05 The Book of Romans-The Gospel Manifesto-Winning the War Against Sin

The Gospel Manifesto in the Book of Romans

Pt. 5: Winning the War Against Sin, Romans 7: 7-8:39

By Louie Marsh, 5-25-2025

 

3 Funny Church Signs

 

The Transformational Arc – To the bottom and then up, to the end of myself, forsaking myself, realizing I’m in Christ, trusting in Jesus to take me up!

 

1) The Law SHOWS me what sin is.

 

⁷  What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” ⁸  But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. ⁹  I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. ¹⁰  The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. ¹¹  For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. ¹²  So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. Romans 7:7-12 (ESV)

 

2) The Law REVEALS the true state of my heart.

 

¹³  Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. ¹⁴  For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. ¹⁵  For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. ¹⁶  Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. ¹⁷  So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. ¹⁸  For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. ¹⁹  For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. ²⁰  Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. Romans 7:13-20 (ESV)

 

3) The Law exposes the war between my TWO SELVES.

 

²¹  So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. ²²  For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, ²³  but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Romans 7:21-23 (ESV)

 

4) The Law brings me to despair – the end of MYSELF.

 

²⁴  Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? ²⁵  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. Romans 7:24-25 (ESV)

 

5) The Six Facets of Christ’s Victory Over Sin.

 

· Guilt & Shame are GONE because of Jesus!

¹  There is therefore now no condemna