"Building a Church Through Outreach"
Separated by Sin
Text: Romans 7:13
This morning I want of preach a very simple message from a very familiar scripture. We see in this passage where Paul writes concerning the struggle of living in the flesh. This is living with our minds and bodies under control of the things of the world instead of faith. Paul says that when you live this way that it is hard to stay righteous. It’s hard to stay holy when you are not sold out. It is hard to stay righteous when you are bowing down to the things of this world. The lust of the flesh controls who you are.
In verse 13 Paul says that the law which is meant to be good exposes our sin, but sin takes what is meant to be good and makes it bad by bring condemnation. Sin has the habit of turning good into bad. We must be aware because the devil wants to take good and turn it around. The law was never designed for bad, but the devil uses it to make you feel hopeless and helpless.
Verse 14: The problem however is not with the law it is with me. I am separated by my sinful nature. My problem is that I have the wrong master. I am separated from that which is good because my master is really not God it is sin.
** What do you bow your knee to this morning? What controls you today?
Notice what happens when you are separated by the lust of your flesh. …Verse 15-17: I don’t understand myself at all. I really want to do what is right. I really desire to do what is good. I even know the right thing, but for some reason I always do the wrong thing. Verse 17 says that "I can’t help myself because it is sin that makes me do these evil things." I am rotten because I am separated by my sin.
Now Listen to something very important: I have heard many people talk about us all having this problem that we can’t do what is right and that we struggle with sin and that we soften lose the battle, but Paul is saying that this is the case when sin is your master. Paul was stating that when he lived under the law and depended on the law that he couldn’t do what was right and that he often fell to temptation, but we are not under the law anymore. Some of you are using the scripture to justify your sin, but the problem is that you are still bowing to the wrong master! The problem is that you are trying to live holy by the law. We are being separated by our sins and are being held captive to our old man because we have not let go of the old master.
Verse 21-23 It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do right, I do wrong. I love God’s law, but there is a war within me. There is a war that fights in my mind, a war between good and evil. It’s a war that wants my soul. It’s a war that fights over my salvation. It is a fight that all of us face. To do right or to do wrong. It’s a battle that we have because we are separated by the master we choose to serve.
Verse 24 Paul makes a very real statement. "Oh, what a miserable person I am." People who fight this battle with there sinful master are always miserable. Miserable because they have a mind that says I want to be in the arms of Christ, but I feel so separated because of the sin that still controls me. What am I going to do? I’m lost. I’m lonely. I’m fighting. I have the mind to do right, but I still find myself doing wrong. I can’t break the habit. I can’t stop the addiction. I want to stop doing drugs, but I can’t. I want to stop using alcohol, but I can’t. What can I do? I am dominated by my past lust and my past mistakes. Will I ever be free?
Verse 25 gives the answer: THANK GOD!! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. Salvation comes through Jesus. Deliverance comes Jesus. Do you want to win the war between good and evil - Between your addiction and your deliverance? Then surrender your life to Jesus Christ. Change masters! Stop serving the lust of the flesh and surrender to Jesus. He is your help. You don’t always have to give in to your lust. You don’t always have to do what is wrong. There is a different life!
We can’t stop at the end of chapter 7 where it states that "I am a slave to sin" because my hope comes in chapter 8:1
Rom. 8:1
1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom. 8:2
2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
I use to serve the master of my flesh. I use to do the things that I didn’t want to do. I use to be controlled by my addictions, but now I have met Jesus Christ and I do not live in condemnation and I don’t walk after the lust of my flesh, but I live after the spirit. I have changed masters. In chapter 7 I was separated by my sin and I was a servant to the fleshly master, but in chapter 8 I have discovered something new in Christ Jesus. I have discovered that Jesus Christ makes me free from the spirit of the law and the spirit of my flesh. I am free from this miserable life through Jesus Christ.
Rom 8:3
"The law of Moses could not save us, because of our sinful nature. But God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent his own Son in a human body like ours, except that ours are sinful. God destroyed sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice as a sacrifice for our sins."
I use to fall to my desires, but now God has set me free. My sinful nature use to control me, but God sent his son to set me free. I am no longer bound by my desires. I am free to the power of the cross. I am redeemed by the blood of the lamb. I am free.
Rom. 8:5
Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the spirit.
What are you thinking about? Addiction or freedom? You have the option to live free in the spirit. You don’t have to be bound. Freedom is yours today. The price has been paid.
In Closing:
Chapter 8:9-11