Foundations of Faith
GETTING THE POWER AND VICTORY OVER SIN IN OUR LIVES (II)
The Nov00 issue concluded by presenting the struggle described in Romans 7 :”The good that I would, I do not; but the evil that I would not, that I do” (7:19). There is no lack of knowledge here of God’s Word and God’s will. The problem is that the believer described here often behaves and acts and speaks contrary to God’s Word and will. And he knows it! He hates it! He cries out, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from this body of death ?” (7:24).
Have any of you, my readers, had such an experience? If so, that’s good. Why do I say that? Because it probably means that you are truly born again (Nov00) and possess the new nature (Oct00) since this struggle is between the old and new natures within us. I don’t know of any true believer in Christ who has not experienced this struggle.
With what kinds of behavior, habits, and attitudes do Christians struggle? Let us list a few:Losing one’s temper, sexual thoughts and lusts, worry and anxiety, impatience, irritability, pride, gossiping, jealousy and envy, and wasting time (watching TV, playing computer games, surfing the Internet, or reading novels). These are all sins of commission. People also struggle with sins of omission (Jun96), particularly, failure to share the gospel with those about us, failure to help people in need, failure to reach out to those who are lonely, suffering, or bereaved, and failure to read the Bible and pray every day.
The struggling person cries out, “O wretched man that I am!” He has tried the law and the law has utterly failed to help him, just as it utterly failed to keep the children of Israel following and obeying God. Is this because the law is not broad enough or its penalties not strong enough? No, “the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good” (Rom. 7:12). The problem is that the law does not have any built-in power or motivation to help people to keep it. People who use the law as a rule of life tend to try to find loopholes and to concentrate on keeping their own favorite list of rules, to the neglect of others (Jun98).
The wretched man in verse 24, realizing the failure of the law to help him, asks, “Who shall deliver me?” Now the struggler is ready to seek the help of a Person. He is on the right track!
The solution is found at the beginning of chapter 8:”There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit- life in Christ Jesus- has made me free from the law of sin and death” (8:1,2). Why is “no condemnation” mentioned here in connection with holy living? Doesn’t it belong rather in chapter 3 in connection with the sinner’s deliverance from the penalty that his sins deserve? I believe it is brought in here as an answer to the believer’s struggle in chapter 7. When he sins, the believer who uses the law to get power over sin is condemned by that same law and is self-condemned. God’s solution, on the other hand, is one that is totally apart from condemnation (or judgment) of any kind. The wretched man has asked, “Who shall deliver me? and here the Holy Spirit answers, “Christ Jesus.”
Our Source of power and victory over sin in our daily lives is exactly the same as the One who has delivered us from the penalty that our sins deserved- the Lord Jesus Christ. We must read the Bible daily, growing in our knowledge of Christ and His eternal glories, His humility, His holy life, His obedience unto death, His immense sufferings for our sins, His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension back to the glory, and His coming again for us.
The law of the Spirit, which is life in Christ Jesus, provides the liberating power from the law of sin and death. Up to this point there had been but a single reference to the Holy Spirit in the Epistle to the Romans. mans. Now in chapter 8 there are 16
such references! What is the work of the Holy Spirit? It is ministering the things of Christ to us. He ministers to us Christ’s love, joy, peace, longsuffering, etc., and we respond to such ministry by producing the 9-fold fruit of the Spirit in our lives (Mar95). In proportion as we have Christ before our souls, we will find deliverance from sin and power to do God’s will in our daily lives.
Just so, when we see our fellow Christian heading down a path of sin, what should we do? Once we have pointed out his fault to him (Matt. 18:15; Gal. 6:1), we should minister Christ to his soul, reminding him of the Cross and all that Christ has suffered for his sake.
Let us conclude this topic by simply quoting a number of Scriptures that show us that the power to live holy lives comes from having our hearts set on Christ:
“As I have loved you, you also
love one another” (John 13:34).
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice…” (Rom. 12:1).
“Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof” (Rom. 13:14).
“Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not Himself” (Rom. 15:2,3).
“We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:18).
“For the love of Christ constrains us … that those who live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him who died for them and rose again” (2 Cor. 5:14,1).
“Be kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you. Be therefore followers of God as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, and has given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God” (Eph. 4:3l-5:2,25).
“Our Saviour Jesus Christ … gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Tit. 2:10,12,14).
“Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that does so easily beset us,… looking unto Jesus … who …
endured the cross, despising the shame” (Heb. 12:1-3).
Running the Race
Assignment 16: Write out two passages in 1 Peter 2 that appeal to the grace or kindness of Christ and the example of Christ when speaking about Christian behavior.
Assignment 17: The following is a review quiz based on the Year 2000 issues of GROWING. Please refer back to the indicated issue when answering each question.
1. (Jan.) (a) On the first page of the Jan. issue there is an incorrect Scripture refernce (off by one chapter). Find the error and write out the passage with correct reference. (b) What lesson concerning prayer is illustrated by this passage?
2. (Feb.) What is meant by the verse, “O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness”?
3. (Mar.) Write out an example of how you have sacrificed for the Lord’s sake.
4. (Apr.) List five criteria that we must satisfy before we can know God’s will.
5. (May) (a) Write out some verses that describe how God may guide us through circumstances. (b) Write out another verse that tells us not to depend on circumstances in learning God’s will.
6. (June) (a) Which aspect of the world- lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, or pride of life gives you the most trouble? (b) Give an illustration of this in your life.
7. (July) (a) What is your most important goal in life? (b) Write out a Bible verse that shows that God, too, thinks this goal is important.
8. (Aug.) How can even teaching the Word of God sometimes become a worldly activity?
9. (Sept.) What scriptural priciples are given to us to guide us in borrowing money?
10. (Oct.) Write out two verses that refer to or describe the “old nature” and two that refer to or describe the “new nature.”
11. (Nov.) Write down four points from this lesson that tell what it means to be “born again.”
12. (Dec.) Write out two verses that give the key to victory over sin in our daily lives.