Category Archives: Sin

Bible, Romans, Scripture, Sin, Struggles

CALLOUSES

ROMANS 7:24

“Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?”

Have you ever developed a callous on your hands from excessive use of them without protection? There have been times in my life when I was working more with my hands that I developed some. I am sure you’ve seen pictures or you may know someone with tough calloused hands or even feet. The initial pain of those callouses lessens the tougher they get, but damage has been done to the skin that will take months, if not years, to heal.

Paul uses a word in today’s verse that is translated as “wretched” that has the idea of callouses. It’s the word talaipóros which comes from two Greek words, talaō, “to bear, undergo” and pōros, “a callous.” HELPS Word-studies says this word is “describing a person with severe side-effects from great, ongoing strain (significant hardships).” Paul has been describing this in the past several verses as he strains between feeding the flesh (sin) and feeding the spirit (righteousness). He exclaims, “Oh how calloused I have become! Who will help me?” Can you relate?

APPLICATION

We are told in the Topical Lexicon, “The term serves as Scripture’s searching spotlight, revealing the misery of sin and the futility of self-reliance. Whether voiced by an apostle wrestling with the flesh or by the risen Christ confronting a complacent church, it presses every hearer to embrace the only effective remedy—grace through the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The only other time it used in the New Testament is in Revelation 3:17 describing the church at Laodicea. “Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have no need of anything,’ and you do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked,…” The church had become calloused to its condition, just as we can become. Without the tender Spirit of God working in our lives, we can become numb to the sting of sin.

Is there a sin right now in your life that you no longer feel guilty of? Maybe you have battled with this for so long you can’t feel the sting of the sin in your life. The damage has been done, and you no longer feel the need to confess it. I read about a famous Christian leader who just confessed to an eight year affair he had been having. I have to believe that that sin had become calloused. Praise God he finally was moved to confession. Sadly, damage has already been done in multiple relationships because of it. Don’t let your callousness to sin cause damage in your relationship to our Lord.

Keep me tender, Lord, to the sting of sin in my life so I can confess it quickly and receive healing.

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Bible, Scripture, Sin, Captivity, Escape, Warnings, War, Romans

TUG OF WAR

ROMANS 7:23

“but I see a different law in the parts of my body waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin, the law which is in my body’s parts.”

I have always liked the game of tug of war. It is especially fun when each side is divided by water or, better yet, a mud pit. You pull and pull to keep from being pulled into that water or mud. Of course, you have teammates. Depending on the size of the teammates you may have an advantage or disadvantage. However, you never want to go solo in a game of tug of war against another team. That would spell disaster.

When I read today’s verse, that image of tug of war came to mind. It’s as if Paul sees his spirit and his flesh in this spiritual tug of war. Whichever side is stronger wins. I have never quoted from the following source, but I found the comments worthy of a read. The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary says this about verse 23, “here the apostle describes himself, when drawn under the power of his sinful nature, as forcibly seized and reluctantly dragged to his enemy’s camp, from which he would gladly make his escape.” That’s pretty good.

APPLICATION

The word translated as “making…a prisoner” is aichmalótizó. I wouldn’t even begin to try to pronounce that, lol. But the word means to “lead away captive, bring into captivity.” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance) Do you get what Paul is saying and what we feel regarding sin? Sin tries to drag us down and keep us captive. This word is only used three other times in the New Testament.

In Luke 21:24 Jesus says, “‘and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.’” He prophesied about the destruction of Jerusalem and the enslavement of the people.

In 2 Corinthian 10:5 Paul uses the word again to say how we are to take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ. We have that power to control our thoughts and behaviors through the Holy Spirit. There is no excuse for allowing them to control us. But you can’t take captive what you haven’t already defeated. You have to put down those thoughts first.

The last time aichmalótizó is used is in 2 Timothy 3:6 where Paul issues a warning to Timothy that in the last days people will cause a lot of trouble including this: “For among them are those who slip into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses,” But we are more than conquerors. We have power over sin, if we choose to exercise it. Do you want to be the captor or the captive of sin?

Father, I claim Your power over every sin that seeks to drag me away.

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Bible, Scripture, Freedom, Sin, Law, Good

A BAD LAW

ROMANS 7:21

“I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.”

