a scenario. Let's say a woman. Leaves her husband and three weeks later gets. Hooked up with married to this other guy. And we say adultery. But if this woman. Has her husband died and then three weeks later gets married to another man? It's not adultery. Death has changed the whole relationship. She's bound to that law of marriage only. While there's life now, if she were to die, she's also released from the Law of Marriage. But Paul's point here is, is everybody would agree with that even the most radical proponents of the law would agree when the husband dies, the woman is not bound by that law anymore. It's not adultery for her to go and marry another. And so that illustration is what Paul has in mind. As he heads into verse four, therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another. So this. Illustration is also making the point. You previously had an attachment to the law. You were married to the law, you were subject to the law. But now, because a death has occurred that. Subjugation has been removed. And so now you're free to marry another spiritually speaking, right? You're free to remarry. And what Paul is saying is, OK, so. Be married to the one who was raised. From the dead. That we should bear fruit to God. Now what often happens in our lives in an attempt to deal with situations and attempt to reach goals or accomplish things that we want to accomplish. What we might often finds ourselves doing is attaching ourselves back to laws. And so some people go back to we gotta keep the Sabbath law. You know, if you really want to experience, you know, really good godly fruits, then you gotta keep the Sabbath law, you gotta go back to the dietary laws of the Old Testament. Or you gotta keep the laws that we make up today. And here's my path. Here's my 5 steps that I can offer you. Keep these laws. Keep these five steps and you will have godly fruit produced in you. I'm never going to do this. I'm always going to do that. The the laws. That we attach ourselves to, we go back to those things. Things, but we've been set free from that whole concept of law. And what Paul is saying here is don't do that. You've been free from all attachment to law in that way. Now you you need to attach yourself to Jesus and then the results of your attachment to Jesus, your marriage to Jesus. Will be fruit unto the Lord. If you want godly fruits in your life. Don't write laws. Don't make laws. Don't subject yourself to a legal system. If you want godly fruits in your life. Be married to Jesus. Verse five, he says. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members, to bear fruit to death. Here's here's the fruit of the laws. The fruit of law is death. The fruits of marriage to Jesus. Well, that's fruitfulness to God. And when we seek to go back under a legal system and subject ourselves to a legal system and try to keep laws in order to be pleasing to God in order to have, you know, the right relationship with God in order to deserve blessing from God, it doesn't produce the godly fruit that we intended to produce. We always start out. With good intentions. We we want to move forward, we want to, you know, do things for God and see God work we we want that kind of thing. And so we revert to this old system that's broken, but we haven't realized that it's broken yet. We've forgotten that it produces death. Paul knew this first hand. He was the Pharisee of Pharisees. If there was ever a keeper of the law. Well, Paul was in the top ten of those, right? He was the one who was able to say in Philippians chapter three he walks through this. He's like look if anybody can have confidence in the flesh, it's me. I was circumcised the 8th day I moved the. People Israel, the tribe of Benjamin. I'm a Hebrew of the Hebrews. He's saying there like the best of the best as far as the Jewish people are concerned concerning the law, he says. Was a pharisee. We we keep the law, we kept the law. In the strictest fashion possible. You know, we're very conservative. We keep the law. We're very. Strict in our following in our our adherence to the law. I was so zealous for God he. Says I was persecuting the church. As it comes to the righteousness which is in the law, I was blameless, Paul says. And he's not claiming that he didn't break the law. He's saying when I broke the law, I followed the law's instructions. I offered the proper sacrifices. And so in that way, I kept the law. I was blameless. But the fruit that all that produced. Paul is saying was death. You're never going. To be able to follow any kind of. Law, moral law. Levitical law, social law, your own made-up law. You're never going to be able to follow that better than Paul followed the law of God, the best law that's ever been existed, established by God. Paul followed it with all of his heart to the best of his ability so that he could say concerning the righteousness which is in the law. I was blameless, but it produced death. And so let that make the case for you. There's never going to be a legal