This is generally the state of Man; the bondage of Humanity…

We know what right is… but we do not know how to accomplish right always. 

Paul puts it thus: 

“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. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”

*Romans 7:18-23 NKJV*

What Paul means: 

Humanity is bound by sin and has no power over it. Man recognizes what sin is (especially under the Law) but lacks capacity to withstand the urge for evil. He knows he shouldn’t lie, steal, kill, commit adultery, dishonor God and hate his fellow man, but he finds himself doing the very things he acknowledges to be wrong. Paul is not speaking about himself here but about the state of man generally. Else he’ll have no right to dissuade us from sin. You have no right to teach what you do not practice. 

Now this dilemma begs the question: 

24 “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

*Romans 7:24 NKJV*

And the answer quickly follows in verse 25a:

“I thank God— through Jesus Christ our Lord!…”

This is why the death of Jesus was necessary. This is why He came. He didn’t only pay the price for our sin, but gave us capacity to live above sin. This is what the Law could not do…

Romans 8:3

“For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,…”

Why was this needful..?

Romans 8:4 NKJV

“that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

The RIGHTEOUS REQUIREMENT OF THE LAW means what the Law intended all along. It means the goal of the Law. We are told that this goal or intent or requirement (i.e of the law) should now be met in us…

But this is only possible “IF” we walk after or according to the Spirit… which means choosing to respond to the Spirit of God in obedience to God. 

This obedience is now possible because the nature of the flesh has been destroyed. The dominion and power of sin over man has been destroyed by the death of Jesus on The Cross..! 

Romans 6:6 NKJV

“knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.”

KJV puts it this way:

Romans 6:6

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 

NOTE

“Henceforth” (from now onwards) WE SHOULD NO LONGER SERVE SIN. 

So why is it possible for a believer to still serve sin or live a life riddled with sin..? 

In one word..?

REBELLION..!

Rebellion is the answer. There is nothing left to be done that is yet to be done as far as sin is concerned. Sin has been destroyed, and the goal is to set you free from its control. Should a believer sin, he does so deliberately, not because he couldn’t help it. 

Look closely… you sin because you respond to your lust. Not because sin has not been destroyed. This response to your lust for whatever gratification it gives you, is turning your back against God and choosing yourself over Him. You have become your god… and that is why the Almighty God will judge. 

Romans 6:15-16 NKJV

“What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?”

This verse lets us see that we become SLAVES of anyone we choose to obey. 

If we are obedient to God we will live forever; if not, we will end up in the Lake of Fire forever..! 

Don’t forget Paul was writing to believers. They are the ones he was referring to when he said 

“Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey..?” 

This is because GOD DOES NOT DOMINATE THE WILL OF MAN. God wants willing worship/service. This is why our eternal rewards will be based on WHAT WE DO or WHAT WE DO NOT DO. 

He is a just God and will not punish you for what you didn’t do. Your will is yours and could be exercised against God or in love and service for God and humanity. That’s what He desires. Temptation in itself is not sin… 

Jesus was tempted. He didn’t yield. 

Yielding to temptation on the other hand is sin. Now that is where our responsibility as believers stands. Thus, having been set free from sin, we exercise our love for God by refusing every advance of sin. God has given you the right, power and authority to do this. That’s why when it comes the besetting sin, we are told to SET IT ASIDE; we are not told to pray about it, fast about it, go to the mountain or confess freedom from its grip. 

Note who’s responsibility these are:

James 4:7

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

WHO SHOULD SUBMIT AND RESIST?

1 Corinthians 6:18

Flee fornication…

WHO SHOULD FLEE?

Hebrews 12:4

Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. 

WHO SHOULD RESIST?

Titus 2:11-12

11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 

12 Teaching US that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 

WHO SHOULD DENY… WHO SHOULD LIVE SOBERLY etc?

In this regard the words of Jesus ring clear…

John 14:15

If ye love me, keep my commandments. 

For in keeping His commandments (refusing to participate in sin), we prove our love for the Master (in the sinful and adulterous generation) and qualify for His eternal reward..! 

Refusing to deliberately KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS clearly spells a lack of Love for God. So Jesus asks the question: 

Luke 6:46

And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? 

This is one of the core areas where proponents of Eternal Security (Once Saves Always Saved) get it wrong..! 

No eye will see the Lord without holiness. 

God can make such a demand because the price has been paid. Sin can no longer have dominion over you. 

It is finished..!