There are some laws on the books of countries that are just bad. Take for example the new anti-conversion laws in India. They went into effect last year and have caused death and destruction among the Christian population. I have friends serving as missionaries in that country, and they see fellow believers arrested and persecuted. Home churches can’t meet and most Christmas celebrations were cancelled for fear of attacks by others. This is a bad law.

Our verse today is the subject of much debate among scholars. The word translated “principle” can also be translated as law. What in the world does Paul mean by this verse. Once again, I turn to Albert Barnes who can explain this much better than I. “There can be no doubt that he refers here to his carnal and corrupt nature; to the evil propensities and dispositions which were leading him astray. His representing this as a law is in accordance with all that he says of it, that it is servitude, that he is in bondage to it, and that it impedes his efforts to be holy and pure. The meaning is this, ‘I find a habit, a propensity, an influence of corrupt passions and desires, which, when I would do right, impedes my progress, and prevents my accomplishing what I would.’”

APPLICATION

Let me ask you then, what principle or law within you keeps you from doing what is holy and right? It’s the same one that Paul talks about in today’s verse. You and I have the same sin nature that Paul had and fought against. We have a choice to make. Do we fight against this “principle,” this propensity to sin? Or do we give into our carnal appetites and just go with the flow?

In Galatians 5:17 Paul states this same idea when he writes, “For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, in order to keep you from doing whatever you want.” As long as we are living and breathing, we will wage this war. But beloved, do not be discouraged. This battle belongs to the Lord. As we submit ourselves to His will, He fights for us through His Holy Spirit in our lives.

Think about one sin you are struggling with. Now, give that to Jesus. Ask Him to guard your heart and mind against any inclination towards that sin. Ask Him to remove any desire you have to commit such sin. Study His Word. Fast and pray. Spend extended time in worship. All these will shove that sin back and defeat the evil one. If you are a follower of Christ, you are His. Believe that.

Lord, I do not want to fall into the trap of sin. Protect my eyes and heart from these unwholesome desires within me.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Confession, Dwelling, Holiness, Holy, Indwelling, Scripture, Sin

DO YOU HEAR AN ECHO?

ROMANS 7:20

“But if I do the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me.”

Have you ever gone to a cave or a cavern and yelled in it to hear your echo? Pretty cool, isn’t it? Your voice bounces off the walls of the cave or cavern and comes back to you. Depending on the depth of that cave or cavern, it may take a few seconds for the echoed sound to reach you. I can still remember doing that as a child.

Are we hearing an echo in today’s verse? Didn’t Paul just say this back in verse 17 which reads, “But now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me.” Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible says this about verse 20. “The same conclusion is formed here, as in Romans 7:17, not with any view to excuse himself from blame in sinning, but to trace the lusts of his heart, and the sins of his life, to the source and fountain of them, the corruption of his nature; and to ascribe them to the proper cause of them, which was not the law of God, nor the new man, but sin that dwelt in him.”

APPLICATION

I could just point you back to my devotional blog on verse 17, but I won’t do that. This subject bears more explanation. Let’s look at what Paul is saying here. First of all, he says, “But if I do the very thing I do not want…” Don’t skip past the little word “if.” This little Greek word is ei and means an assumption which is viewed as factual. It should not be translated as “since” because it is an assumption. Paul did not say “since I do” but “if I do.” Doing the undesirable thing is not automatically assumed.

Then look at “no longer.” The Topical Lexicon says this refers to the “Transformation of identity (Romans 7:17, 7:20). Sin is ‘no longer’ the true self; regeneration creates a new person.” The Greek word is ouketi. This word is used in Matthew 19:6 when Jesus was talking about marriage of a man and a woman. “‘So they are no longer two, but one flesh.’” Something changed in the relationship from two individuals to one couple. Our identity changed at salvation. We are “no longer” the same.

And then we have that all too familiar conjunction “but.” The Greek word alla often changes the conversation from a human perception to God’s perspective. It’s the same conjunction used when Jesus said in the wilderness to Satan, “‘It is written: “MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT COMES OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.”’” Paul knew that although his life had been transformed, he was still prone to sin because of the sin nature within him. Sin wasn’t a guarantee, but it was probable.

Conclusion: Don’t beat yourself up over sin that you commit. I am not giving you a license to sin by saying that. I mean we are all still living in our fleshly bodies and are susceptible to sin. Sin should never be premeditated by followers of Christ, but when you do sin, be quick to confess that and seek to return to holy living. Amen? Amen!