system, a law, rules determinations. There's never going to be anything like that that you can do that's better. Then God had already established and that. Paul and many others like him had tried to keep. It produces death when we try to relate to God. When we try to become righteous. By any keeping of laws. Verse 6. But now having been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by. So that we should serve in the newness of the spirit. And not in the oldness. Of the letter. We were bound under that law that could only produce death. But now we've been delivered from that law. Because we died because we've believed in Jesus, we are included with him in his crucifixion, his burial, his resurrection. There is a new life we've been born again. And so now we can serve in the newness of the spirit, because that ******* to the law has been broken. As Paul made the case back earlier in Romans, all of humanity is subject to the law of God. Now that has been broken, we were subject to the law of God. But that has been broken. As we have believed in Jesus Christ. Listen, you need to know laws are bad at producing godly fruit. They don't produce godly fruit in our lives. And so many times we with good intentions and good desires. I want godly fruit in my life. And so in order to achieve that, I set forth a plan. OK, let me keep this law. I'm going to make a law and I'm going to read my Bible at this time every day and then doing that, I'm going to have. God, the fruit. I'm going to give this much to the church. This portion, that's what I'm going to do and I'm going to be blessed. God's gonna bless me because I'm so faithful in keeping this law. That I made. I'm never going to miss a day of reading. I'm never going to miss. The percentage of giving. Alright, I'm gonna pray this way. I'm never gonna watch those things. I'm always gonna listen to this kind of music. I'm always going to these laws that we make. We have good intentions. But the fruit that they bring. If we'll be aware of it enough, we'll realize. It's not good fruit. But if I will say OK. My job is to be married to Jesus. So I'm going to love Jesus. I'm gonna stay close to him. I'm gonna wake up next to him. I'm gonna go to bed with him. I'm gonna talk to him throughout the day. I'm gonna have lunch with him and dinner with him and breakfast with him. I'm gonna stay close to Jesus. Then something surprising is gonna happen, you know? What's going to happen? Good fruit Jesus produces good fruit as we draw near to him and stay close to him. He produces fruit in us. Again, that's the point in verse four that you may be married to another. To him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. This is the result. Of staying close to Jesus, relying upon his finished work there at the cross, not letting sin and failures and mistakes keep us away from him, but continually drawing near, continually seeking after loving Jesus with all of our hearts and soul and mind and strength. Will produce good fruit in me. So often I think it's the laws. But the laws are not good at producing fruit. Wonder if you guys can help me. Anybody keep a beat? Law! Huh! Yeah! What is it good? For I can't even keep a beat. I was doing it all afternoon and. Cracking myself up. What is it good for? No, no law. What is it good for? Right. This is a temptation that we might have after the first few verses here. So the law is no good. Let's throw it out. Why did God ever create it? We begin to wonder. Was there any purpose or value in it? Well, the law does have great purpose and value. It's just not useful for the way that we often try to use it, so here now as we move forward versus 7 through 13, we have point #2. Laws are good at revealing my sinfulness. Not good for producing godly fruit. But it is good. It is exceptional. In fact, it behaves flawless, sly. At revealing. The sinful condition. Of my heart. Let's read verses 7 through 13. What shall we say then? Is the lost sin? Certainly not. On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law, for I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said you shall not covet. But sin taking opportunity by the commandment produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart, apart from the law, sin was dead. I was alive once without the law. But when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me and by it killed me. Therefore, the law is holy and the commandment holy and just and good. Has been what has good become death to me? Certainly not. But sin that it might appear sin was producing death in me through what is good. So that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. Here Paul goes on to help us understand. The law is not bad. There is no deficiency in the law of God. Now that's where it kind of deviates from what the other kinds of laws I've been talking about. Social laws. Man made laws, religious system laws, our own laws that we. Make up for ourselves. Those are always going to be deficient, but the law of God is