TITLE: IT AIN’T ME
SCRIPTURE: ROMANS 7:17
As much as I place focus and attention on proper English, I found it fitting this morning to stray somewhat. I could not find a better or stronger word to use than “AIN’T” to help support my thought as we labor in the Word for a few minutes. Last week we examined probably the most familiar passage of scripture in all the Holy Bible. We considered Psalm 23:3 – this morning we will examine another very familiar passage, matter of fact, I would suggest to us that it is one of the most exciting passage of scripture in the Holy Writ.
In our text, Paul is describing his own personal struggle with sin. This is the most dramatic testimony of Paul’s struggle with sin. I like this text because of the TRANSPARENCY. We like to Preach that “YA’LL HAVE SINNED” instead of ALL HAVE SINNED AND COME SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD.
• We know that Peter Sinned
• He would pull a Sword in a Minute
• Even denied Jesus not once or twice but three times when the road was rough
• We know Thomas Sinned
• He would be the Poster Child for the State of Missouri – The Show Me State
• We know that Moses Sinned
• Killed a Man and hid his body in the Sand
• We can travel to yesterday, last week, to know that we too have Sinned
• Some can travel back to your ride to Church this morning and know yes we too have sinned
For some reason the average believer thinks that Paul somehow seems above it all. This is a misconception, as our theology should remind us, and as Paul’s words instruct us.
• Paul’s struggle is a deeply personal struggle
• It is a struggle with sin and with his own flesh
• He refers to it as a war within
• It is a war which results from his conversion
The fact of the matter is, it has not changed. SIN IS A WAR WHICH DID NOT EXIST UNTIL WE WERE SAVED. We did not care about Sin when we were out there doing our own thing on our way to Hell. We had no struggle, thought we were living the good life, Feeding the Flesh. Oh, but one day, when we had our Damascus Road Experience – Scales fell from our Eyes - everything changed in our life. We began to Fight and Battle with this thing called Sin. We had to learn how to put our Flesh in Subjection to the Will of Our God.
Paul would go on to Write a little more than half of what has been Canonized in the New Testament. The record shows it was still a battle for him. I can respect this text. I don’t know about you, but I get tired of hearing from these holier than thou preachers that spend all their time beating up the congregations for their behavior and missing the mark. I needed to hear from Paul, because he lets me know that what I am going through is okay – THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH ME OR WITH YOU. We have seen a lot of Preachers fall from their Pulpits because of the issue of not facing the reality of sin. We reach a certain level and begin to feel like we have arrived – fall right into the trap of the adversary.
This is why I and so many others find this text to be so Exciting and Helpful. We listen to our Politicians today and the new buzz word seems to be “TRANSPARENCY.”
• Transparency in Government
• Transparency in Leadership
• Transparency in Finances and Control
• This is nothing new
• We find Transparency all throughout the Bible
• We find the flaws of many of God’s great Biblical Leaders
• And they are not ashamed about it
This passage is the preparation for one of the most moving passages in the New Testament. For here Paul begins to give us his own spiritual pilgrimage, laying bare his Heart and Soul in auto-biographical form. Starting with VS. 7 and continuing through this chapter:
• The Apostle Paul turned to the First Person Singular
• Indicating that he is presenting his personal experience
• Up to this point he had used the third person - the second person - and even the first person plural
• But now he described his own experience
• Allowing the Holy Spirit to apply the truth to his readers
If you are ever confused as to what Testimony Service ought to look like. Many times what we have in our churches is not a Testimony Service. Review this powerful chapter and you will understand that Paul begins to bear his Soul and his Struggles. He understands that He can do nothing without the Power of the Holy Spirit. Understanding the conflict in personal sanctification involves seeing the relationship between a believer and his indwelling sin nature.
Paul has just stated in the previous verses that there is a problem between himself and the Law of God. The PROBLEM IS NOT THE LAW – THE PROBLEM IS PAUL. If we all could just ever get to that point in our lives and realize it is US and stop blaming everything and everybody else.
• If she did not look so good
• If my husband had given me that much attention
• I am not hurting anybody
• I needed more money and thought I could get away with it
FOR WE KNOW THAT THE LAW IS SPIRITUAL: BUT I AM CARNAL, SOLD UNDER SIN. The word “CARNAL” means “FLESHLY”. While the Law would teach man how to live godly, Man’s flesh is only interested in that which is sinful! He recognizes that SIN HAD FORECLOSED ON THE MORTGAGE OF HIS BODY OR FLESH AND OWNS IT AS ITS SLAVE. Understand this, Paul is not describing what it was like prior to giving his life to Christ.
• He is not referencing a Pre-Damascus Road Experience
• He is referencing Post
• He is describing his present conflict with sin
• His present conflict as a Christian
• Paul says he must spend time controlling his daily life
Paul’s discovery is that every time he tries to do the good, evil is always there! No matter what we want to do for the Lord – for Ministry - for Kingdom Building - rest assured that Sin is Always Present. That’s why Sis. Newman your first night of class at Mid-America Christian University – some knuckle head sits down next to you attempting to distract you from your purpose.