O Lord, I am so tired of this sinful flesh. Help me shun the things to the evil one and cling to Your sweet Spirit.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Confession, Dwelling, Holy Spirit, Indwelling, Responsibilities, Scripture, Sin

BAD ROOMMATES

ROMANS 7:17

“But now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me.”

From 1989 to May 1997, the sitcom “Family Matters” entertained audiences with the antics of one character on the show, Steve Urkel. When he would do something that caused chaos, he would stop and look around saying, “Did I do that?” His high-pitched nasally voice would bring a smile to most. Usually, in the end, Steve would take responsibility for his actions and try to make things right.

Paul is not speaking as Steve Urkel in today’s voice. He is not saying, “Did I do that?” In fact, he is drawing attention to the culprit behind all his failings. Matthew Poole describes this verse well. “It is not I as spiritual or renewed, it is not my whole self, but it is sin that dwelleth in me,that inhabits in me as a troublesome inmate, that I cannot get rid of, that will not out so long as the house stands; as the fretting leprosy in the walls of a house would not out till the house itself were demolished. It is such an inhabitant as is never from home; it is not in us as a stranger for a season, but it makes its constant abode with us.”

APPLICATION

We see Paul use a Greek word for “dwells” in today’s verse and in verses 18 and 20. The word is oikeó, and it means to occupy a house or reside. Paul is describing how sin can continue to cause issues for us as believers. It has taken up residence in us because of the fallen nature we inherited from Adam. Even though Paul is now a follower of Christ and the Spirit of Christ dwells in him, sin refuses to be evicted.

Compare it to a very bad roommate who refuses to leave. Although you live separately and try to avoid interaction, their presence in your dwelling will cause you issues. Dirty dishes in the sink, smelly rooms and loud music may be just a few of the issues you have to deal with. However, unlike that roommate, we have the power over sin to not just avoid it but to have victory over it.

Let’s continue that illustration a little. What are your options with a bad roommate? You can fight them or you can leave. Leaving may cost you something (lease obligations, furniture, etc) but the peace you get by making that choice is worth it. Listen, turning from sin may cost you something (money, friends) but the peace you get will be far worth it. Don’t let sin dwell among you. Cast it out and live for Him.

O Lord, I do not want sin sharing the same space as Your Spirit.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Desires, Law, Romans, Sanctification, Scripture, Sin

WHAT DO YOU DESIRE?

ROMANS 7:16

“However, if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, that the Law is good.”

You have probably heard the expression “No Pain, No Gain.” That applies if you are lifting weights or working out. A little sweat never hurt anyone. But that expression does not apply to other areas of life too well. If you are like me, I try to avoid pain if I can. I have neuropathy in my feet which can be very painful at times. So, I am careful to avoid stepping on things that cause the pain. That also applies to spiritual pain, as you will see in today’s verse.

Paul further explains his dilemma in verse 16. He doesn’t want to do the things that bring pain spiritually, but the flesh is strong. He knows these things are not good for him just as the Law tells him. Therefore, the Law is good in this sense. It shows him and us where we are off course. As I heard described last week in our Pastor’s message, a train is good as long as it stays on the track. But when it gets off track, a wreck is unavoidable.

APPLICATION

Barnes describes this struggle with sin in his commentary on this verse. “Perhaps nothing can be a more decisive test of piety than a long-continued and painful struggle against evil passions and desires in every form, and a panting of the soul to be delivered from the power and dominion of sin.” The struggle we have with sin shows our desire to live holy. If we didn’t feel that pain from sin, we would stay in it and not pursue the Lord.

In Matthew 16:25, Jesus uses the same word for “want” Paul uses when He says, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” The Greek word is theló. It means to “desire, be disposed toward, intend.” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance). We have a choice to make. Do we desire the things of the world or the things of God? Do we wish to please Him or the flesh? Will sin reign or the Spirit?

So many people struggle with determining what God’s will is for their life. It really isn’t hard to find out what He desires for us. One example of that is in 1 Thessalonians 4:3. “For this is the will of God, your sanctification;…” You can’t live a sanctified life, if you live in sin. That’s why God’s Law is so important and why Paul says, “that the Law is good.” Don’t fight the Law (God’s Word). It is not meant to make you feel guilty. It was given to us by the Lord to point out those areas of danger which keep us from living sanctified lives. Choose to avoid those pitfalls. That struggle is real, but it is one you should embrace.