not deficient. It is perfect in its design. It's perfect in its declaration of what holiness is the standard of perfection is established by the Law of God. The law is not sin. It's not wrong. It's not a mistake. And that's because Paul explains in verse 7. I would not have known what sin was if there was number law. And so. The law is good, but you have to use it lawfully. You have to use it for what it was designed for and again, going back to point, when the law was never designed to produce godly fruit. The law is designed to reveal sin. So Paul says without the law, I would have never known sin. He goes on to even give a personal example, not just talking about sin in General, Paul says let me specify one for you. For I would have not known what covetous was unless the law had said you shall not covet. Paul Zeroes in on. This commandment you shall not covet. It's an interesting sin to focus in on because. It is a sin that. There's really a hidden sin. It's a sin of the heart. I wouldn't have known covetousness. I would have recognized that those desires that were happening in my heart, as opposed to some of the others. Right. You shall not murder. Now Jesus goes on to reveal in Matthew Chapter 5 that well, that actually is a law that relates to the heart as well and hatred in your heart is the root of murder. And so it's that still an issue of sin, but but covetousness. It doesn't have that same obvious external appearance, right? Paul says. Look, I wouldn't have known I wouldn't have been able to recognize the desires that were. Hidden within me. It was revealed in the law you shall not covet. That's how I came to an awareness of. My issue, Paul says. That's how I began to understand that I had these desires, these cravings, these pursuits in my heart. That were contrary to holiness and contrary to what God desired. And so when I became aware of that, Paul goes on in verse 8 to say sin taking opportunity by the commandment produced in me all manner. Of evil desire. So the law didn't just reveal that there was an issue, but sin reacting to the revelation of the law, then began to work overtime and produce all manner. Of evil desire. It it kind of activated the sinful desires and cravings. That Paul was completely unaware of. He says apart from the Lossin was dead. I wasn't as covetous. Until I realized how covetous I was, and then not only was I recognizing how covetous I've been but, but then I I began to have these stirred up desires there was. Produced in me all manner of evil desire. In that manner, Paul says that once was alive without the law. I mean, life was. I had no, I was clueless. Had no idea I was covetous, but then? The commandment came. I realized that I was covetous and sin revived and I died because now my heart was stirred up and drawn to more and more covetousness. I think I probably share this illustration. Every time I work my way through Romans Chapter 7, but I'll share it again because it really does paint the picture well. Back in 1965, there was a. Hotel built on a pier in Texas. This hotel. Called the flagship hotel. At the time was the only hotel built in the US completely over water? Since then, back in 2008, I think it was destroyed by a hurricane. But but this hotel when they first built it back in 19 chapter 1965, you could see it's there on the pier, on the side that we can see here, the pier is next to the hotel. But on the other side. There is the end of the pier and just water. And so when you have a room facing the ocean that way, you're able to just look right out onto the water. There was nothing below you. You had direct access to the ocean visibly from your balcony there at the. Well, well, as they're building this hotel, they're a little bit concerned that people are going to try to do dumb things off of their balconies, like maybe jump out, you know, into the ocean. It's not a good idea. And so they began to decide. You know, we got to think through. What are the things that we need to make sure that people don't do? One of the concerns was that. People would be fishing off of the the upper level balconies, you know, just from their room. Just throwing it out, casting it out into the to the ocean water and. Trying to catch fish. And so they decided we need to do something about that. And so they posted signs as they were setting up an opening the hotel. No fishing from the balcony. As they open the hotel, you might be able to guess what started to happen. People started fishing from their balconies. And one of the major problems with that was the first level of the hotel was a large restaurant that had these large windows. So you could sit in the restaurant, enjoy a good meal and have this great view of the ocean right there. And so, as people were casting and missing the water, the line would swing back the weights on the line. Would hit the glass and so the crashing sound of windows breaking was a common occurrence in the dining room. They kept having to replace these windows over and over and over