Victory over Sin in the Saint

Pastor Ostella

8-29-99

Introduction

We tend to be mask wearers. Do you know what I mean by this? I do not refer to the fact that we wear masks in our relationships with other people. We do that to be sure. We hide our true selves from others, often very hypocritically. By mask wearing, I mean that we wear them when we look in the mirror. It is difficult to face the truth about ourselves. This is very subtle because the mask is already on in all of our looking. So you may say, "I am going to take a good look at myself" and you proceed to the mirror. But as your image begins to appear on the surface of the mirror, the mask is already in place. When you say, "what rosy cheeks you have, what beautiful eyes," you are describing the mask!

Scripture gives us the true picture. It is neither comforting nor easy to accept initially. We are flesh, sold to sin as a slave (Rom. 7:14). In our fallen state we only do evil continually (Gen. 6:5; 8:21). When God saves a sinner, He prevents him from doing evil this way. But God does not save us all at once. We still sin. There is conflict, tension, warfare, and groaning. Romans 7 is realistic and it gives us a healthy inward perspective as a solid foundation for outward looking and living.

This morning I want to accent the tone of victory and the call to duty in light of this realism, in light of the reality of sin in the saint. As I read the passage note the over all tone of victory even with the tensions and laments (Rom. 7:14-8:2).

I will follow this pattern today: 1) the reality of sin in the saint, 2) the victory over sin in principle, and 3) the victory over sin in practice.

1A. First, the reality of sin in the saint.

To get our bearings we can ask and answer two questions.

1) Why should we think that these things speak of a Christian, especially with the language of being sold to sin as a slave (14b)?

There is language in this passage that cannot be said of the non-Christian. Some phrases are not as strong as others. But they all point to things that are not true of a natural man. Some weaker ones are: "I agree that the law is good" (16b), "I have a desire to do what is good" (v. 18), there is "a good I want to do" (v. 19) and "evil I hate" (v. 19). In light of Genesis 6:5 and 8:21 (on man in the fall), it is hard to take these verses in Romans 7 as descriptive of fallen man. And it is even more difficult in light of Romans 3:10-13. Some very strong phrases are: "I delight in God's law" (v. 22) and "I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law" (v. 25). This hardly describes a non-Christian (see Rom. 8:7).

Therefore, we should conclude that the "I am" phrase in v. 14 speaks to the fact that sin in the saint is a perpetual reality because of the flesh, because of our fallen nature. It speaks to the fact that though we have been set free from our sinful selves and we can no longer do evil only and continually, we still have that nature to sin and the Lord does not deliver us from our sinful selves totally and all at once. We are in a process of growth in holy living while learning lessons about our true un-holiness at the same time.

We are flesh, fallen and inclined to sin. At conversion, when set free by the Spirit, that inclination no longer has free course but we still have that evil nature and when we sin we do so because that is what we are in the fall. The Lord does not glorify us immediately when he sets us free. He gradually sets our feet more and more firmly on the path of holiness.

2) Does Paul deny responsibility for sin in the life of the saint?

Note the way he states a contrast between himself and sin (vs. 17, 20) and between his mind and his sinful nature (v. 25b).

We have to balance this with the fact that when we sin, we sin, not someone or something else. Observe that after he says, "it is not I but sin that does evil" (v. 17), he immediately says that "nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature (v. 18a, in my flesh). Then he states the I who sins: "I have the desire for good but I cannot carry it out" (v. 18b) and "what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do-this I keep on doing" (v. 19).

In this light, here is a paraphrase of verse 20: Now I do not want to do certain things because I have been set free by the Spirit. But if I do them it is not because of who I am by the work of the Spirit but it is because of who I am in myself in the fall. I still am flesh, fallen and prone to wander.

The point is metaphorical, our sinful nature is personified. Literally, Paul is saying: "I don't do it, but actually I do it." When he says, it is not me but sin dwelling in me he means "it is not me but it is me." On one hand it is not me and on the other hand it is me. This expresses the tension and conflict of doing what I don't want, "what I hate, I do." It is I. I am responsible. I am in struggle and tension with a new heart for God and evil dragging at my sinful heels.

This brings about a tension between the desire to do good (prompted by the Spirit) and the presence of evil right there-I still have a corrupt nature (v. 21). The tension is between what I am (vs. 23-24a) and delight in the law of God by the Spirit (v. 22; Rom. 8:5).

Need I say any more than this: as our delight in the law of God becomes more intense and our hatred of unrighteousness becomes more acute then our doing of what we hate becomes all the more painful. Thus, we moan and lament (vs. 15, 18, 24a). We cry out for deliverance, for the end of this pilgrimage, for the city which has foundations whose builder and maker is God. We groan like the creation that suffers the pains of childbirth. We groan within ourselves eagerly awaiting our adoption as sons and daughters of the living God; we await the redemption of our bodies (Rom. 8:22-23).

This truly marks the saint. (we are directed to humble dependence, to vigilance, alertness, and to dependent prayer).

2A. The Victory over Sin in Principle

On this victory we should consider its principle and its demand. Principle and demand involve us with two areas: the empowering of God (His in-working) and our use of means. We have both His working and our working (but as I will stress, it is not a 50/50 proposition).

So, here is the principle: victory over sin in the saint arises from the power of God. This is so because you are under grace and no longer under the grip of sin. Sin shall not be your master for you are under the power of grace (Rom. 6:14; grace is not simply the giving of favor that is undeserved; it is the powerful giving of favor that is undeserved and that prevents slavery to sin in the way it was in the past).

