Dr. Cecil A. Fayard - 2001 Sermons
Sunday, July 8, 2001   

INTRODUCTION: How is it that saved men and women struggle with sin throughout their lives? The answer is found in the fact that every believer has two natures. First, the believer still has an old nature, an Adamic nature. This is the nature we were born with; this is the nature that cannot do right (verse 18). The regenerated person, the believer, the person who is born from above also has a new nature, a divine nature, the nature of God which cannot do wrong. I John 3:9 "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." The two natures are at war; they are in conflict constantly. This is the greatest battle being fought. Why are the two natures in constant conflict? Galatians 5:17 gives us the answer - they are incompatible and irreconcilable.

Paul knew what was right, and Paul wanted to do right because of his being a saved man; yet, he was unable to do right. Paul knew what was wrong; he did not want to do wrong; yet, at times, he did wrong. Paul, like you and I, was being pulled by the old nature and the new one.

There are several important lessons that come out of this passage:

1. The failure of human knowledge. If knowing the right thing was doing the right thing, life would not be a struggle for the Christian.
   
2. The failure of human resolve- Resolving to do right is far from doing right. The problem is a weakness in the human will. Peter resolved that he would not deny Christ, but he did (Matthew 26:35, 69-74). The flesh is weak (Matthew 26:4 1).

In this passage, Paul makes four admissions:

1. VERSES 14-17, THE FIRST ADMISSION
   1. Verse 14, Paul admits that the law is spiritual, and that he is carnal, "sold under sin."
      
      1. "The law is spiritual."
         
         1. Paul says that this is something that he knew. Friends, we need to know this. The problem is not the law; the problem is sin!
            
         2. Look back at verse 12 and see anew that the law is holy, just, and good. But yet we know that the law has never saved anyone for it is not the way of salvation (3:20).
            
      2. "But I am carnal."
         
         1. The believer still has the flesh to contend with; he still has a struggle with the flesh. Spiritually, we are not "in the flesh" (verse 5, 8:8), but we do have the old nature to struggle with.
            
         2. The born again child of God is well aware of his shortcomings, of his failures. As a Christian:
            
            1. He is no longer a slave to sin,
               
            2. Although no longer a slave, he is still at times deceived by sin and attracted by its allurements.
               
            3. He cannot be, will not be happy with sin because sin is contrary to the new nature. The most unhappy people I know are Christians who are dabbling in sin.
               
      3. "Sold under sin."
         
         1. Paul was a good Christian; yet he knew that the power of sin would not be completely conquered until he died.
            
         2. I John 1:8-10 tells us that all, even Christians, sin. Even great men:
            
            1. Isaiah said, "I am a man of unclean lips (Isaiah 6:5).
               
            2. John the Baptist had his period of doubt.
               
            3. Peter, as we have seen, denied the Lord three times.
               
         3. The real believer is in pain every time he fails; and like Peter, he weeps bitterly over his sin (Matthew 26:75). The unbeliever has no such concern.

   2. Verse 15, Paul says, "For that which I do I allow not..." The phrase it "allow not" has the idea of not approving, of not applauding. These were things that he did that he did not applaud; he did not approve of. Have you, as a child of God, ever done anything you did not approve of?
      
      1. Paul knew that he was not all that he should be for the Lord.
         
      2. As believers, we are to strive to be all that we should be for the Lord. Even in the midst of failure, we are to keep pressing toward the mark of the high calling (Philippians 3:13-14).

   3. Verses 16-17, the problem- sin dwelling in us.
      
      1. Verse 16, Every time that Paul failed, every time he sinned, he admitted that the law was good, and holy, and just.
         
         1. Man is sinful.
            
         2. God's law is excellent and must be obeyed.
            
         3. Because the believer knows that sin is wrong and the law is good, he struggles to do right.
            
      2. Verse 17, This is not and excuse for sinning nor is it irresponsibility.
         
         1. "It is no more I that do it."
            
            1. The new man, the new nature, the new inner self does not approve of sin; it hates sin.
               
            2. The reason for the believers disapproval of sin is found in Galatians 2:20.
               
            3. Sin no longer reigns in the life of the believer, but it does survive in the old nature.
               
         2. Sin no longer lives in our innermost being, but it does reside in the fleshly old nature. This is the reason for the struggle (Galatians 5:17).

2. VERSES 18-20, THE SECOND ADMISSION
   1. Verse 18, "the me" of verse 18 is not the same as the "I" of verse 17.
      
      1. The "I" of verse 17 is the redeemed, incorruptible, divine nature of the Christian.
         
      2. The "me" in verse 18 is the flesh.
         
         1. This flesh will not be completely redeemed until the rapture.
            
         2. The only resident place for sin in the believer's life is the flesh, which is subject to sin.
            
      3. Paul wished to do God's will, but what his heart desired was not present in his life.

   2. Verse 19, Paul was struggling, not being able to completely fulfill the requirements of God's law.
      
      1. Yes, he was capable of doing good by the help of the Holy Spirit; yet he had not yet made it to perfection and would not in this life (Philippians 3:12-14).
         
      2. The more we grow as Christians, the more we hate sin and love righteousness. We need to take this verse in that light.

   3. Verse 20, the Apostle Paul says: "it is no more I that do it."
      
      1. Before salvation, he had no inner power nor longing to do right nor longing to do right. No unsaved person has the will to do right.
         
      2. "Sin that dwelleth in me." J - Frank Norris said: "'Sin, 'sin' the fellow that sleeps in my bed, eats at my table, warms by my fire, personified sin-' that dwelleth in me'" (104).

3. VERSES 21-23, THE THIRD ADMISSION
   1. Verse 21, the presence of evil around us is not an uncommon thing.
      
      The sin that surrounds us does battle with every good thought, every desire, every good work.
      
      1. We must fight the good fight (II Corinthians 10:4-5).

   2. Verse 22, the saved person desires God's Word, "after the inner man." The new man wants the Word and wants to do right (Matthew 5:6). The believers inner man is on God's side and is renewed day by day (II Corinthians 4:16).

   3. Verse 23, Here the new nature and old are contrasted (verse 25).
      
      1. The law of the mind here is the inner redeemed man (II Corinthians 5:17).
         
      2. Sin wages war against us. We want to please God, yet sin wars against us.
         
      3. We are in a spiritual battle; we are to use spiritual weapons to fight this spiritual battle so we can reclaim ground and refuse to fall captive to Satan (Ephesians 4:27).

4. VERSE 24-25, THE FOURTH ADMISSION
   1. Verse 24, The body of the believer, not the soul, is subject to sin and death.
      
      1. He was wretched yet not guilty for Christ had redeemed him and justified him.
         
      2. The spiritual man realizes his need and cries out for help.

   2. Verse 25, Christ will one day deliver us from sin's presence.
      
      1. All thanks go to Christ.
         
      2. Christ is coming, and we will leave this sin-cursed world behind (I Thessalonians 4:13-18).
         
      3. Paul ends the chapter reminding us of our struggle.