again. Because even though they posted signs. People were fishing off of the balcony and causing these problems. They wrestled with how to resolve it for a while. Finally, they decided to try something crazy. They took down the signs that said no fishing from the balcony. And pretty much immediately, all of the problems were resolved. Essentially, we can figure out from this. Nobody had the idea to fish off of their balcony until the sign said no fishing from the balcony. And it put the idea and it stirred up the desire in people. I really want to fish from the balcony. And so they began to do it in violation of the law. Right? And causing all of the problems. Now removing the sign. Of course, it didn't actually change the hearts of the guests that came. It just didn't stir up the evil desires. That we're still in them. Sin taking opportunity by the commandment produced in me all manner of evil desire. We're given commands, we're given instruction and there is something about our sinful nature that says, Oh yeah. I could do that. I could do it if I want to. I didn't even know I wanted to do it. But now you said I can't. Do it now. I really want to do it. Verse 10. The commandment, which was to bring life I found. To bring. We put up the sign to stop that from happening. And what and ended up causing as it happened more there was more windows broken, more issues because we tried to resolve this with the law. Sin taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me. And by it killed me. I get sucked into my sin, Paul says. I get stirred up in the desires. And the thing that was meant to bring life, I actually found bringing death. You ever see these signs around town? Hey, the speed limit is 45. But this is a dangerous curve, so you better slow down 35 around this corner. And my heart says, Oh yeah. I could take that turn much faster. I'll still be safe. I remember back when I was younger, had my. Truck my goal anytime I saw a yellow sign like this, I bet you I could do 20 over and not even. Squeal my tires. And so that was the goal. Every time I saw one. If there was no sign, I wouldn't have tried it, but because there was a sign there, I thought I could do 55. I won't even screw my tires. That's gonna be safe. I'm gonna. Stay in the lines. I can do it. Prove you wrong. See, look, don't have to go 35 around this. Now that's a dumb thing to do. And the commandment that's supposed to bring life brings death. Because it stirs up that rebellion, that sinful nature that I have within. Verse 12. Therefore, the law is wholly the commandment holy and just and good. See the problem isn't with the sign. It's an accurate sign. It's a good rule. It's a good law. The problem is if me. The sign no phishing. That's a good sign. A lot of wisdom in not fishing off the balcony, and the damage that could be caused and the hurt that could be happen or the property damage of the. Breaking the window. It's a good law. The Law of God. It's holy. It's just it's good. And mainly what it's good for. Is revealing. The sinfulness of my heart, verse 13 has then. What has good become deaf to me? Certainly not. But sin that it might appear sin was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. It's not the law that has the issue. The law is perfect. It's holy. But the purpose of the law. Is to reveal, to stir up and to draw out those sin issues. And it does that really well. You can also. Think about it like a mirror. Later on, James will talk about, you know, using the word of God like a mirror, right? If you look at the mirror and you see a piece of cilantro in your teeth. The mirror didn't put it there. It's not the mirrors fault that that issue is there, right? Also, the mirror can't take it away. All it can do is show you look, there's a big issue here. There's something that needs to be dealt with. Or you can think about an X-ray. You go in, you have your leg X-rayed. It reveals a broken bone. The X-ray machine didn't do that. It didn't cause the problem. It also can't resolve the problem. All it can do is show look there's a broke a broken bone here. There's a there's a bad issue that needs to be resolved. That is the purpose of the law. The law reveals my sinfulness. That's what it's good at. That's what it's designed for. It works perfectly in that regard. It's not good at producing godly fruit in me. But it is good at showing me how bad. I really AM. Well, moving on to verses 14 through 23, we get point #3. Laws are bad. At enabling me to do good and that's the. Point I was just making with those illustrations. The mirror can't fix your problem. It can't enable you to deal with the cilantro. All it can do is reveal. That there is an issue verse 14. