“VICTORY OVER LEGALSIM AND SELF-DEPENDENCE” Through the Power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 7:15-8:4)

STRUGGLING WITH SIN? Romans 7:15 – 7:25

II.YOUR STRUGGLE - THE SIN NATURE VERSUS THE NEW NATURE! Have you ever approached a situation with the best of intentions to do what’s right and honor the Lord, only to fail miserably?Have you ever approached a situation with the best of intentions to do what’s right and honor the Lord, only to fail miserably? Have you ever wondered why sin is sometimes as much of a problem in your Christian walk as it was before you were saved?Have you ever wondered why sin is sometimes as much of a problem in your Christian walk as it was before you were saved? Have you ever thought that sin is more of a problem as a believer than it was as an unbeliever?Have you ever thought that sin is more of a problem as a believer than it was as an unbeliever?

II.YOUR STRUGGLE - THE SIN NATURE VERSUS THE NEW NATURE! Have you ever wanted to give up in despair because of frustration – wanting to do what’s right, but failing over and over again?Have you ever wanted to give up in despair because of frustration – wanting to do what’s right, but failing over and over again? Have you ever resolved to try harder to live a life that pleases the Lord, only to find yourself completely inadequate and unable to live up to those resolutions?Have you ever resolved to try harder to live a life that pleases the Lord, only to find yourself completely inadequate and unable to live up to those resolutions?

II.YOUR STRUGGLE - THE SIN NATURE VERSUS THE NEW NATURE! Have you ever tried to change and improve in your walk with the Lord, only to find yourself failing over and over again?Have you ever tried to change and improve in your walk with the Lord, only to find yourself failing over and over again? Have you ever wondered if there is ever going to be real victory in your daily walk, and if so, how it can be realized?Have you ever wondered if there is ever going to be real victory in your daily walk, and if so, how it can be realized?

II.YOUR STRUGGLE - THE SIN NATURE VERSUS THE NEW NATURE!

* Can the inner conflict you experience as a believer be baffling at times? (7:15a) Romans 7:15 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. YES!! YES!!

* Can the Christian life be lived by your sheer willpower and strength? (7:15b) * Can the Christian life be lived by your sheer willpower and strength? (7:15b) Romans 7:15 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. NO!! NO!!

* Can you actually end up doing the opposite of what you desire in your Christian walk? (7:15c-16) Romans 7:16 16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. YES!! YES!!

* What is the real source of your spiritual defeat? (7:17) Romans 7:17 17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. THE SIN NATURE!! THE SIN NATURE!!

* Who is your greatest problem? (7:18a) Romans 7:18 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. YOU!! YOU!!

* Does God change your flesh at salvation? (7:18b) Romans 7:18 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. NO!! NO!!

* Why do believers live in spiritual defeat? (7:18c-20) Ignorance (not knowing Romans 6-8) False Teaching (i.e. legalism) Willfulness (just choose to sin) Self-Dependence (Paul in Romans Ch. 7) Self-Dependence (Paul in Romans Ch. 7)

* What will the believer experience when he seeks to live the Christian life by law and seeks victory and fruit through his own strength? (7:21-24) FAILURE AND FRUSTRATION FAILURE AND FRUSTRATION

* While knowing the truth of Romans 6, and desiring to serve Jesus Christ, how did Paul end up in Romans 7? He defaulted into self-dependence instead of dependence upon the Lord!He defaulted into self-dependence instead of dependence upon the Lord! In doing so, he focused on himself instead of Christ as His lifeIn doing so, he focused on himself instead of Christ as His life and began living by law instead of by grace.and began living by law instead of by grace.

Not everyone, by any means, has had the experience of the seventh of Romans, that agony of conflict, of desire to do what we cannot do, of longing to do the right we find we cannot do. It is a great blessing when a person gets into the seventh of Romans and begins to realize the awful conflict of its struggle and defeat; because the first step toward getting out of the struggle of the seventh chapter and into the victory of the eighth, is to get into the seventh. Of all the needy classes of people, the neediest of this earth are not those who are having a heart-breaking, agonizing struggle for victory, but those who are having no struggle at all, and no victory, and who do not know it, and who are satisfied and jogging along in a pitiable absence of almost all the possessions that belong to them in Christ.

Christians in the main groan and strive and struggle largely on the basis of human effort where the grace of God, though acknowledged, is scarcely operative— only to come to grief. Even at their best, they find the purpose of the Lord Jesus remains an ideal infinitely beyond their reach. The trouble lies in the fact that they are proceeding on the wrong basis. God does not expect them, as a result of their own endeavors, to be like the Lord Jesus. He expects them to realize the utter impossibility of such a thing (as in Romans Seven, where Paul comes to the end of himself). He expects them to know the Lord Jesus as their very life, disowning any other. He expects them to realize their position of absolute oneness with Christ, for He “has blessed them with every spiritual blessing in heavenly palaces in Christ” (Eph. 1:3).

III.YOUR POWER SOURCE TO LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE—THE HOLY SPIRIT!

You were INDWELT (Rom. 8:9), SEALED (Eph. 1:13), BAPTIZED (1 Cor. 12:13), REGENERATED (John 3:3-7), and GIFTED (Rom. 12:4-7) by the Holy Spirit the very moment you were born again and blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ.

The Holy Spirit now wants to minister to you each day by….. TEACHING you the Word of God (1 Cor. 2:12-13)TEACHING you the Word of God (1 Cor. 2:12-13) Enabling you to have VICTORY over the flesh (Gal. 5:16)Enabling you to have VICTORY over the flesh (Gal. 5:16) Giving you POWER to live the Christian life (Eph. 5:18-20)Giving you POWER to live the Christian life (Eph. 5:18-20) Producing spiritual FRUIT in your life (Gal. 5:22-23)Producing spiritual FRUIT in your life (Gal. 5:22-23)

What was the rationale and need behind God giving the Holy Spirit to permanently indwell and empower you? PersonMissionAbility The believer in Christ to glorify Jesus Christ (Heb. 13:20-21) totally inadequate (2 Cor. 3:5) The Holy Spiritto glorify Jesus Christ (John 16:14) totally adequate (Zech. 4:6) GOD’S SOLUTION: to place the Holy Spirit permanently INSIDE every believer in Christ (Romans 8:9).

Galatians 5:16 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

“Things” of the Flesh“Things of the Spirit Focus on selfFocus on Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:21) Occupation with human viewpointOccupation with divine viewpoint (Romans 12:2) Living for the temporaryLiving in light of eternity (2 Cor. 4:16-18) Desiring the world’s purposes and pursuits Desiring the Lord’s purposes and pursuits (Romans 12:2) Operating out of pride and self- dependence Operating out of humility and Christ- dependence (grace thinking Romans 12:3) Living as if you are still in AdamLiving in view of your identity in Christ (Romans 6 & 8, Col. 3:1-4) What are some of the “things” of the flesh that you can, but should not, set your mind on?

PRINCIPLE TO REMEMBER: The Christian Life Is a Walk of “Faith” in CHRIST as Your Life through the Empowerment of the HOLY SPIRIT.

Galatians 2:20 20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Colossians 2:6–7 6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

John 15:4–5 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

2 Corinthians 3:5 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,

Romans 15:13 13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

* Is there victory available over sin and the power necessary to be fruitful for Jesus Christ? ALL BY GOD’S GRACE!!

IV.YOUR APPEAL BY GOD - STOP BEING CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD BUT BE TRANSFORMED TO DO HIS WILL!

Romans 12:1–2 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

…be transformed…

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