Romans 8:1-17: The Holy Spirit Provides the Power to defeat Indwelling Sin

Okay, Paul, if the law is not the power and source of godly living, then what is the source? First, one must receive an outside righteousness and be declared righteous by God (conversion, justification, salvation) and then they will find the only true way to godly living is by the power of the Holy Spirit as they obey the inspired Scriptures. Indwelling sin cannot be defeated without the power and strength of the Holy Spirit.

I.                  For those in a new covenant relationship with the Messiah, Jesus, the condemnation of the law is gone vs. 1-3

A.     There can be no condemnation for the person in Christ. Once a person is delivered from the penalty and authority of sin in their life through identification with the person and work of Jesus the Messiah, instead of being condemned, they are declared righteous. Instead of being on the road to hell, they are on the road to heaven. They are a new person because of their identity and relationship with Jesus Christ. vs. 1

B.     There can be no bondage to the law of sin and death for the person in Christ. Every human, as a sinner, is condemned to death by the moral law. But once one is delivered (saved) from the penalty, authority, and love of sin through their identification with Jesus the Messiah, they have also been set free from the condemnation of the moral law. The believer’s life is wrapped up in Jesus; they have a new and abundant life in connection with Jesus through the indwelling Holy Spirit. vs. 2

C.     The problem is not with God’s holy law; the law is limited by the sinner’s weakness. The law cannot save sinners; only God can save sinners. How? By sending Jesus, the God-Man, to pay the penalty of death in our place for our sin. He was condemned in our place; thus, it is impossible for us to be charged again for the same set of sins. Jesus was the believer’s wrath-bearing sacrifice so that he/she could be declared righteous. vs. 3

II.                For those in a new covenant relationship with the Messiah, Jesus, the indwelling Holy Spirit has been given. vs. 4-9

A.     The believer is to live under the Holy Spirit’s control, authority, and by His power. This will result in a godly life that fulfills by grace the requirements of the moral law. The believer is not to live under the direction of the flesh, his/her indwelling sin. The solution to the weakness of the flesh is the powerful Holy Spirit and the powerful Bible He inspired and illuminates for the believer who reads and studies it. The believer’s identification and relationship with Jesus the Messiah guarantees the presence of the Holy Spirit. vs. 4

B.     The contrast is clear. Humans who are in the flesh are under the law’s condemnation, but those who are in Christ are delivered from condemnation. God has given the believer a new relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit to indwell and direct him/her. Thus, they differ from those who are still lost (unsaved, pagans, unbelievers). vs. 5-8

1.      The unbeliever is directed by his/her sinful nature, is selfish and sinful in his/her thought life, is separated from God’s grace and holiness, is on the broad road to everlasting death, his/her mind is a war with God, His truth, and His moral law. The unbeliever is unable and powerless to submit and surrender to God’s righteous standard (moral law). They do not want to obey God, and even if they did, they are totally unable to do so. They cannot live in a way that pleases God.

2.      The believer’s mind under the direction of the Holy Spirit is full of life and peace. Saved people think about the things the Holy Spirit inspired in the Word of God. They love and serve God. They surrender to God’s person, will, and His written Word. By the power of the Holy Spirit, they are able to obey God, submit to His moral law and Word. By submitting to the Spirit’s control and by His producing of spiritual fruit in their lives (love, joy, peace, self-control, etc.), they can live a life that is pleasing to God and brings glory to His wonderful name.

C.     The Holy Spirit immediately indwells every human at their justification (which followed their faith and repentance). When one embraces or receives Jesus by faith is when they also receive the Holy Spirit, not later at some event. The Holy Spirit is given to the believer at conversion because of the work of Jesus the Messiah and is the rightful heritage of every genuine believer. vs. 9

1.      If one is justified, he or she is not under the control of the flesh but under the control of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit indwells them, and they belong to Jesus.

2.      If one is under the control of their sin nature and does not have the Holy Spirit indwelling, leading, and directing them, then he or she does not belong to Jesus. (yet?)

