From Dream to Deliverance
Sunday, September 5, 2004
My Prayer Today
Dear Heavenly Father, I confess to you that I am a sinner. I do not simply "do" sinful things, but my nature is sinful itself. Without the cross of Your Son Jesus Christ, I will always be a captive to sin. I am helpless in my defense against sin without You! I ask that You would give me the grace and the strength to overcome sin in my life today by the power of Your Holy Spirit. I want to live in such a way that pleases You. I ask this all in Jesus' name -- Amen.
God's Word For Me Today
Romans 7:21-8:4
7:21 "It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God's law with all my heart. 23 But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will set me free from this life that is dominated by sin? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ out Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin."
8:1 "So now there is now no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death. 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 for our sins. 4 He did this so that the requirement of the law would be fully accomplished for us who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit."
Reflecting on God’s Word
According to verse 21, what does the apostle Paul consider to be a "fact of life?"
What does Paul want to do?
What does Paul end up doing? Why?
A Deeper Exploration of God’s Word
Why does the apostle Paul use the word "inevitable" in verse 21?
Read Genesis 3 and explain the current condition of human being based upon this account.
Understanding God’s Word
What does it mean that we as humans have a "sinful nature?"
What does Romans 3:23 say about what every person?
Are we born in a state of sin, or do we become sinful only after we have done wrong?
Applying God’s Word to Our Lives
Do you find that your life is "dominated" by sin? Why or why not?
Are there sins in your life that seem "inevitable," though you want to do what is right? If so, what are they?
Does recognizing your sinful nature show you that you are in need of Jesus? How so?
Thoughts...
A few weeks ago while I visited someone in the hospital, I had the opportunity to see a mother carrying her newborn baby out the front entrance. It was the first time that baby had ever been outside in the fresh air! As I looked at that tiny infant cradled in its mothers arms, I saw a beautiful, helpless little child that seemed so cute and innocent. There is always something so special about seeing a newborn infant. The reality is though, that the mother will not have to teach the child to do what is wrong because the child inevitably will do it. Why? The infant that was carried out the front entrance of the hospital, though it seemed innocent, actually has a sinful nature. The Bible says that we are all born in a state of sin, regardless if we have "sinned" or not. We are sinful because we are human.
The apostle Paul reveals in Romans 7:21 that "it seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong." All of us are depraved as humans. I am sure that you will remember the story of the "fall of humankind" in the book of Genesis. It is the story of Adam and Eve as they fell into temptation by the serpent, thereby becoming slaves to sin as they rebelled against God. Since that "fall," all of us have a sinful nature that we alone cannot escape. We all have to live with understanding that there is a sinful nature that will keep us captive without Jesus Christ. Though we have a sinful nature, God desires to change us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank God that Jesus Christ provides the solution through his death upon the cross! Though sin may remain in our nature, that sinful nature no longer has reign within us.
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