CoreIssue
02-03-2006, 09:59 AM
Quote:Struggling With Sin
7What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet."[2]
Law is not sin. It is the knowledge of sin and the resulting condemnation of sinning. It is the knowledge of how to please God by living as he wants us to live.
Quote:8But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire.
We are born with sinful spirits, flesh and minds. Those are intrigued and lured by sin to commit sin.
So knowing something is wrong makes it desirable. Tempts one to at least try it. To not be so goodie goodie in life.
Quote:For apart from law, sin is dead.
Sin is sin. But justice demands to be accountable for sin one must know they are sinning.
So without Law sin is still sin but the condemnation of sin does not exist.
Quote:9Once I was alive apart from law;
One is not condemned until they know they are sinning.
Quote:but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.
But the Law tells one what sin is. Then they die in condemnation.
Quote:10I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.
Law was given to live a more rewarding and fruitful life in God. To bring us closer to God.
But our sinful natures desire to commit those sins and so death instead of life results.
Quote:11For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.
Sin using the knowledge of the Law turned warnings into allure. Into a curiosity and desire to try and do what said not to do.
Quote:12So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.
Law shows us how to live for God.
Quote:13Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means!
That which is good is never death. Never wrong.
Quote:But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
One cannot do what is right and good unless they understand what is wrong and sinful.
Quote:14We know that the law is spiritual;
Law is for the eternal spirit within us. Not our flesh or minds.
Quote:but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.
But we are born with our flesh in control. So we seek fleshly pleasures.
So when born-again our spirits are now clean and fighting against our flesh but we remain in a fleshly world living through our flesh.
Quote:15I do not understand what I do.
Our spirits want to obey God. Our flesh wants to defy him. Our minds struggle and while realizing how fully we should not do certain things we do them anyway.
Quote:For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
We know how we want to live, act and do. And what we feel guilty about doing and hate to do we do anyway.
Our spirits tell our minds no. Our flesh tells our minds yes. But only one part of the mind can ultimately win and it is far too often the flesh part.
Quote:16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.
We see and know the Law is right about doing what we do not want to because we see and feel the consequences.
Quote:17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.
The "us" within our bodies often feel like bystanders to our minds and flesh doing what we so much do not want to do yet do.
Quote:18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[3]
Our flesh is and will remain sinful until it is changed.
Quote:For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
Our spirits want to do what is right but our flesh wins in the battle ground of our minds over and over and over.
Quote:19For 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.
We want so much to get it right but our flesh keeps tripping us up and tainting all we do.
Quote:20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
Our spirits are not guilty of the sin we do. Our flesh is.
Our spirits were washed clean of all the sins of our total lives when we repented. But many of those sins were yet to be committed and since the flesh was not washed clean also it will succeed in committing future sins our spirits were washed clean of.
Quote:21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.
Our sinful natures find no pleasure in doing what is right. It will fight us to gain its pleasure.
Quote:22For in my inner being I delight in God's law;
We know in our spirits what is right, good and profitable.
Quote:23but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.
Our flesh does not care or want what is right, good and profitable. It wants immediate pleasure at all costs.
Quote:24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
Our flesh remains dead and sinful until we are taken from it.
Quote:25Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Through Christ our bodies will one day be as pure as our spirits.
Quote:So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
As long as we dwell in earthly flesh the war of our spiritual natures against our fleshly natures will continue to rage.
7What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet."[2]
Law is not sin. It is the knowledge of sin and the resulting condemnation of sinning. It is the knowledge of how to please God by living as he wants us to live.
Quote:8But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire.
We are born with sinful spirits, flesh and minds. Those are intrigued and lured by sin to commit sin.
So knowing something is wrong makes it desirable. Tempts one to at least try it. To not be so goodie goodie in life.
Quote:For apart from law, sin is dead.
Sin is sin. But justice demands to be accountable for sin one must know they are sinning.
So without Law sin is still sin but the condemnation of sin does not exist.
Quote:9Once I was alive apart from law;
One is not condemned until they know they are sinning.
Quote:but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.
But the Law tells one what sin is. Then they die in condemnation.
Quote:10I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.
Law was given to live a more rewarding and fruitful life in God. To bring us closer to God.
But our sinful natures desire to commit those sins and so death instead of life results.
Quote:11For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.
Sin using the knowledge of the Law turned warnings into allure. Into a curiosity and desire to try and do what said not to do.
Quote:12So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.
Law shows us how to live for God.
Quote:13Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means!
That which is good is never death. Never wrong.
Quote:But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
One cannot do what is right and good unless they understand what is wrong and sinful.
Quote:14We know that the law is spiritual;
Law is for the eternal spirit within us. Not our flesh or minds.
Quote:but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.
But we are born with our flesh in control. So we seek fleshly pleasures.
So when born-again our spirits are now clean and fighting against our flesh but we remain in a fleshly world living through our flesh.
Quote:15I do not understand what I do.
Our spirits want to obey God. Our flesh wants to defy him. Our minds struggle and while realizing how fully we should not do certain things we do them anyway.
Quote:For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
We know how we want to live, act and do. And what we feel guilty about doing and hate to do we do anyway.
Our spirits tell our minds no. Our flesh tells our minds yes. But only one part of the mind can ultimately win and it is far too often the flesh part.
Quote:16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.
We see and know the Law is right about doing what we do not want to because we see and feel the consequences.
Quote:17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.
The "us" within our bodies often feel like bystanders to our minds and flesh doing what we so much do not want to do yet do.
Quote:18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[3]
Our flesh is and will remain sinful until it is changed.
Quote:For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
Our spirits want to do what is right but our flesh wins in the battle ground of our minds over and over and over.
Quote:19For 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.
We want so much to get it right but our flesh keeps tripping us up and tainting all we do.
Quote:20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
Our spirits are not guilty of the sin we do. Our flesh is.
Our spirits were washed clean of all the sins of our total lives when we repented. But many of those sins were yet to be committed and since the flesh was not washed clean also it will succeed in committing future sins our spirits were washed clean of.
Quote:21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.
Our sinful natures find no pleasure in doing what is right. It will fight us to gain its pleasure.
Quote:22For in my inner being I delight in God's law;
We know in our spirits what is right, good and profitable.
Quote:23but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.
Our flesh does not care or want what is right, good and profitable. It wants immediate pleasure at all costs.
Quote:24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
Our flesh remains dead and sinful until we are taken from it.
Quote:25Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Through Christ our bodies will one day be as pure as our spirits.
Quote:So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
As long as we dwell in earthly flesh the war of our spiritual natures against our fleshly natures will continue to rage.