Romans 7: Christ Will Redeem Us From The Presence Of Our Sin Nature

Text: Romans 7

Theme: The gospel reveals the righteousness of God...

3. In Sanctification (6:1-8:17)
B) Of Practice (6:12 - 7:25)

As death frees one from obligation to marriage, so the death
of Christ frees believers from obligation to the law, enabling
them to bear fruit for God (1-6). Though the law is just and
good, man's sin nature prevents him from keeping it, actually
provoking him to sin more, since it naturally opposes anything
it knows to be God's will. Thus, as he fails to keep it, the
law only makes man more aware of his sin and the death penalty
he deserves.

When someone trusts Christ as Savior, he is born from above
(John 3), receives a new, spiritual nature from God (cf. 2
Cor. 5:17), and is indwelt by the Holy Spirit (cf. John 14;
17; Ephesians 1:13ff). With this new nature, however, the
believer also retains his old, fallen, sin nature. On the one
hand, his spiritual mind knows God's will and wants to do it.
On the other, his "carnal" mind opposes God's will and
keeps him from it. As a result, believers constantly struggle
within themselves, unable to obey God in the strength of their
flesh. Only when Jesus redeems their bodies (cf. 8:1-25),
will believers finally be delivered from this "wretched"
struggle with their two opposing natures.

The believer's death to sin and resurrection to newness of
life in Christ, however, frees him from the Law, enabling
him to bear fruit for God (Romans 6:1-23). This is possible by
the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit--and not his flesh--as he
knows his position in Christ (that he has died with Him to sin
and been raised with Him to newness of life), counts it to be
true, then yields his members as instruments of righteousness
to God (cf. 6:1-23).

--
Have you heard Christ died for our sins, and God raised Him
from the dead? Did you know God saves you from hell and
gives you eternal life through faith in this finished work alone,
not your merits (Jn. 3:16; 1 Cor. 15:1-3; Eph. 2:8-10; 2 Thess.
1:8-9)? This is so man cannot boast, and God alone gets the
glory (Eph. 2:8-9).
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