Bible Study - Living - Victorious - Romans 7;20-25; 8:1-9 - July 8, 2012

Bible Study – Living – Victorious – July 8, 2012

This is lesson two (2) in our series entitled “Living Beyond Ourselves.”

Our scripture is Romans 7:20-25; 8:1-9.

In our previous lesson, we studied about the coming of the Holy Spirit to indwell the lives of all who will believe in CHRIST. The new Christian experiences the miracle of rebirth through CHRIST and receives the Holy Spirit Who resides in the body of flesh. The flesh has ruled the body for the life of the person until he/she receives salvation. The desire of the flesh is to continue ruling the body of flesh. GOD wonderfully made the human body to survive in this world and to enjoy living in the world HE created. The human body is designed to protect itself and to exist in the world.

When the term “flesh” is used, it can refer to the human body or it can mean the “mindset” created as the result of living according to what pleases the body. Such pleasure can range from enjoying things that are good to the things that are bad. When a person accepts CHRIST as his/her Savior, a fierce battle often breaks out between the mindset of the flesh and the mindset of the Spirit, to determine who rules the body.

When a person receives CHRIST as his/her Savior and the indwelling Holy Spirit, the process of sanctification begins. Sanctification is the Holy Spirit working within each Christian to make him/her into the image of CHRIST.  This is accomplished through the renewing of the mind to allow the Spirit to rule the flesh. GOD does not make humans robots but HE gives them the freedom to choose. As we allow the Holy Spirit to work within, HE builds a dynamic relationship with CHRIST and GOD. It is a lifelong process.

Our lesson this week focuses on the Apostle Paul’s struggle between his flesh and the indwelling Holy Spirit. When this battle is resolved with the Holy Spirit ruling the Christian’s life, it equals victorious living. Is this a once in a lifetime decision? I wish, but no, it is a struggle until we exit this body of flesh and go to be with our Savior and LORD JESUS.

I presented my testimony in last week’s lesson. It reflected some of the struggles I experienced over many years of my flesh battling with the Spirit before I yielded my will to the control of CHRIST and the Holy Spirit. I had the desire to live for CHRIST but could not live it through my own effort or strength. To me the key point was that I had the desire to live according to the will of GOD. It was through my struggles that the LORD brought me to the point of frustration and to a clear understanding that I could not live the Christian life in my own strength.

When I released my will (basically gave up or surrendered trying to do it myself) to GOD through CHRIST, it was overwhelming. A Christian’s desire must be to obediently serve CHRIST. Going through the motions of living as a Christian is one thing but obedient living as led by the Holy Spirit is another. Having the desire to obediently serve GOD leads or brings the Christian to a point of decision. Satan, through the flesh, will provide many reasons why a Christian should not commit or surrender his/her life to obediently serve CHRIST.

The battle occurs in the mind between knowing what you should do and what you actually do. Those addicted to food and to so many other addictive things know exactly the battles that go on in their minds.

In Romans 8:5-9, Paul was focusing on the flesh nature of those without CHRIST compared to Christians who have received CHRIST as their Savior and have received the Holy Spirit.

Let’s explore.

Let’s read Romans 7:20-25:

20 Now if I do what I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but it is the sin that lives in me.
21 So I discover this principle:e Or lawf Rm 8:2 When I want to do what is good, evil is with me.
22 For in my inner selfg Lit inner man I joyfully agree with God’s law.h 2Co 4:16; Eph 3:16; 1Pt 3:4
23 But I see a different law in the parts of my body,i Lit my membersj Rm 6:19; Gl 5:17; Jms 4:1; 1Pt 2:11 waging war against the law of my mind and taking me prisoner to the law of sin in the parts of my body.k Lit my members
24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this dying body?l Rm 6:6; 8:2; Col 2:11
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord!m Or Thanks be to God—(it is done) through Jesus Christ our Lord!n 1Co 15:57 So then, with my mind I myself am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh, to the law of sin.

Some Bible scholars question if this scripture applied to Paul’s life before CHRIST or after he received CHRIST as his Savior. I believe that it applied to his life after he received CHRIST as his Savior.