• Every Good Word
• Every Good Deed
• Every Good Thought
• Every Good Motive
• Every Good Thing is challenged by evil
• If we are able to do any good thing, it is always the result of a battle!
• Isn’t it true that when we would do good, there is always the temptation to do evil?
• Isn’t it hard to keep your motives pure?
• Isn’t it difficult to control the thought processes so that good wins out?
• When I desire to do Good – Evil is Always Right There
But I am so thankful this morning that I love the laws of God. Just like Paul, my attention and focus is on the Lord and what He expects from us.
• Whatever God has said in His Word should be a delight to us
• This should be true for every Believer
• If you are Saved by Grace of the Lord
• You Should Love His Word
• When the Lord Reveals His Will in your Life – Should be a Delight
• That is the sign of every True Believer
• We Delight in the Word of God
Much of temptation we experience in our lives, if we are truthful with ourselves it comes when we are ungrateful.
• Eve could have had everything but the fruit of one tree
• Many of us dwell on the few things we don’t have
• Then we lose sight of the many things we do have
• You want to escape immorality?
• Be grateful for your spouse!
• Count your blessings!
• Name them one by one
• Count your many blessings
• See what God has done
IT IS EASIER TO DO WRONG THAN IT IS TO DO RIGHT. It is easier to tell a LIE than it is to tell the TRUTH. Honest, good people have to continually watch themselves so they will be ACCURATE and TRUTHFUL in their SPEECH and to avoid deceit. It is easier to LOAF than it is to WORK. The best Christians in the world have to watch themselves and set themselves to work diligently, to do their duty. It is easier to get ANGRY than it is to be EVEN-TEMPERED, forgiving and sweet. Even Christians sometimes have to "COUNT TO TEN" before they speak. And how often we have to confess that we have sinned with a sharp tongue or a critical spirit.
One of humanity's greatest needs is to recognize that sin is "EXCEEDINGLY SINFUL." We like to play around with Sin and think it really is not that bad. The law is particularly helpful in this regard, because sin took something as wholesome and perfect as the law and used it as a means to become rampant. Paul had been confronted with his inability to control his inner desires and the harder he tried to keep the Law, the more sin's power was manifested. This strange work of the law causes us to forsake trusting our ability to keep it. Paul also addresses this in ROMANS 5:20 MOREOVER THE LAW ENTERED, THAT THE OFFENCE MIGHT ABOUND. BUT WHERE SIN ABOUNDED, GRACE DID MUCH MORE ABOUND:”
Let me run to my main point and then I will take my seat. Can I tell you this morning that NO ONE SINS WITHOUT THE HOPE THAT HE OR SHE CAN GET AWAY WITH IT. Sin will talk to you and dress itself up:
• You're not really sinful
• In fact, you are really a good person
• "What God says is unreasonable and oppressive
• "This isn't really sin, anyway
• You're not angry; just frustrated
• It's not immoral; it's love
• You're not lying; you're just giving another perspective
• Go ahead and do it
• No one will ever know
• Everybody is doing it
• You can't stop this sin or break this addiction because you've been doing it so long
• This will satisfy, fulfill you, and make you happy
• You won't get caught
• God will forgive you anyway
Then, after sinning, we hear these words: "YOU REALLY MESSED UP NOW.” It's important to call sin "SIN”. So Paul says SIN not the LAW is the Culprit. VS. 17 “NOW THEN IT IS NO MORE I THAT DO IT, BUT SIN THAT DWELLETH IN ME.” It is no more I that do it –
• This is evidently figurative language
• For it is really the man that sins when evil is committed
• But the apostle makes a distinction between sin and what he intends by the pronoun "I"
• By the former he evidently means his corrupt nature
• By the latter he refers to his renewed nature, his Christian principles
• He means to say that he does not approve or love it in his present state
• But that it is the result of his native propensities and passions
• In his heart, and conscience, and habitual feeling, he did not choose to commit sin
• But abhorred it
• Thus, every Christian can say that he does not choose to do evil
• But would wish to be perfect
• That he hates sin
• And yet that his corrupt passions lead him astray
--I know you saw me cutting up last week but – It Ain’t Me
--I know you saw my Mug Shot in front of the morning paper but – It Ain’t Me
--I know you say I cussed you smooth out yesterday but – It Ain’t Me
--I know you think I put you out the car in the middle of downtown when we argued but – It Ain’t Me
--I know you think I stole that money from you but – It Ain’t Me
--I know that the camera caught me in action but – It Ain’t Me
--I know your friend told you that I said something fresh to her but – It Ain’t Me
--PAUL SAID IT IS NO MORE I THAT DO IT, BUT SIN THAT DWELLETH IN ME
