Romans 7:14-25

How many of you can identify with Paul in Romans 7:14-25? This is a statement of experience. Paul had become a follower of Jesus, but all sorts of things that seem contrary to the Christian life were taking place.

I want to serve the Lord. What I do is the complete opposite.

A war is taking place within me. In my mind, I intend to do certain things, but in practice I do other things.

Paul didn’t become a spiritual giant overnight.

Does this happen in your life? Then Romans is for you! We are not left to wage this battle alone in despair. The Lord gives promise of victory. The fullness of that victory comes in Romans 8, but here in Romans 7 we have the answer.

By overcoming the barriers in our path, every person can be delivered from the despair of defeat.

• The barrier of the bondage of self-effort (Romans 7:14-17)
  • There is a tension between two natures
    • The spiritual nature wants to serve God
    • The sinful nature wants to indulge in sinful acts
  • The method of dealing with these tensions
    • 12 times in 3 verses, we see the word “I”
    • Deliverance is not achieved by self-effort

Sin creates bondage that self-effort cannot overcome.

• The barrier of the baggage of sin (Romans 7:18-23)
  • The problem of the flesh
    • Flesh means the sinful nature within us
  • The problem of wishful thinking
• The barrier of the burden of despair (Romans 7:23-25)
  • The burden of inward war
    • I’m a prisoner
    • Where is freedom
  • The banishment of despair
    • The question
      • Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?
    • The answer
      • Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, every one of us can be delivered from despair. Not through self-effort, not by just wishing things were different, not by throwing up our hands in despair, but by trusting in the only one who can help, Jesus Christ. By allowing Him to be our strength, our defense, and our encouragement.