I believe most Christians experience the battle between the Spirit and the flesh. Paul described it well. Simply, our desire to be obedient to GOD in all areas of our lives battles our old sinful nature or the law of sin and its desire to rule our lives. It is a very frustrating battle that rages within. The battle is part of the renewing of our minds by the Holy Spirit. It embodies dying to self or releasing full control of your life to CHRIST to allow the Spirit to rule your life, that is, to lead, guide and direct your life. That takes trust and confidence in the One in Whom you entrust your life. I can assure you that Satan does not want you to yield your life to CHRIST and he will place every barrier he can to prevent you from making such a decision.

By the same token, Satan does not want non-Christians to yield their life to CHRIST and will battle to prevent them from asking CHRIST to forgive their sins and for HIM to come into their lives.

The Apostle Paul saw the law as his taskmaster and the authority over him. In his mind, he knew what the law required him to do but he would not to do. However, in his flesh he knew what the law required him to do, yet he did not do it. His flesh ruled his life and defeated him because he constantly failed to live up to the law. He was trapped in his body of flesh ruled by the law of sin. You can feel the frustration in Paul’s life to escape his earth suit (body) that prevented him from being all GOD wanted him to be, as dictated by the law.

The law shows no mercy. You can use your cruise control to obey the speed limit and travel many miles staying within the speed limit set by the law. However, take the cruise control off and exceed that speed limit at the moment the police are using their radar and you are guilty of breaking the law. It does not matter how long you have obeyed the law but the moment you exceeded the speed limit, you are guilty of breaking the law and judgment is imposed.

Satan rules earth and, as Christians, we are living in a war zone 24/7. He has his radar gun pointed at us constantly. As long as the flesh is alive it is subject to the enticements the world has to offer. That is why JESUS told HIS disciples in Matthew 16:24 “If anyone would come after ME, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow ME.” Even then Christians stumble. So what is the answer?

Paul desperately wanted to be rescued from this terrible dilemma and battle. His hope for rescue was GOD through CHRIST. There was a battle raging between his mind, where he knew what GOD’S law required him to do and his flesh which wanted to obey the law of sin. He could not escape this dilemma on his own. We need to keep in mind that before Paul was converted to CHRIST, he was a well trained Pharisee and he knew the law.

The law, given by GOD through Moses, was unable to save sinners. It revealed how sinful a person was and pointed to his/her need for salvation. It was not part of salvation. Freedom from the law occurs at the moment of salvation, through CHRIST.

Let’s read Romans 8:1-4: The Life-Giving Spirit

1 Therefore, no condemnationa Rm 5:16; 8:34 now exists for those inb Rm 8:9-10 Christ Jesus,c Other mss add who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spiritd Rm 8:11,39; 16:3
2 because the Spirit’s law of lifee 1Co 15:45 in Christ Jesus has set youf Other mss read me free from the law of sin and of death.g Jn 8:32,36; Rm 6:14,18; 7:4
3 What the law could not doh Ac 13:39; Heb 10:1-2 since it was limitedi Or weak by the flesh,j Rm 7:18; Heb 7:18 God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending His own Son in flesh like oursk Php 2:7; Heb 2:14,17; 4:15 under sin’s domain,l Lit in the likeness of sinful flesh and as a sin offering,m Lv 5:6-7,11; 14:31; Isa 53:10
4 in order that the law’s requirement would be accomplishedn Lk 1:6; Rm 2:26 in us who do not •walk according to the flesho Gl 5:16 but according to the Spirit.

Chapter 7 can make Christians feel helpless but Chapter 8 lifts them out of this depressing dilemma and places their feet on solid rock of CHRIST. Paul was saying that the law condemns a person who desires to fully obey the spirit and letter of the law.

Paul used the word “condemnation.” Condemnation means penalty or punishment. Those who have accepted CHRIST as their Savior are not condemned by the law because CHRIST fulfilled both the letter and spirit of the law. HIS shed blood paid the price in full for sins of all who accept HIM as their Savior. The shed blood of CHRIST frees Christians from the guilt associated with not fully obeying all aspects of the law. Although Paul did not mention it, this is GOD’S Grace that is extended to all Christians.

Christians still sin or miss the mark of perfection which GOD requires. Temptation is ever present in the lives of all Christians. There are sins of commission and omission.  Christians are being saved from the power of sin and will be saved from sin’s presence.

