From Dream to Deliverance
Tuesday, September 7, 2004
My Prayer Today
Dear Almighty God, I worship Your Holy Name! As long as I depend upon my own will-power and disciple to overcome sin in my life, I will always fall short of what You desire. I admit that I cannot conqueror sin on my own. I need Jesus to save me from my sinful nature and deliver me from the bondages I experience in my life. I want to enjoy the freedom that the cross provides and live in victory over sin. I ask that You would give me Your grace and Your Holy Spirit to be able to be holy as You are holy. 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 24, what kind of person does Paul say he is?
Does Paul see himself as a person in bondage? How so?
According to verse 24, how much influence does sin have over Paul?
A Deeper Exploration of God’s Word
Is the experience that Paul is describing a Christian one? Why or why not?
Read Romans 6-8 and describe the context this passage. What are the major themes?
Understanding God’s Word
Should Romans 7:18-24 be the "normative" Christian experience? Why or why not?
Does Romans 7:21-24 contradict other passages like Romans 6:5-11; 6:14; or 6:17? If so, how?
If there are contradictions in the "Christian lifestyle" in these passages, what can be deduced from Paul's experience in Romans 7:21-24? Is he describing his pre-Christian or post-Christian experience?
Applying God’s Word to Our Lives
Does Paul's experience in 7:18-24 seem to parallel your experience as a Christian? If so, how?
As Christians, are we "slaves" or "free" from our sinful nature? How so?
How do we live in the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome sin? Name several things we must do.
Thoughts...
It was once said, "sin will take you further than you ever want to go." What often appears to be just a little fun, can easily grip someone and bring them to utter bondage and ruin. I have known many people over the years who decided to take one cigarette, one drink of alcohol, one look at pornography, or one time dabbling in the occult, and found themselves at the brink of despair because they could not go back. These people were prisoners of their addictions and bondages, and every time they tried to escape, the chains would keep them bound. Sin will indeed take you further than you ever want to go.
The apostle Paul says in Romans 7:24 -- "Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin?" Paul is saying here that he is in bondage to his sinful nature and that he cannot escape by himself. He is calling out to a "savior" who will rescue him from the things that he cannot escape. Maybe you have sin or addictions in your life that you cannot escape? As long as we try to escape from sin ourselves, we will always sink back into it. Paul realized that without an outside power, he would never truly be free. In chapter 7, Paul is describing his experience before he came to Jesus Christ -- and it left him miserable! We who are now in Christ do not have to live in that misery. Yes, we will always combat temptation and sin our entire lives, but through Jesus Christ we have the power and grace to overcome sin and be victorious!