The work of the Spirit is effectual. The heart's delight in the law of God does touch down in real life. Progress is made in fruit growing. Changes in the life in fact do occur, though sometimes they are painfully slow in coming.

How so? Because God's purpose never fails. He joined us to Christ in His death "that we might bear fruit for God" (Rom. 7:4; don't let the word "might" throw you, it is a way that some translate purpose as in KJV of John 3:17; it is literally, "in order that" stating the purpose of our death with Christ). The reason we continue to will and to do is because He is working these graces within us (Phil. 2:13).

Thus, it is the certain and settled purpose of God to see us through to the day of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:6). Sanctification is between justification and glorification in Romans 8:30. It does not depend on us in any way just as nothing else in this golden chain depends on us. It is all God's doing to love us and thus foreordain us to the image of Christ (8:29; recall that foreknow means know before in an intimate way, with intimate knowledge, i. e., with love). Every determinative act is God's; every act that sees to it that we are predestined, called, justified and ultimately glorified (8:30). Think of it like leaven. When it is introduced it can hardly be detected. The dough looks the same as before. Then gradually it leavens the whole lump. Every part of the creation will be delivered from its groaning. This will happen when the creation is delivered up into the glory of the liberty of the children of God (Rom. 8:21). This work goes on piece by piece, saint by saint, stage by stage across every moment of the believer's life until he is introduced into the state of honor, immortality, and peace without end (Rom. 2:7).

So we groan having in our breasts a foretaste of the powers of the world to come. We sigh desiring to be delivered decisively, finally, and absolutely.

The best is yet to come. We have a taste now in advance but it is only a nibble. The half has not yet been told us of what God has prepared for His own. If it were we could not take it all in!

Therefore, in principle, the victory over sin in the saint is ours now. It is found in the introduction into our lives of the saving and leavening principle of grace in the newness of the Holy Spirit based on, and rooted in, the accomplished work of Christ Jesus our Lord. The Holy Spirit's application of the finished work of Christ is constant, gradual, and certain in its accomplishment over time by the power of grace.

These truths lift us to the heavens; here we find the joy of the Lord and ride on the mountain heights of Jacob. However, we do so with our feet planted firmly on the earth. We scales these heavenly heights with one eye fixed firmly on our duty as saints. This brings us to the victory in practice.

3A. The Victory over Sin in Practice

Victory is a fact because it is the work of God. And this leads us to the use of means that God has appointed for us to live out this victory. We have a duty to work out the victory that He is working within. Ultimate success is not a cooperative venture in which God does His part and we do our part. There is success through doing our part because God works in us without failure leading us across the battlefield of sin to victory on the other side. In this light, let me speak to you about your practical duty.

In this context of Romans 6-8 there are very few direct exhortations to the saint. A good exercise for you in keeping with the pastoral diet would be to read these chapters looking for any and all direct and specific commands or exhortations that spell out saintly duties. But as you read make note of all the things you should know.

There are a number of practical exhortations that define our duty in light of the victory God has given. I will deal with them in two messages. In this message, I will spend time on one exhortation, namely, your duty is to rest in the power of God. The key verse is Romans 6:11. Here is the exhortation: Consider yourself dead to sin but alive to God.

This is something you are to know, Paul says "know, reckon, count it so." This is doctrinal recognition. How important right doctrine is! And this text emphasizes right doctrine about the death of Christ as our substitute.

There is much in these chapters and in Scripture for us to know. We are to mark it down, and declare it so. This is faith resting in what God has done in Christ and what He says is the case in our death with Christ. So look back to His death and life (6:10) and count it the same for you. Rest in the power of God: your new life is due to the action of God in all the glory of His attributes (6:4). He will powerfully, effectually, and certainly see us through to the resurrection unto eternal life (6:5). We know we were crucified with Him back there at Calvary to be freed from sin by His power(6:6-7). Look at Christ and your death with Him (6:8). Notice that Paul is not saying that the death of Christ was something general and nonspecific. It is not that Christ simply made some good medicine for sin in general and for people in general. Paul's entire gospel rests on the fact that when Jesus died He actually took the place of sinners, He actually endured their eternal punishment, He actually satisfied the wrath of God against them, and He secured their release from bondage from sin (Isa. 53:11; 1 Pet. 2:24; Heb. 9:12-14).

Thus Paul says "we know" specific things about Christ and His death and His new life (6:9-10). So now consider that it is the same for you (6:11). Rest in the word of God: He says it, it is so. I am freed from sin's mastery-I am free from my sinful self! I am dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Seeing your inherent wretchedness, thank God for deliverance (7:24-25). Mark it down, you are not condemned and you are set free by the Spirit (8:1-2).

Say to yourself, "He will see me through to glory. Nothing depends on me. The victory is sure because it does not depend on me one wit but totally on the Lord."

You may ask, "How am I motivated, given this teaching?" The motivation is not "work so you will secure the victory for yourself." It is quite the reverse (it is not that we make it so by believing it; instead, it is because it is so that we are to believe it). Your work does not secure the victory. Knowing the victory is sure and determined by the power of grace encourages you to work (6:14). In the midst of the struggles and difficulties, it is most encouraging to know that you will win the battle by the grace and power of God.

Count it so. This is how you fix your eyes on Christ the author and finisher of your faith. Thank God through Jesus Christ the risen Lord because He will see you through to glory.     cf. chorus of "Christ Returneth" #475