1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2 Corinthians 5:21 - 21 He made the One who did not know sinn 1Jn 3:5 to be sino Or be a sin offering for us,p Rm 8:3; Gl 3:13; 1Pt 2:24 so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

CHRIST came to earth 100% human and100% Divine and lived a sinless life as a human.  HE was capable of sinning and HE was tempted to sin in all ways as humans are tempted, yet HE was without sin. This means that HE was the perfect acceptable sacrifice to pay in full the sin debt of every human who would believe in HIM. HIS perfection in the flesh took on all the sins of the flesh for those who believe in HIM in order for them to be set free from their sins of the flesh. That is why CHRIST had to give HIS life in the place of everyone that believes in HIM.

If CHRIST’S passion cleansed the body of the Christian, why does the body not go to heaven when it dies? GOD’S redemptive plan is to first redeem the Spirit and cleanse the body to house the Holy Spirit. There will be a bodily resurrection for all Christians at the second coming of CHRIST. I believe if Christians received their resurrected body, at the instant they received CHRIST as their Savior or at the instant of their physical death, why would a non-Christian desire to become a Christian? GOD works in the hearts of every person to woo him/her through HIS Word, HIS handiwork, Christians and other ways to get him/her to accept CHRIST as his/her Savior.

When CHRIST gave HIS sinless life to pay the debt for sin, GOD allowed HIM to become sin for all who will believe in HIM. By CHRIST becoming sin for us as 100% human, HE sanctified the human body of all who will have faith in HIM to be able to be indwelled by the Holy Spirit. Once a person asks CHRIST to forgive him/her for his/her sins, GOD’S Spirit unites with his/her human spirit and the result is rebirth in the Spirit. CHRIST’S passion removed the penalty for sin, which is eternal death.

Paul makes it clear that once a person has experienced the miracle of rebirth, the Christian lives by the Spirit. Since the Christian lives by the Spirit, the sins of the human body have been washed in the shed blood of the Lamb. The Christian’s human body is only necessary to maintain contact with earth, other humans and to obediently serve GOD while they remain upon earth. Since the Christian lives by the Spirit, the Spirit is already secure in CHRIST, nothing can harm the Spirit and it is eternal.

Christians live in the human body and when the human body or flesh rules their lives, as 1 John 1:9 reveals, they must confess their sins and repent. But the beauty of Christianity is that the re-born Spirit is secure for eternity. The human body will be redeemed at the second coming of JESUS and that is the instant Christians will receive their Glorified bodies. Their Glorified bodies will be like CHRIST’S body when GOD resurrected HIM from the dead.

Paul told us in chapter 7 how the law defeated him but he gives us another law that supersedes the law of sin, which is the Spirit’s law of life in CHRIST. GOD requires righteousness and it is impossible for the law to make a person righteous. The shed blood of CHRIST cleansed the body of all who accept CHRIST as their Savior. By cleansing the body of sin, GOD frees Christians to be indwelled by the Holy Spirit and to walk in the Spirit. When Christians walk in the Spirit, they are in relationship with GOD through CHRIST. The Spirit leads, directs and controls the flesh and its nature.

Paul stated in Galatians 5:16-18 – (16) I say then, •walk by the Spiritq Rm 8:4; 1Tm 3:16; 2Pt 1:4; 2:10 and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
(17) For the flesh desiresr 1Pt 2:11 what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want.s Rm 7:15,23; Php 2:13
(18) But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Let’s read Romans 8:5-9:

5 For those who livep Or those who are according to the flesh think about the things of the flesh,q Gl 5:19-25 but those who liver Or those who are according to the Spirit, about the things of the Spirit.
6 For the mind-set of the fleshs Gl 6:8 is death,t Rm 6:21 but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace.
7 For the mind-set of the flesh is hostileu Jms 4:4 to God because it does not submit itself to God’s law, for it is unable to do so.
8 Those who are in the fleshv Rm 7:5 cannot please God.
9 You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, sincew Or provided that the Spirit of God lives in you.x Jn 14:23; 1Co 3:16; 6:19; 2Co 6:16; 2Tm 1:14 But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ,y Jn 14:17; Gl 4:6; Php 1:19; 1Jn 4:13 he does not belong to Him.