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand for what I will to do that I do not practice, but what I hate that I do. If then I do what I will not to do. I agree with the law that it is good. But now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me that is in my flesh, nothing good dwells, for to will is present with me. But how to perform what is good? I do not find. For the good that I. Will to do I do not do. But the evil. That I will not to do that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do. It is no longer I who did do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find, then a law that evil is present with me. The one who wills. To do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my Members. There's a lot to unpack there. But here Paul is saying essentially. Laws are bad at enabling me to do good. Paul says we know the law is spiritual. In verse 14. And the problem with that is that I am carnal. My physical self, my sinful nature, although I was included with Christ in his crucifixion and resurrection, spiritually I have a new life. Spiritually, I was included with him and so experienced death and now resurrection. I've been born again. But I don't experience the completion of that resurrection physically until eternity, and so in the meantime there is this battle in myself, this kind of civil war amongst my spirit and my body. And this war is constantly going on. The problem is the law is spiritual. But I am carnal. I have a sinful nature. And I'm sold under sin. Pastor David Guzik puts it this way. He's like a man arrested for a crime and thrown in jail. The law will only help him if he's innocent. But Paul knows that he is guilty. And that the law argues against him, not for him. That's one of the problems that we have with approaching the law. You think about the religious leaders that often clashed with Jesus because the way that they were using the law was invalid, incorrect. They were trying to use the law to prove their innocence. And that's not what the law is for. The law has to reveal their guilt, but they refuse to see their guilt. And tried instead to use laws and make laws to prove their innocence, Paul says look, the law is. Spiritual. But I'm carnal. The law can't help me because. What the law is going to do is make a case for how guilty I am. That's what it's for. If I was innocent, then the law could help me. It could exonerate me. It could deliver me from the punishment. But I'm not innocent. And so the law can't help me. I'm guilty. I have a sinful nature. And so, Paul explains this he he talks about this battle. I have this. New life in Christ. But I have this sinful nature and there's a war between them. So I don't even understand many times what I'm doing. The things that I want to do. I have such a hard time practicing those things and the things that I just wish I could stop doing. Those things are so easy. For me to do once again. Like, aren't I in charge here? Shouldn't I be able to do what I want to do and not do what I don't want to do? But even though I want to do good and I don't want to do bad, I find myself not doing the good that I want to do and doing the bad that I don't want to do. And one of the problems with that, he says in verse 16, if then I do what I will not. To do I agree with a lot, that's good. I I confirm what the law says. Don't do that. I say, yeah, I don't want to do that. I I'm confirming that the law is good. I'm acknowledging I know and understand the law, and I agree with the law. And then I turn around and break the law. How can this be? How I don't understand. Paul is expressing here. How can I be born again dead to sin? Alive in Christ. And still have this struggle this battle. Well, again, it's because the work is not yet completed. There is a sanctification work. We've been justified. We have right relationship with God. We have fellowship with God by faith in Jesus Christ, and so we can enter into that marriage and we can walk in that marriage and we can pursue Christ continually. Regardless of how often. We do what we don't want to do and we don't do the things that we do want to do, we. Can walk in that relationship with Christ by faith. It's not based upon. Whether or not I've been good at keeping the things that I want to do and not doing the things that I don't want to do, but there's this constant struggle. There's this constant battle within, Paul says it another way in Galatians Chapter 5. I see. Then walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh, for the flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary to one another. So that you do not do the things that you wish. You have new life in the spirit. That desires to seek God, to know God, to do what's good to please God. But you also have. The sinful nature, the flesh, and there's a struggle. There's a battle. Both of them are fighting for control. So sometimes you find yourself again, like you're in the midst of a civil war within your own self. I want to do good. How come it's so hard to? Do it. I don't want to do that anymore. Why do I keep finding myself falling back into it? Well, Paul explains in verse 18. I know that in me that is in my flesh, nothing good dwells. That's the problem, my flesh. Does it have good? And so there is going to be this battle to some