Thank You, Lord, for giving me Your Word which is good.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Choices, Flesh, Scripture, Sin, Spiritual

I AM FLESHLY

ROMANS 7:14

“For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold into bondage to sin.”

Try as I might, I will never live perfectly. As a human being it is just not possible. I don’t care how much Bible I read or how many hours of the day I pray, I still battle my flesh. That’s why the remainder of Romans 7 really hits home with me. I can relate to Paul’s confession here. Most scholars agree that these verses (14-25) are referring to Paul’s life after Christ, whereas back in verse 7 he was using the past tense of the verb denoting his life before Christ. Hey, if Paul is saying this about himself, I am in good company.

But what a way to start his confession! He says, “but I am fleshly,” To be honest, we can all say that. Paul is not saying he is some extreme fleshly being seeking sin out in every corner. He is simply stating the fact that he is still in the flesh which has all the same old temptations before it. Becoming a Christian did not immediately remove all those “common” sins from Paul no more than it does for us now. As long as we live in this fleshly, human body, we will be in the presence of sin and its influence.

APPLICATION

Great news, Carl. I guess I can just give up then. Now, hang on. We will be analyzing the rest of the chapter a verse at a time as we normally do. We will see what Paul is saying about this dilemma and will see how to apply Paul’s confession to our own. The word used here for “fleshly” is sarkinos which comes from the root sarx. However, this adjective form is referring to the human flesh and not the fleshly behaviors. That is sarkikos. That’s a big difference. Can we all agree that if you are still living and breathing, you are in the flesh? You have a fleshly body.

Sarkinos is used in 1 Corinthians 3:1 when Paul says, “And I, brothers and sisters, could not speak to you as spiritual people, but only as fleshly, as to infants in Christ.” He uses the word again in 2 Corinthians 3:3 referring to “human” hearts. “revealing yourselves, that you are a letter of Christ, delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.”

And then we see it used one more time in the New Testament in Hebrews 7:16 where the writer says, “who has become a priest not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life.” The word “physical” is sarkinos.  So, in just four verses, we see it translated as fleshly, human and physical. Don’t beat yourself up then. Just because you’re made of human flesh, that doesn’t make you fleshly in behavior. That is your choice. We’ll see more on that later. Today, choose the spiritual over the fleshly.

O Lord, even though I am still in this old human body, I desire to live holy and pure before You.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Commands, Death, Good, Law, Scripture, Sin

SIN IS UTTERLY SINFUL

ROMANS 7:13

“Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? Far from it! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by bringing about my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful.”

If you want to read a really good commentary on Romans 7:7-13, I urge you to look up Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on these verses. You may need to read it two or three times to grasp all he says there, but it’s worth the read. Towards the end of his words on these verses he writes, “The same heat that softens wax, hardens clay. Food or medicine when taken wrong, may cause death, though its nature is to nourish or to heal. The law may cause death through man’s depravity, but sin is the poison that brings death. Not the law, but sin discovered by the law, was made death to the apostle. The ruinous nature of sin, and the sinfulness of the human heart, are here clearly shown.” Hmmm, food for thought.

Paul continues his diatribe on the Law and sin in today’s verse. But he is pointing directly at sin as the culprit of our downfall, not the Law. I love how he ends this verse by saying, “sin would become utterly sinful.” My first thought was Well, duh! But then I decided I should not read that phrase so lightly. Let’s take a look at the word used here for “utterly.”

APPLICATION

Huperbolé occurs seven other times in the New Testament (1 Corinthians 12:31; 2 Corinthians 1:8; 4:7, 17 (2x); 12:7; Galatians 1:13). I encourage you to look at each of those verses to see how the word is used by Paul. It refers to “an extraordinary degree, or a surpassing quality. Whether it modifies power, suffering, sin, gifts, or glory, it stresses an intensity that cannot be explained by normal human categories.” (Topical Lexicon)

This word is used to express something that goes past the ordinary to the extraordinary. It is used to show the depth of sin, the power of grace, the weight of suffering, the excellence of love and the magnitude of the glory of God. We simply cannot put the divine expressions down adequately. Some things just won’t be understood this side of eternity.

