Notes of Faith April 3, 2026
Pastor’s Pen Pulpit Series: Romans Chapter 7
March 17, 2002
“BREAKING OUT OF SIN’S CONTROL”
Romans 7:21 – 8:1
Looking back through the preceding verses of chapter seven, Paul comes to a conclusion in verse 21:
I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wishes to do good.
The struggle he constantly faced was a result of evil present within himself although in reality he wanted to do good and please God. In his heart of hearts Paul joyfully
concurred with the law of God – that it was good:
For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man (v. 22).
Then he receives a revelation:
But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me (v. 23 NLT).
Paul sorrowfully detected another law at work in the members of his body – constantly waging war with his mind (for you see it was in his mind that he wanted to serve God). This law was making him a prisoner of sin, which was hard at work in his body, and so he cries out:
Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?
Do you know anything about this experience? Of course you do! We all do if we are truly Christians. But then the marvelous truth comes to Paul:
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.
Then, contrary to his experience, this comforting surety comes to Paul:
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!
What a glorious position in which to be! While this terrible conflict is raging in Paul’s life, he realizes he is free from God’s judgment because he is in Christ! The same is true of each one of us. We may feel defeated and condemned – but that is not true. It is what our enemy wants us to think. Remember that we are on the winning team! Keep looking to Jesus. You are breaking out of sin’s control! Next week we will talk about why this is true.
Love to you all,
Pastor Charles Covington
Those who hear the “good news” of Jesus and respond to the drawing of the Holy Spirit, rejoice to know that although they are condemned because of sin, they are set free through faith in Jesus and His work on the cross and redeemed from the curse of death by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead!
True believers in Jesus have the Holy Spirit living within them and when we sin the Spirit within is grieved. We feel the Spirit and know His claim on our life. We must repent even though we are already forgiven eternally, our hearts and minds must respond to the ongoing sin nature. However, we should never let the battle we fight with sin means that we are not victorious in Jesus! By His grace, through faith, that victory is sealed forever! “Let not your heart be troubled…I have overcome the world.” We will be with Jesus soon enough…keep fighting the battle daily for righteousness and holiness, asking God to continue His promise to make you like Jesus more and more each passing day. Press on…
Pastor Dale