III.              For those in a new covenant relationship with the Messiah, Jesus, the power of the Holy Spirit is released in their lives. vs. 10-11

A.     Since Christ is in you all (pl), your body’s purpose is not sin but is righteousness. vs. 10

B.     The Holy Spirit, who powerfully raised Jesus from the dead, indwells you and will use that same power to make your mortal bodies enabled to live a godly life. vs. 11

IV.              For those in a new covenant relationship with the Messiah, Jesus, they also have the leadership of the Holy Spirit, spiritual life, and the power to fight indwelling sin. vs. 12-14

A.     The believer is not required to follow his/her indwelling sin and live a life of sin. vs. 12

B.     Those who live a life under sin’s reign are lost and are under the condemnation of everlasting death. They must obey their sin nature as sin’s slaves. vs. 13

C.     The believer must continually kill indwelling sin by the Holy Spirit’s power. vs. 13

D.     Only those being led by the Holy Spirit are real Christians (sons of God). The believer’s one evidence of sonship is the presence of the Holy Spirit in his/her life. vs. 14

V.                For those in a new covenant relationship with the Messiah, Jesus, they have been adopted as spiritual children by the work of the Holy Spirit. vs. 15-17

A.     They do not have a mentality of captivity, bondage, or paralyzing fear. vs. 15

B.     They have the mindset of belonging—as children of the Father. When in trouble, they can pray to their Father (papa). The Holy Spirit reveals their intimacy with the God they love. As adopted children, they have no birthright or claim to sonship, but by grace they are placed into God’s family with the full rights and privileges of the family of God.

C.     Their status has changed from enemy to adopted children and fellow heirs with Jesus the Messiah. vs. 17a

Romans 7:14-25: The Believer’s Internal War with Indwelling Sin

 Indwelling Sin

The Christian life is a war with many battles. Indwelling sin must be chased, killed, and weakened like a band of guerrilla soldiers. Kill sin, or it will kill you. You are a Trojan horse.

II. The law has no power to produce sanctification in a sinner/saint. It only highlights a person’s failures in obedience. vs. 14-25

    A. Transitional statement (vs. 14) that concludes the former section and introduces the new section. This section (14-25) discusses the believer. Paul says that even with the law he is still the same person, weak, and helpless to obey God in his own strength. But he clearly understands right and wrong (sin).

    B. A puzzling situation—being pulled in two directions. My desire is to obey God, but my body and mind go back to obeying sin. I do not understand myself. vs. 15

    C. A necessary admission and confession—the problem is in me while the law is good and doing what it is supposed to do. I am the one failing to obey; the law is working; it is showing me what attitudes and actions I should have and do have, and it exposes my lack of compliance, and it displays that I am the problem. vs. 16

    D. An enlightening proposition — there is a war going on inside me. vs. 17-19

1. Indwelling sin is an enemy force inside the believer. Sin is not just outside me, nor is it just the absence of good. The believer has indwelling sin.

2. If I submit to it, my indwelling sin will lead me into all kinds of wrong thoughts, words, and deeds. vs. 17

3. My flesh is a house of sin, and in this quadrant of my being nothing good dwells at all. This is ever-present in the believer. The flesh is not trained to do good, but to do the opposite, sin, rebellion and transgression. vs. 18

4. At the same time, a real believer has a God-given strong desire to obey God and His Word, but we as persons are weak and helpless to perform righteousness all the time. vs. 18

5. Each day the believer will fall to the power of indwelling sin in word, thought, and deed and do the things he/she hates. (If a person has no tension and still is in love with sin, they are not yet delivered). vs. 19

6. When I allow indwelling sin to lead me, I am miserable because I am acting, saying, and doing things I hate and that produce guilt. vs. 20

7. This is a principle that never fails—while my soul is still in my body (until my death), I will always have indwelling sin inside me, while at the same time, I desire to obey the indwelling Holy Spirit and the Word of God. vs. 21

    E. An accurate conclusion, I am at war on the inside. The Christian life is difficult and involves an internal struggle. vs.22-23