degree until we enter into eternity, there will always be a battle with our sinful nature. The laws themselves don't help me to overcome that. They just revealed the issue. I know Paul says that in me, nothing good dwells. Do you? Can you say that I know nothing? Good dwells in me. Sometimes we forget that we need to be reminded. It's something you need to know, Lord. Help us get this into our heads. I'm not capable. Of summoning enough strength determination will. To abide by laws and do good. Again, he says in. Verse 19. The good that I want to do. I don't do but the evil that I. Don't want to do? That's what I practice. Have revealed the sin that is dwelling. In me. Pastor Tony Evans says the main issue here isn't the law at all, but sin. The power of indwelling sin even for believers is so strong that it can take what is good and twist it to become sinful beyond measure. Sin keeps us locked in a struggle. We even take the. Law of God, which is perfect and holy. And if we're not careful, we twist it. Pervert it. We use it for the wrong things. We use it in the wrong ways, we misuse it, we abuse it. Because we have this sinful nature and these desires, and so, Paul says. I find this law that's present in me. I I want to do good, he says in verse 21, I delight in the law of God. I look at the law of God and I say yes and Amen. I want to. Follow that those. Are good instructions. That God has given. But at the same time I see this other law in my Members warring against the law of my mind, warring against. What I want to do? And so there is this battle. But the law leaves me powerless. For the doing of good, I can look at it and agree with it and. Say that's a. Good law, but it doesn't help me do it. I can look at it and agree. Yeah, that's right. You're right. That's wrong. I should never do that. I don't want to do that anymore. And Lord, I promise I'm not going to do that at all anymore. Not even one more time. But the law. Does that help? Me actually fulfill that. Laws are bad at enabling me to do good. They're not useful for that. The Law of God is not useful for empowering us to be holy. That's not what it's designed for. That's not the way that. It works, but so often we think that making a law making a rule coming up with a strong determination, writing it down, printing it out, sending ourselves, you know, notes and reminders all the time, that you know this law will keep us in check. It's OK to use the law. The law is good, but use it what it was for what it was designed for to indicate there's a problem. To show that there's an issue. Not to help you overcome, not to help you accomplish. Holiness or godliness in your life. Pastor Damien Kyle says the standard is given to a person that says, Listen, God wants us to live a Christlike life. That's the standard, right? We're called to be like Christ be holy as he is holy. But he says unless you couple power with that, you're going to turn people into actors. They're going to look like one thing in settings like this, but they're going to live entirely differently, and it's not even their own fault, because something impossible is being. Asked of them. We try to lay down the law, we try to live by a legal system and hold people to. A legal standard. And we're going to turn people into actors, ourselves included. Because we can't keep. The law and laws don't enable us. To do good. Finishing up in verse 24 and 25 for point #4 laws are bad at delivering me from sinfulness. Verse 24 says or wretched man, that I am who will deliver me from this body of death. I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind, I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh, the law of sin. In this wrestling and this struggle, this battle that he's describing, he comes to this exclamation in verse 24, oh wretched man that I am. And I think if we've never exclaimed that in our hearts before, or even out loud before, we really don't know what it means to walk with Christ right, like there is that reality, we all can relate to. I want to do what God wants. I want to do good. I don't want to do what's wrong. I'm trying to stop that and I'm working hard and I'm laboring intensely and I'm determining fiercely and I'm doing everything I can possibly do and failing miserably. Oh, wretched man, that I am. Who will deliver me from this body of death? This sinful nature these these cravings that get stirred up by dumb speed limit signs. Like who will? Deliver me from this. Nature. That's so easily. Turning away from God and in pursuit of sin, this word wretched. The Greek scholar Weiss says that this was talking about an exhaustion through hard labor. It's not just wretched like how terrible, right? But just like. Just completely wiped out wretched. I've tried so hard. I'm exhausted from trying so hard. To keep the law to do good, to not do bad, it's so frustrating. Legalism will exhaust you trying to relate to God by laws will exhaust you and bring you to the end of yourself. In this way, this wretched feeling. Who will deliver me? Paul says. How do I get out of this? And The Who is the right question? He answers it in verse 25. I think God there is an answer. There is an escape. There is hope. It's through Jesus Christ our Lord. How I get delivered is not by laws. Laws are bad at delivering me from sinfulness. But how I can be delivered? Oh, thank God. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. So that's my focus. Caused me to think about the apostle Peter. Remember when Jesus was walking out to the disciples on the Sea of Galilee? He's walking on top of the water, Peter says. If that's really you. Lord, call me out. I want to come walk on. The water with you, Jesus says. Come on out. And Peter gets out. He's walking on the water. But then he begins to see. The wind the waves. What does he see? He sees the laws of nature. This isn't normal. This isn't right. You're not supposed to walk on water. Look at the wind. Look at the waves. Look at this. The laws of nature. Got his mind going, got his heart going in the wrong direction, he started sinking. And he cried. Out save me. Who could deliver me? From this body of death that was so foolish to get out of the boat and try to walk on the water and bite. In defiance of these. Laws who could deliver me. Jesus and Jesus reaches out his hand and pulls him out. This is a great picture for us. Don't try to abide by the laws. Do what Jesus says. Get out of the boat. Walk on the water walk. With him, stay close to him and when you get your eyes caught up in the laws again and you start thinking, oh wretched man, that I am, I'm so terrible. I'm so horrible. I'm such a wretched person. Then call out to Jesus again as Peter is thinking there. Because he started to buy into the law again, the laws of nature pressuring him all around. He began to sink. Listen, we are going to sink. If we try to abide by laws, laws are not as good as I think. They're bad at producing godly fruit in me. They're good at revealing my sinfulness. That's what it's designed for. But they're bad at enabling me to do good to, to follow the law. They're bad at delivering me from my sinfulness. And So what I need the most is to. Operates in the freedom that I have. Detach myself from the law and attach myself to Jesus. Going back to the beginning, that illustration of marriage, there's a deliverance. There is a change of the law when death occurs. I have been crucified with Christ. And so I need to detach myself from the law. And attach myself to Jesus. In order. For the laws of God to be fulfilled in my life. For the godly fruit to be produced for the deliverance from my sinful nature, I need to grasp hold of Jesus and be married to him and love him with all my heart and walk with him every day and wake up next to him and go to bed with him and have breakfast and lunch and dinner with him and talk with him and receive from him and hear from him and listen to him and. Is what I need, but so often I get tricked. And I think. This law, this rule all you got to do is just write this down. Make this a law in my mind. All I got to do is memorize the 10 Commandments and then I'll be set. Understand the doctrine Paul goes on in Chapter 8 to. Conclude the thought. Verse three of chapter 8. What the law could not do, and that it was weak through the flesh. God did by sending his own son. The law is fulfilled in Christ. And so it's Christ that we need. That's the doctrine laws cannot make us wholly cannot produce good fruit. Laws can just reveal our sin. So that we call out to Jesus our Savior, to redeem us and forgive us. And so understand the doctrine. So you don't continue making laws, but then also don't just understand the doctrine, understand the application, and I'll close with this note from where and where. Keep your love relationship with the Lord alive and exciting. And you will have righteousness instead of wretchedness. That's our focus. Not more laws not. Laying down things, not new steadfastness, not new determination. Keep your love relationship with the Lord alive and exciting. And he will produce in you. The good fruit that he desires to produce. Lord, I pray that you would help us. May this truth, this doctrine sink deep into our hearts and minds, that we would not settle back into a relationship with the law. That we wouldn't. Get deceived and tricked back into Lord following. These things to try to do good, to try not to do bad. What may our focus and our attention be constantly on drawing near to you, loving you? Hearing from you receiving from you, responding to what you're saying, crying out to you. And Lord, every time we fall short and fail and blow it. Would remind us of your grace. And your forgiveness? Or that we might get back into that pursuit of you. That relationship with you. It's it's you that we need. Lord may we see that more and more. I pray God that you would fill us with your Holy Spirit, that we might know you. That we might hear your voice. That we might walk with. You I pray this in Jesus name.