Category Archives: Sin

Group of wild boars standing in a wooden enclosure surrounded by trees
Bible, Caught, Disobedience, Enslavement, Mercy, Romans, Scripture, Sin

ENCLOSED IN SIN

ROMANS 11:32

“For God has shut up all in disobedience, so that He may show mercy to all.”

I love to hunt, as you probably know if you follow this blog. And I love to watch hunting videos. There are thousands of those out there. You can watch videos about deer, turkey, bear, geese, ducks and wild pigs. That last group is a destructive bunch. They can destroy a crop in the field overnight. Some farmers have resorted to catching them by luring them into a pen which automatically shuts. I love watching a huge herd of them enter and get caught. They go wild at first and then they just settle in and keep eating that bait.

Why in the world am I talking about catching pigs? Because there is a word that is used in today’s verse which can be illustrated by that story I just told. Paul uses the Greek word sugkleió, which means to conclude, enclose or shut up. This verse is the concluding verse of the subject about the Jews and the Gentiles that Paul has been writing about for a quite a while. The remainder of chapter 11 is an eruption of praise. I can’t wait for those verses.

APPLICATION

“The verb (sugkleió) carries the idea of shutting in together, hemming in on every side, or confining within fixed limits. In biblical usage the confinement can be either literal (fish in a net) or metaphorical (humanity under sin or the Law). Each occurrence portrays an intentional act of God that precedes a gracious purpose.” (Topical Lexicon) We see this word used in Luke 5:6 where we read, “And when they had done this, they caught a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to tear;” The word “caught” is sugkleió.

The word is used again in Galatians 3:22. “But the Scripture has confined everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.” I am reminded of Romans 3:23 here, as it relates to this verse. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” We have all been shut up into sin. Why did God allow that? To show us mercy. To show us our need for a Savior.

Much like those pigs who went crazy at first and then settled down and kept eating the bait, we too act the same. We may initially try to get out of the sin that has shut us up. But if we do not turn to the One who can release us, we will settle in and continue to eat the bait of sin. I prefer freedom in Christ. Hallelujah, I have been set free from the bonds of sin. How about you?

Father God, thank You for setting me free from the pigpen of sin I had entered.

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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Man in dirty work clothes and gloves carrying a bag entering a home through the front door
Bible, Forgiveness, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Romans, Sacrifice, Scripture, Sin

THE REMOVAL OF SIN

ROMANS 11:27

“‘THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.’”

When I was young, I worked in my uncle’s and my cousin’s tobacco fields. That was hot, hard work. But it was also dirty work. I would come home at the end of a long day completely filthy. The tar from those tobacco leaves stains your hands and ruins your clothes. I found that green tomatoes could cut the grim from my hands. Getting clean from a day’s work was work in itself. I am so glad I am not responsible for getting myself clean spiritually. That’s God’s job.

Paul reflects on God’s covenant with His chosen nation today and seems to allude to Jeremiah31:33-34. What he writes in verse 27 of Romans 11 is more of a paraphrase than a direct quote. Those verses say, “33 ‘For this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,’ declares the LORD: ‘I will put My law within them and write it on their heart; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 35 They will not teach again, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, “Know the LORD,” for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,’ declares the LORD, ‘for I will forgive their wrongdoing, and their sin I will no longer remember.’”

APPLICATION

What great words from the Lord to His people. Paul reminds us that God is a covenant-keeping God. He will never leave His children wanting. He still pursues the Jewish nation today. One day every knee will bow to Jesus, even those who are a part of the Jewish nation. He cleansed them once through the blood sacrifices and cleanses them today through the blood of His Lamb, Jesus Christ.

The same Greek word for “take away” is used in Hebrews 10:4 and is a reminder of the futility of those old blood sacrifices. “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” The word means to cut off take away. Isaiah 43:25 goes even further in this description of the removal of our sins. “‘I, yes I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake and remembers your sins no more.’” He removes them and remembers them no more. Wow!

Give the Lord praise today for this wonderful gift. You can probably remember your sins, can’t you? But God chooses to remember them no more. Once you come to Jesus, all He sees is His blood covering you. Can I encourage you to look at other’s sins the same way? Pray for them. Forgive them if they have harmed you. Place them in God’s hands. Only He can remove the stain of those sins, but we can move past them through His power.

O Lord, there are no words to express my gratitude for the forgiveness of my sins.

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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A man carrying a glowing, magical orb with constellations and runes on his back while walking on a mountain path
Awe, Bible, Bowing, Isaiah, Romans, Scripture, Sin, Worship

BOWED BACKS

ROMANS 11:10

“‘MAY THEIR EYES BE DARKENED TO SEE NOT AND BEND THEIR BACKS CONTINUALLY.’”

When I was growing up in rural Southwest Georgia, I worked for Walter Pollock and Sons. Mr. Walter was a farmer and businessman. One of his operations was a Feed and Seed store. We also sold fertilizer and other crop products. During peanut season I would often get sent out to the warehouse to load land plaster which the farmers used to dust their peanuts. Those bags were about the size of concrete bags and weighed about 80 pounds each. We would load two or three bags on our shoulders and carry them onto awaiting trucks, usually ten to fifteen tons. That will bow your back after a full day.

The imagery Paul uses in today’s verse is of the Jews who would suffer hardships due to their refusal to follow the Lord. We know that during Paul’s day he saw many Jews suffering under Roman rule. Some of those Jews were forced into servitude in mines or building roads. Their backs were bent from this work. Hardships often follow disobedience. You’ve seen it, and I’ve seen it.