1. The inner person joyfully agrees with God’s moral law. vs. 22

2. Something keeps me from fully keeping that law (indwelling sin). vs. 23

3. There is another principle that is true: the outer person, my body, has indwelling sin inside it, which fights against the truth in my mind. There is a war in my mind, will, and emotions. (You cannot trust your heart). vs. 23

4. If I do not fight the indwelling sin inside my body, it will take me prisoner and lead both body and soul into sin. vs.23

5. If I ignore my indwelling sin, it gets stronger and will lead me into captivity and cause all my good intentions and desires to fail. vs. 23

6. [If I fight indwelling sin, the biblical way, it becomes weak and quiet] Rom 8:13, 13:8-14

    F. An overwhelmed exclamation—I am a wretched, distressed, miserable person. I long for this war with indwelling sin to be over, and I hate sin and love Jesus. vs. 24

1. The believer’s soul at death is set free from the presence of indwelling sin forever. Heb 12:23; Rev 6:9-11

2. At the resurrection, our glorified bodies will be free from the presence of sin forever and be joined to our souls. 1 Cor 15:51-58; 1 Thess 4:13-18

3. I am trying to be good and do good works, yet I fail repeatedly. How can I get out of this mess? Who will deliver me from this war with my new nature, the Holy Spirit, new loves and desires versus indwelling sin, this remaining corruption?

    G. A victorious proclamation—Praise God, Jesus is the only way out of this struggle with sin’s indwelling presence. Through deliverance, salvation through the Messiah, once I have fully received my salvation in the future, I will be free from sin. vs. 25

    H. An honest declaration—I am inconsistent in my lifestyle before God. vs.25

1. My mind often serves the law of God and obeys the Word of God.

2. My flesh (where my indwelling sin resides) often serves the law of sin.

3. In my own power, I cannot live for God; I will fail over and over again.

4. If I allow indwelling sin to get strong, fortified, and well stocked, it will be very difficult to overcome. It will win numerous battles inside me.

5. The moral law is the guide to godly living, but never the power, strength, or the governor of the believer (grace). The law does not bring death to the sinner; transgressing the law brings death. All sinners must die.

6. I am a mess, but through the Messiah Jesus and the Holy Spirit (Rom 8) I can live a life by grace that pleases God, motivated by love and gratitude.

7. The Christian life involves a constant struggle—the battle of our redeemed faculties and nature against indwelling sin. It is deceptive and loves surprise. attacks. It fights against the means of grace, its greatest enemies.

Romans 7:1-13: The Law and Sin Functioning in a Sinner

 I am the Problem

Anticipated objection: Paul’s view cannot produce a godly lifestyle among the committed because in his system the law does not affect salvation (justification) or sanctification (spiritual growth in godliness, holiness). The Apostles teach that the moral law is part of the gospel message leading to salvation and aids each human to realize that they are a sinner. The moral law is also an aid to the believer who is governed by grace and walking by faith to see what is pleasing and displeasing to the God he/she loves and serves as a purchased slave. But for the Judaizers, the ceremonial law is what they want forced on New Covenant believers, and all the New Testament Apostles of Christ and prophets strongly oppose this plan. Paul argues against it.

I. The law has no part in the justification of a sinner. Its task is to bring exposure of sin and condemnation for sin (a pre-salvation work) vs. 1-13

     A. Paul is addressing the Jews, who know the whole Mosaic law about the mystery of the law vs. 1

     B. Paul’s fact: Every person is under the law’s authority as long as he lives

     C. Paul’s illustration: A married couple that makes vows; the woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive vs.2-3

        1. If her husband dies, she is free to remarry

        2. If she breaks her vows while he is alive, she is an adulteress

        3. In wills and covenants, a death changes everything

        4. We are bound to the law as long as we are alive (in Adam)

     D. Paul’s application: You have died to the law through your identification with the Messiah vs. 4

        1. You are no longer under the dynamic of law, condemnation, everlasting punishment as is every natural person

        2. You have been joined to Messiah in His death, burial, and resurrection and are under the dynamic of grace

        3. Under the dynamics of the law, your deeds (fruit) were only sinful (motive)

        4. Under the dynamics of grace, your deeds (fruit) can and should be good works that please God (with the motives of glorifying and loving God)

