From Dream to Deliverance
Monday, September 6, 2004
My Prayer Today
Dear Father in Heaven, I am enslaved in sin without the gift of Your Son Jesus Christ. The chains of bondage keep me captive in sin where I cannot break free on my own. There is a "civil war" raging in my mind, and I need You to deliver me from the bondage of sin. I thank You Jesus that You have given me life and freedom. Help me to walk in the freedom that You provide. I need You today to help me to overcome my sinful nature. I ask this 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 22, what does Paul love with all of his heart?
According to verse 23, what is at work in Paul that makes war with his mind? What does this do to him?
What does it mean to be a "slave to sin?"
A Deeper Exploration of God’s Word
According to 7:23, is Paul in bondage? How so?
Is Paul ever able to escape sin? Why or why not?
Understanding God’s Word
What are some ways in which people can be enslaved to sin?
What "law" is Paul talking about in verse 22?
Could Paul ever "love God's law" without being a Christian? Why or why not?
Applying God’s Word to Our Lives
In what ways do you feel enslaved by sin?
Does God want you to be enslaved by sin? Why?
What prevents you from living in the freedom that Christ provides?
Thoughts...
One of the darkest times in American history was around the 1860's during the time of the Civil War. Our nation was not united but rather divided. Perhaps one of the most significant issues surrounding the war itself was the issue of slavery. As we read in our history books about all of the suffering and bondage that many black slaves had to endure during those years, it is very troubling. To see the terrible conditions that people lived in is staggering. Thank God, slavery no longer exists in America! Tragically though, slavery still exists within every human being. According to Romans 7:23, Paul says that we are all enslaved by sin. To be a slave means that we are in bondage to the thing or the person that is holding us. We cannot break free on our own from the master in which we are serving. The master in which the human race is serving is sin.
The apostle Paul captures this struggle that he is enduring in the battle against sin. He says in Romans 7:23, "this law (of sin) wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me." In other words, Paul is saying that he cannot win this battle against sin alone. He is enslaved just as every human being is enslaved. In fact, the more he realized God's law, the more he felt guilty for his sin. As we will see later in Paul's journey to faith, it was this realization that caused him to put his trust in Jesus as his Savior. Jesus is the only person who can break the shackles of our chains of sin and bring us into freedom. Though we battle against our sinful nature every day, through Jesus we are no longer prisoners to sin, but rather free from all bondage and fear! Praise the Lord!