Failure and Victory – The old man & the new
The series – Complimentary and Paradoxical Truths
We started with “The love and wrath of God”
Quick recap
We must have a balanced view
Last week we considered “Human depravity and the image of God”
Quick recap
We must have a balanced view
This evening looking at Romans 7 in the context of Romans 6 and 8
Rom 7:13-25 – failure
Rom 6 & 8 – victory/overcoming sin
A key to understanding these chapters
Rom 7 – focusing on individuals without Christ
Rom 6 & 8 – walking in the Spirit and newness of life
Different viewpoints:
Not as simple as saying are you in Rom 7 or Rom 6 & 8
A debate that Rom 7 does not describe the believer
Some say Rom 7 deals with someone becoming a Christian and reassurance in Rom 8
Every believer fails
Examples
Saved from the power of sin
Not perpetual sin – Rom 8:3
Sanctification and there should be progression in holiness
We cannot use Rom 7 as an excuse from sin
Rom 6:14 – you are no longer under sin
v4 – we were baptised into Christ’s death
v6 – no longer a slave to sin
We are no longer under law
Rom 7:6 – we live under the spirit of the law
Rom 6:16-17
Rom 6:13 – the key verse
We are to offer ourselves not to sin but to God and righteousness
This is not automatic – v12
The new position we are in – Victory in Christ
Rom 7
v15 – a struggle
v7, 11, 13 – does verse 15 just apply to the apostle Paul?
Is he speaking about his chasm of sin during his conversion?
Is he speaking as a mature believer sensitive to sin?
A mature believer is bothered by the smallest of sin, sins of omission and commission
Closing Remarks
Different views
How does this apply to us?