   E. Paul’s explanation of the difference between a believer’s past and present vs. 5-6

        1. Before we were saved, the law incited the sinful passions of our sinful nature; we acted upon them and increased our sin, guilt, and criminal record, causing our punishment due (everlasting death) to increase

        2. At our conversion, we died to sin’s control and the law’s condemnation through our connection with Jesus the Messiah. The law’s authority to say, “Do this or die!” was removed at that moment

        3. Because the surrender of the sinner to be a slave of Jesus is a death to self and sin, we are now serving Jesus with the new (to us) power of the Holy Spirit, and we are not motivated by legalism, but by gratitude

   F. Paul’s explanation of the operations of the moral law and sin in a sinner vs. 7-13

        1. Q.: Is the law sinful since it stirs the natural person (lost, unsaved, pagan) up to sin? A.: Don’t even think such a thought!

        2. We do not know something is sinful until the law reveals that it is sinful

        3. Some things are revealed clearly by the natural law in our hearts; others only from special revelation (Bible)

        4. Illustration: The tenth commandment. “Do not covet what belongs to others.” Paul was lusting, but he did not know it was sin until he heard the law read to him. The moral law first shows my attitude or behavior to be sin, to be against God, and to be forbidden vs. 7

        5. When the knowledge comes to a natural person who is a rebel that God in His authority has forbidden what I am doing, then the sin nature, even more, longs and seeks ways to covet to further rebel against the holy standard vs. 8

        6. So, because of a person’s sin nature, the law’s revelation awakens more lustful longings, lust grows, and the condition of the sinner is worse because of the knowledge provided by the moral law vs. 8

        7. Paul the Pharisee discovered through the tenth commandment that he was spiritually dead and unable to have godly attitudes on his own vs. 9

        8. Paul realized the promise of everlasting life to all who completely keep the law was not good news. They all needed a deliverer because the law condemned their failure and sentenced them to everlasting death, not life. The law brings the knowledge that we are not able to obey God’s righteous demands in our own strength vs. 10-11

        9. The problem is not with the law; it is holy, righteous, and good. The real problem is the sinful heart (inner person), not the exposure of sin. The law shows the excessive wickedness of my sin vs. 12-13

        10. The more a person tries to keep the law, the more they sin. But they are the problem; they are the ones enslaved to sin; the problem is not the moral law. The truth is, I am a sinner; the law is not sinful; I am

        11. Thus, I must be separated from the law’s condemnation and authority and be married (a blood bought slave) to King Jesus—my Lord and Messiah—to enter heaven and to have everlasting life

        12. The moral law shows me my sin, pronounces my condemnation, and incites sin in my heart, proving that I am a rebel by nature and by choice. I am spiritually dead. I need a resurrection from the dead; I desperately need a deliverer

Romans 6:15-23: A Change of Masters and Destinies at Our Justification

Who is your Master? 

Anticipated Question: If what you are saying is true, Paul, should we not choose to enjoy the pleasures of sin since we are not under law but under grace? Answer: Never, no way, God forbid even thinking like this. This would make the Christian life going in two opposite directions at the same time. We are now slaves of righteousness; thus, we cannot go back under the mastery of sin. The fruit of our sanctification and God’s work in us will assure that we will be utterly miserable if we try this schizophrenic lifestyle.