APPLICATION

Paul isn’t referring to bowed backs due to just hard work. There’s nothing wrong with hard work. But when our disobedience causes extra burdens to bear, that’s when God’s judgment can come into play. Are you hearing me? Are you under a heaven burden right now of your own making? Take a step back and do a little observation. What is the Lord trying to steer you away from? What is He asking you to change about your life?

The Topical Lexicon explains the word used by Paul for “bend.” It is the word sunkamptō and appears once in the New Testament here in today’s verse. “Paul quotes Psalm 69 to portray divine judgment that leaves the unrepentant with ‘backs … bent forever’ (Berean Standard Bible). The verb pictures a forced, continuous bowing that contrasts sharply with the joyful, voluntary bending of worship.”

So, tell me what you would rather do – bend your backs in servitude to the sins that weigh you down or bend your knees in worship? I know what I prefer. Bowing before a holy God in reverence is a good bending. It is a sign of humility and awe. Try that today. Bend your knees and your back before Him. He will lift you up. I guarantee you the devil won’t pick you up. He’ll keep putting more weight on your shoulders.

Thank You, Lord, for lifting my burdens on Calvary. I bow before You now is reverence to Your name.

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, Flesh, Glory, Heaven, Romans, Scripture, Sin

HARD WORDS TO HEAR

ROMANS 8:20

“For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope”

Do you remember as a child when your parents said, “This is for your own good”? Usually, that involved a spanking or some type of discipline for you to learn by. I never understood (or believed) that until I had children of my own and found myself saying the same thing. Sometimes the only way we can learn valuable lessons is go through a trial or perhaps even discipline. (Hebrews 12:11)

Today’s verse is a little difficult to comprehend at first glance. Can I boil it down for you? As followers of Christ, we are subjected to sin and all the consequences of it. God could have chosen to save us and then take us directly to heaven. Instead, He left us here on earth for a reason. Why would He do that? Didn’t He know it would be difficult for us? Didn’t He know we would fail and lapse into sin from time to time? Didn’t He know we would face discouragement in the midst of these trials?

APPLICATION

You know I reference Albert Barnes a lot in my blogs. Well, he gives some good reasons why God allows us to remain here and to be subjected to sin after we are saved. Look at these examples he gives: “1. Christians are subjected to this state to do good to their fellow sinners. 2. By their remaining here the power of the gospel is shown in overcoming their sin; in meeting their temptations; in sustaining them in trial; and in thus furnishing living evidence to the world of the power and excellency of that gospel. 3. It furnishes occasion for some interesting exhibitions of character – for hope, and faith, and love, and for increasing and progressive excellence. 4. It is a proper training for heaven. 5. It is fit and proper that he should engage here in the service of Him who has redeemed him.”

Now, these examples Barnes gives are not straight from Scripture, but each could be shown true in Scripture. For whatever reason God has chosen to leave us here, it is good because He is good and all that He does is good. We may not understand it now, but we can trust in His goodness. God is preparing us all for a future glory. Doesn’t that give you hope?

As you go through your own life lessons, lean on the truth of God’s Word. He has given us freedom from the penalty of sin and the power to refrain from it. He has not saved us to make us suffer here in our sinful, fleshy bodies. No, He has saved us to be a shining example of His power through fallen man. Trust in His power, not your own, to overcome the sinful desires in your life. He is able!

Lord, I so desire to be with You in glory but use me while I am here to show Your glory to others.

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, Flesh, Pleasing, Romans, Scripture, Sin

SHORT AND SWEET

ROMANS 8:8

“and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

I like keeping things short and sweet. I used to teach Houseparents in the Children’s Homes where I worked how to deescalate an unruly child. One of the best ways is to give them clear and concise instructions. You know, the K.I.S.S. philosophy – Keep It Simple Stupid. That probably sounds rude, but that method works with kids. Keep our rules and expectations short and sweet. Why do you think God gave us the ten commandments and not one hundred?

Paul says it very concisely in verse 8 of Romans 8. If you are in the flesh, you cannot please God. The word for “please” is areskó which carries with it the idea of “winning someone’s favor because you are meeting their expectation.” (HELPS Word-studies) The word is used 17 times in the New Testament in reference to pleasing God or pleasing men. One of those should be our priority, right?

APPLICATION

Paul talks about this battle between pleasing God and pleasing men in Galatians 1:10. “For am I now seeking the favor of people, or of God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.”  Paul was not concerned with trying to please people. His sole devotion was to pleasing God, even to the point of imprisonment and death.

In Paul’s instructions to the Thessalonians in 1 Thessalonians 4:1 he says, “Finally then, brothers and sisters, we request and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received instruction from us as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel even more.” Pleasing the Lord should be part of our daily walk, not just on special occasions. I cannot please my wife just on special occasions like birthdays or anniversaries. It has to be a daily choice. The same holds true with God.

You have to remember that God knows our very thoughts. He knows our motivations for pleasing Him long before we do or say anything. Pleasing God is a heart decision. That’s why Paul tells us that if we are pleasing the flesh, we will never please God. So, the question is before us. Do we seek to please ourselves, others or God? We have to make a choice. But choose wisely. Don’t try to ride the fence with this decision. Please the One who loves you unconditionally and with an everlasting love.

Father in heaven, forgive me for the times I have sought to please myself or others 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, 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.

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

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.

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, Freedom, Good, Law, Scripture, Sin

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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