But we can all agree that sin is utterly sinful. It is extraordinarily sinful. It exceeds our wildest imaginations and will lead us to an eternal death from which there is no escape unless…we turn to Jesus and confess those sins which the Law so adequately points out in our life. Make things right today with Jesus, if you haven’t already and flee from all appearances of sin in your life.

Oh, the greatness of Your love and grace and glory far exceeds the greatness of sin.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Deceit, Deception, Devil, Scripture, Sin

SIN DECEIVED ME

ROMANS 7:11

“for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me, and through it, killed me.”

Don’t you hate getting the wool pulled over your eyes? That’s when someone intentionally deceives or tricks you so you can’t see the truth. Usually that do that to gain some kind of advantage over you. Do you know where that saying comes from? It was used to refer to the woolen wig worn by judges. The saying suggested pulling the wig over the judge’s eyes so they couldn’t see clearly and was meant to influence their decision.

Sin does the same thing to us. It pulls the wool over our eyes with one intention – to harm us. Paul states it pretty clearly. He says it deceives to kill. And who is the author of all sin? The devil. John 10:10 gives us his purpose. Jesus says there, “‘The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;…’” Sin will never lead you to a place of rest. It will always seek a way to destroy you and your testimony.

APPLICATION

The Greek word used for “deceived” is exapataó which is only used six times in the New Testament, all by Paul. Later in Romans 16:18 the word is used to describe people who try to deceive. “For such people are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.” We have to watchful for such people.

One of my memory verses in 2 Corinthians 11:3, where the word is used again. “But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his trickery, your minds will be led astray from sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” Doesn’t that verse perfectly fit the description of pulling wool over someone’s eyes? The devil wanted to trick Eve and take advantage of the situation, trying to bring down God’s plan for mankind. He’s still at work trying to do that.

Exapataó also “emphasizes the end-impact of deception – i.e. missing true reality because ‘biting on the bait that brings the hook!’” (HELPS Word-studies). It’s not the deception itself. It looks at the result of the deception, the damage done because of the deception. We have got to be aware at all times of the devil’s schemes to try to deceive us, to get us to take the bait. It’s then he will set the hook.

O Lord, forgive me for falling to the deceptions of the devil. Give me holy eyes to spot it in advance.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Knowledge, Law, Scripture, Sin

POINTING THINGS OUT

ROMANS 7:7

“What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? Far from it! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COVET.’”

A good teacher is quick to point out a student’s mistakes without making them feel bad about them. We all learn from our mistakes. We learn when we cut that board too short that we should have measured twice and cut once. When we put too much salt in a recipe, we learn to be more careful the next time. These mistakes are not fatal, however. Today in our text we see another teacher, the Law, that pointed out our mistakes to us which eventually pointed us to a Savior.

Over the past verses, Paul has been showing the futility of the Law, but he does not want to give the impression that the Law was useless. On the contrary, it served a special purpose which he points out in this verse. He says he “would not have come to know sin except through the Law.” The Law showed him how to live holy unto God and what to do when he failed. The sacrificial system was meant to appease a just God when men failed Him, which they would undoubtedly did time and time again. So, although the Law could not save them, it served a purpose.

APPLICATION

The Greek word Paul uses for “know” is ginosko. This word is a commonly used verb throughout the New Testament and normally used to speak of a personal knowledge gained through experiencing something. It is the word used in Luke 1:34 when Mary said she had not known a man, meaning she had no personal experience with a man physically. This is a knowledge you gain through life experiences.

For instance, I have knowledge of physical suffering because I have gone through some pretty major health issues (two stem cell transplants in ten years). I could have never been able to explain to another patient how it feels unless I had experienced this firsthand. But now I can. I wish I had never gained that knowledge, but God allowed me to gain it in a way that I will never forget it.

Your knowledge of your need for a Savior is based on your knowledge of your sins. You cannot save yourself. No amount of law-keeping will get you there. That’s what Paul has been saying. But the law and now the Holy Scriptures show us where we fall short. Holy living is hard if we try to do it ourselves. In fact, it’s impossible. But through the knowledge of His Word, we can walk holy before Him. So, get smart – read His Word.

Father God, I am totally dependent on You and Your Word to guide me toward holy living.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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