I. A proper understanding of grace does not lead to a life of sin or legalism vs. 15

II. All human beings have a master—all are slaves to someone or something vs.16

III. The Roman Christians formerly had sin as their master vs. 17-18

A. Whomever or whatever you yield to, that one is your master

B. You (pl) were slaves to sin in the past, but something changed that status

C. You (pl) obeyed and responded properly to the truth of the gospel

D. You (pl) are now saved from the control and love of sin and its everlasting punishment

E. You have changed masters; you are now slaves of Yeshu’a

IV. Just as you (pl) dedicated your body parts to sin, now you must dedicate them to Yeshu’a the Messiah vs. 19

A. It contradicts a believer’s position and new nature to go into slavery to sin

B. Every genuine believer is a slave of righteousness, so they are miserable when they give their body parts over to sinful practices

C. If one can give themselves over to a sinful lifestyle and be at peace and unafraid, they are not a genuine Christian no matter how many professions of faith they have made

V. The genuine believers’ past and present status vs. 20-22

A. Our past life as a pagan / unbeliever

1.    Continually slaves to sin

2.    Continually free from righteousness, thus, continually unrighteous

3.    Continually doing wrong and shameful things

4.    You are currently ashamed of your past and realize that path led to everlasting death, hell, and everlasting separation from God’s love and grace

B. Our current life as genuine believers

1.    We have been set free from slavery to sin

2.    We are no longer under the authority or condemnation and guilt of sin

3.    We were in the past enabled to be devoted to God and forever changed

4.    We have changed Master's and now are doing appropriate things that promote our sanctification (growth in holy living and Christlikeness) and everlasting life—all produced by grace

VI. A summary of the two ways to live vs. 23

A. The paycheck for a life lived under the authority of sin is spiritual, physical, and everlasting death and separation from God’s love, mercy, kindness, and grace

B. The paycheck for a life lived under the authority of Jesus the Messiah (second person of the Trinity, the God-Man) is everlasting, abundant, full, joyful life under God’s grace

VII. Every human being serves either King Sin or King Jesus vs. 15-23

A. Every person has a master vs. 15-16

B. The one we obey is our real master, not the one we say is our master vs. 16

C. Every genuine Christian was formerly a continual slave of sin vs. 17

D. Every genuine Christian surrendered to a new Master at conversion vs. 17

1.    We must obey to be saved

2.    We must obey a specific narrow teaching: the gospel

3.    We must obey from the inner person with full conviction; mere outward performance or a verbal profession is not enough

4.    We should be thankful to God for His enabling us to repent, believe, surrender, and obey by His sovereign power

E. Every genuine Christian has been set free from sin’s mastery vs. 18

F. Every genuine Christian has become a slave of the Messiah and of His righteousness vs. 18

G. Christians are to serve Jesus with the same dedication they formerly displayed in their service of sin vs. 19

H. Christians need to remember their past dedication to sin and their inability to live righteously before God intervened in their lives vs. 20-21

I. Christians need to value their present commitment to King Jesus and His kingdom of righteousness vs. 22

J. Christians need to understand that the fruit in their life reveals to others who their real master is and what is their real destiny vs. 20-23

1.     Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Gal 5:22-23)

2.    Fruit of good works (Col 1:10)

3.    Fruit of evangelism, others coming into the kingdom through our efforts (John 4:36; Rom 1:13; Col 1:6)

4.    Fruit = positive results, benefits (Rom 6:21)

5.    Sin’s slaves earn everlasting death but were promised a pleasurable life with no consequences. Jesus’ slaves are given true everlasting life

Romans 6:1-14: For the Believer, Sin’s Control and Rule Have Ended; Jesus’ Reign Has Begun

Who is Your Lord? 

Paul ends Roman’s chapter five with contrasting the super-abounding grace (unearned love and blessings) system of salvation that has existed since the fall into sin by Adam with an ineffective merit system created by man, namely, merit by legalism. He stated that where sin abounded, grace super-abounded even more and overcame sin. Paul anticipates even stronger objections at this point. Paul your gospel is too good and too easy. Paul, you are encouraging sinful living. Since there is no law in your system of salvation, then there can be no holy living. How can there be salvation and sanctification without a merit system based on law-keeping (legalism)? [Answer: Abraham modeled and Moses, David, and all the prophets taught the opposite of this view in the Hebrew Bible; salvation is by grace through faith. Ceremonial law is not the most important thing in scripture.] Thus, Paul’s view cannot be true. God is holy, and His salvation would promote holiness, and without a system of merit, men will never seek to earn their salvation and thus, behave properly. In Romans chapter 6, Paul answers this objection thoroughly.