Paul focused on the lifestyle and mind-set as indicators of who is ruling your life – the flesh, non-Christians or the Spirit, Christians. Here Paul has focused on the non-Christian compared to the Christian. Those who live according to the flesh are ruled by the desires of the flesh and think about the things of the flesh. Those who live according to the Spirit think about the things of the Spirit. Their desire is to obediently serve GOD.

Paul listed several indicators of these mind-sets:

-         For the mind-set of the fleshs Gl 6:8 is death,t Rm 6:21 but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace. The flesh does not have the assurance of eternal life with CHRIST whereas those who have accepted CHRIST as their Savior are eternally secure in CHRIST. For the Christian, death of the body is going home to be with his/her Father and LORD for eternity.

-         For the mind-set of the flesh is hostileu Jms 4:4 to God because it does not submit itself to God’s law, for it is unable to do so.

-         Those who are in the fleshv Rm 7:5 cannot please God. The desire of the flesh is to do the things that please the flesh. The flesh nature is in its fallen state and has not been redeemed therefore it cannot please GOD.

Those who have asked CHRIST to forgive them for their sins have the Spirit of GOD, who is the Holy Spirit, living in them. The Holy Spirit confirms that they are HIS children as revealed in Romans 8:16:

(16) The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spiritk Ac 5:32 that we are God’s children,

The non-Christian cannot please GOD because he/she has not asked CHRIST to forgive him/her and asked HIM to come into his/her life. They have no relationship with GOD. The non-Christian may be working very hard in a church or Christian organization but they have not been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. They have not experienced the miracle of rebirth. They may even state that they hope GOD will accept them because of their good works. Good works does not measure up to the righteousness that GOD requires for a person to be acceptable to HIM.

Paul made it clear that he was contrasting the mind-set of non-Christians versus the mind-set of Christians. I contend that we as Christians should as the Holy Spirit to review our mind-set to determine where it is. Who is leading our lives – the old life or our new life in CHRIST? The Holy Spirit within is working within each Christian to grow and mature him/her Spiritually to have the mind-set of the Spirit. Some develop more quickly than others. To me it boils down to a Christian’s will and his/her willingness to yield the control of his/her life to CHRIST. “LORD, here I am as I am, take my life and use it as YOU desire. My desire is to obediently serve YOU. My old nature battles with my new nature and I need YOUR strength to live as YOU desire for me to live. Thank you for what YOU are going to do in and through my life.”  

In verse 9, Paul assures the Christians in Rome that they have the mind-set of CHRIST because of the evidence of the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

As Christians, what is our mind-set? Do we embrace the things of the flesh or the Spirit? Where do we want to be? If our desire is to walk in the Spirit, then we must tell CHRIST and ask HIM what we need to do for HIM to use our lives according to HIS will and purpose. Then when HE reveals the steps we need to take, take them. Just know that the enemy, Satan, will likely battle you all the way. Just know that “Greater is HE (CHRIST) that is in you than he (Satan) that is in the world.”

The re-born Spirit within every Christian is secure and destined for eternal life in heaven. The re-born Spirit is pure and righteous. The Holy Spirit indwells the human body renewing the minds of Christians to move them from the mind-set of the flesh to the mind-set of the Spirit. There is complete harmony between their re-born Spirit and the Holy Spirit. The challenge comes when the old life rules the new life in CHRIST. JESUS stated that it is necessary to die to self and Paul thought of it as taking off our old clothes and putting on our new clothes. Both require an act of the will.

Here is the beauty. When CHRIST gave HIS sinless life on the cross, both the law and sinful flesh were nailed to the cross for all who will believe in HIM. As Christians, we have been redeemed from the penalty of the law and the dictates of the flesh. A Christian’s part is to claim it and to walk in the Spirit and to live it in the power and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Who rules our lives? For Christians, victorious living occurs when we have the mind-set of the Spirit and build an intimate, loving relationship with HIM. This does not mean that all will run smoothly but it does mean that when the difficult times come, our strength will come from CHRIST and the empowering of the Holy Spirit.    

Blessings as we journey together!!!