VOICE OF HOPE
19 Augustus 2022
Romans 7:23-24
23. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.
24. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?
Paul answers the question very clearly, “Can I live a life without sin? Paul in no way left this question unanswered as if he was still waiting for someone to give him the answer, or to give him the solution to the dilemma he was in. He knew the answer and he made the solution known.
Ellicott‘s Commentary for English readers puts it this way,
Romans 7:24, So, this intestine struggle goes on unceasingly and reaches no decision, till at last, the unhappy man cries out, almost in despair, "Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Who, that is, will help me to overcome these fleshly desires, gendered by a corrupt human nature, which are dragging me down to imminent destruction? The body is the cause of sin, and therefore of death. If only it could be released from that, the distracted soul would be at rest and free.
Paul no longer desired to be recognized as the man he previously was, but rather his desire was to be changed and to do that which was good in the sight of God. Paul was desperate and at the point of despair as he no longer desired to live a life dominated by his fleshly desires. Paul came to a place where he desired more than anything a life free from sin, which he clearly understood, would ultimately lead to destruction and death.
Romans 7:18
I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
It is when we become so desperate. It is when we become so unhappy with a life lived in sin that we cry out to God in utter despair, that it becomes possible to be set free from a life controlled by our fleshly desires. It is when we truly desire to be free from sin that it becomes possible for us to be released from the bondage of sin to live a life free from this burden as we rely on the Holy Spirit.
Romans 7:25
Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our 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.
Matthew 1:21
And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.
Romans 8:1-2
1. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
2. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.
3. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body, God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.
4. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.
Jesus died a horrible and shameful death on a cross to accomplish one thing, and one thing only, and that was first to take upon Himself our penalty for sin, and secondly, to put to death the body of sin and destroy the power of sin and death that this body brings. Jesus did not fail in His mission. Certainly not! He destroyed the power of sin over us and He has granted us a new life of the Spirit. When we overcome sin, we overcome everything that comes with it! The absence of sin is what will change the world for the better.
Romans 1verse 5 clearly reveals to us how we live a life no longer dominated by our fleshly desires, to be no longer slaves to sin but rather slaves to righteousness.
5. Those who are dominated by sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.
Romans 1:6
So, letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.
Scripture cannot be clearer. We can live free from sin when we rely on the Holy Spirit.
Why was David a man after God’s own heart? Because of one thing. David desired to live a life free from sin, a life that would please God. David became so utterly desperate, that he was broken and he cried out to God when he realized he sinned against God. He cried out begging for forgiveness. David realized that it was only by the Holy Spirit that he would be able to live a life without sin. David knew his heart could only be pure before God by the presence of the Holy Spirit. He knew without a doubt that he needed the Holy Spirit more than anything. His desire was to live in the presence of God and in fellowship with the Holy Spirit. He desired more than anything to live a life where sin was absent and the Holy Spirit present.
Psalm 51:10-11
10. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
11. Cast me not away from Your presence; take not Your Holy Spirit from me.
John 8:36
So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
What did Christ Jesus free us from? Difficulties? Trials? Tribulations? Persecutions? Problems? Famine? War? Heartache? Tears? Certainly not! Not while we are in this world. He has set us free from a life controlled by our sinful nature. He has set us free from being slaves to sin.
Therefore, sin will come knocking at your door. Of this, you can be sure. But what is even more sure is that you have the choice, but not only that, you also have the power to shut that door in sin’s face. We must desire more than anything to live a life where sin is absent and the Holy Spirit is present. If you stand up against sin, knowing who you are in Christ, sin can in no way enter in! So, if you ask me, looking at the Scriptures, yes, I believe we can live a life without sin, BUT THE CHOICE IS OURS, for if this was not the case, the cross has no power, and the Word of God is a lie and we are not truly free. And I will boldly say this, believing you can live a life without sin is not pride. Certainly not! It is confidence in the cross and knowing who you are in Christ. Pride is believing you can do it without Jesus!
Thereze Catherine Barnard
Editor-in-Chief
Voice of Hope Blog