I. The doctrinal basis of Paul’s answer to the objection against his gospel message vs. 1-5

A.     A strong warning. God forbid, don’t even think like this vs. 1-2a

B.     A logical reply to the objection vs. 2b-5

1.      We have died to sin [We must ask, in what sense are we dead?]

2.      How then can we live in what we have died to? We cannot!

3.      We had a once - and - for-all break with sin—its authority, rule, control, and enslavement — at our conversion. Righteousness was applied to our account

4.      We died to sin positionally through our identification with the Messiah. Our public baptism pictured our union with Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection if it followed our regeneration, repentance, faith, surrender, and conversion. When the Messiah died, the believer died. When He was buried, the believer was buried. When He arose, the believer arose.

5.      Thus, the believer has died to the rule, control, and reign of sin in their lives and has been spiritually raised to a new kind of life under the authority of Jesus the Messiah, God the Son.

6.      At our conversion there was an instant change of rulership, authorities, masters—we are now under Jesus the Messiah’s authority and power and no longer under king sin’s authority. Now we can say no to sin. Jesus is our Lord. Yet, sin did not disappear, nor is perfection possible while we are still in these fallen bodies. We remain a slave, what changed was masters.

II. The doctrinal basis of Paul’s answer to the objections practically applied vs. 6-14

A.     Learn and understand the reality of your identity with Christ vs. 6-7

B.     Learn and understand the Messiah’s victory over sin and death vs.8-10

C.     Choose to believe that you are positionally dead to sin’s authority and spiritually alive in the Messiah to obey God’s Word vs. 11

D.     Choose not to surrender to sin’s lordship with your body or mind vs. 12

E.      Choose not to be continually yielding to sin’s enticements and lies, but rather surrender yourself to God’s authority and truth vs. 13

F.      Sin is not the believer’s master; thus, you must not obey its orders

1.      God does not approve of you based on a legalistic merit system, but through a grace system

2.      The believer is not under the condemnation and death penalty of the law. The moral law says to us only, “Do this.” It does not say to us, “do this or die” as it warned us before our conversion

3.      The believer does not function spiritually under the dynamic of a legal code or merit system, but under the dynamic of a grace system. But this grace system is not without the moral law as a guide, but the Governor is Grace.

III. The kingdoms have been changed for every genuine Christian vs. 5-11

A.     The dictator of death has been replaced by the president and congress of life vs. 5

1.      We are joined with the Messiah in his death positionally (at justification)

2.      We are united with the Messiah in his resurrection positionally

B.     Sin’s dominion has been broken vs. 6 [Not its presence or its enticements]

1.      Sin’s authority over us ended when we were crucified with Christ

2.      Sin’s rule was removed by the death of the Messiah

3.      Sin is no longer our slave master; now, the Messiah is our slave master

C.     Christ died once for all ages and removed sin’s dominion over His people vs. 7-8

D.     Death’s mastery was taken away by the Messiah vs. 9

E.      The Messiah victoriously and historically died for sinners vs. 10 (past event)

F.      The Messiah lives and glorifies the Father in his office as Lord vs. 10 (present)

G.     Everyone who is joined to the Messiah is free from sin’s dominion and rule vs. 11

IV. The responsibilities have changed for every genuine Christian vs. 12-14

A.     Sin must not be allowed to reign over us or be obeyed by us vs. 12

1.      Continue to reject sin’s claim of authority

2.      Continue to refuse to obey sin’s orders

B.     Stop surrendering your body parts as weapons of sin’s army as you did before

C.     Start surrendering your body parts as weapons of the Messiah’s army vs. 13

V. The authority and dominion of sin have ended for every genuine Christian vs. 14

A.     The law can no longer condemn us. The moral law only helps guide us

B.     The system of grace governs and empowers us to live pleasing to God. We do not lie in sin unafraid; grace gives us the power to get up and flee from sin

C.     The motivation and obligation are different under a legalistic dynamic (fear & performance) than under a grace dynamic (love & gratitude)