2008 You Pick ‘em Series – “What
the Bible Says About…Assurance of Salvation”
Romans 7:14-25
Sermon preached at Curwensville Presbyterian Church – February 10, 2008
Prayer Introduction: The first topic requested in our “You Pick ‘Em” sermon series – where you get to pick the sermon topics – was, “What does the Bible say about…the assurance of salvation?” Can we know, for certain, in this life, that we are saved and will go to heaven and receive eternal life?
The first week we
looked at a key verse that tells us in no uncertain terms, yes – you can have
assurance of salvation. Do you remember where that verse is in the Bible? [1
Let’s say,
together, the good words of
No doubt about it, God says “you may know that you have eternal life.” But the goal is not just to be convinced in our head that God says you can have assurance; but for God – by His Holy Spirit – actually to give us assurance.
So last week
we took the next step – looking at
And so assurance of salvation comes from (1) trusting that the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the only way that you can be saved – not your own works, but solely the work of Christ; and (2) having that trust evidenced by repenting – turning away – from actual sins. Not just seeking forgiveness through Christ, but seeking freedom through Christ to live faithfully.
This brings us to the very real life question – what about when I don’t live faithfully? How can I have assurance when I still sin?
Well, guess
what? The Bible speaks to real life, because God understands our real life. God
speaks to our real life. One of the most vivid places he does this is through
the Apostle Paul in
READ
If you are taking notes (space on the back of the bulletin) the three key reasons why Paul is not talking about himself before he was a Christian, but is talking about his life as a Christian, come in the form of “Three D’s” – Disobedience in the Present Tense; Delight in God’s Law; Desire to Do Good.
I. Disobedience in the Present Tense
And so first I would have you see that the Apostle Paul speaks of his Disobedience in the Present Tense. In verse 14 Paul doesn’t say, “I was unspiritual.” He says, “I AM unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.” That’s a pretty strong statement – too strong for many people’s comfort.
Many “holier than thou” Christians don’t like the severity of the statement. How can Paul call himself a “slave to sin” especially with what Paul had said in the previous chapter of Romans? Paul wrote, “For we know that our old self was crucified with [Christ] so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin…You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness” (Romans 6:6, 18),
How can Paul say,
in
How? Paul is trying to encourage his readers by talking in two extremes. On the one hand, we – who are in Christ – have been set free (the truth has set us free) so that we are no longer slaves to sin, but slaves to righteousness. Sin is no longer our master. Satan no longer rules over us. We are free to live a life of faithfulness. Our will – which had been in bondage before we were born again – is now free to gladly obey. We can now obey God’s commands, because God has loved us and we love him.
On the other hand, we have not yet gone to heaven (Jesus has not yet returned with the new heavens and new earth) – and so we still live in these fallen bodies that are sinful by nature. We still live in a flesh that is prone to sin.
This is why Paul writes, in verse 18 – “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.” And then in verse 20 – “Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.”
This isn’t a cop out. This isn’t the old line – “The devil made me do it.”
This is real life. We are Christians – who want to live as Christians – but this blasted sinful nature continues to mess us up. It is why we struggle with sin. The question isn’t, “are we struggling;” the question is, “are we struggling well?”
You’ve
probably heard about some Christians – certain monks, etc. – who have sought to
struggle with their sinful flesh by beating it. They whip themselves, and abuse
themselves, trying to beat the body – physically – into submission. They
misunderstand the words of Paul in
Paul isn’t talking about beating his body, physically; but beating it spiritually.
Notice what Paul says in the end – verses 24-25a – “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
How do we get rescued from our body of death? How do we beat our bodies and make it our slave? How do we overcome the flesh? Not by abusing the flesh – but by calling on Christ to strengthen our souls.
When we were dead in our sins – our soul was dead. The Holy Spirit – applying the redemption purchased by Christ – brought our souls to life. But our soul – our inner being – our spirits – are weak. Our bodies are stronger than our souls – they’ve been alive longer. And so we must call on the same Holy Spirit of God who brought our souls to life to bring strength to our spirits as well.
How do we do that?
II. Delight in God’s Law (Verse 22)
This brings us to the second D. Not only would I have you see that Paul speaks of Disobedience in the Present Tense, but Paul also speaks of his Delight in God’s Law. In verse 22-23 Paul writes, “For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.”
It is delighting in God’s Law – that is in God’s Word – that we strengthen our spirits.
They are called the spiritual disciplines, or spiritual exercises: Reading & Meditating on God’s Word, Memorizing God’s Word, Praying & Fasting that we might better hear and respond to God’s Word, Worshiping – individually, with our family and with our church – around God’s Word and in response to God’s Word.
The Book of Psalms begins, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2).
Blessed is the man who is not receiving his counsel from the sinners of the world – i.e. people – but receives his counsel from God’s Word – “his delight is in the law of the Lord.”
The Psalmist sounds like Paul; or better – Paul sounds like the Psalmist. Do they sound like you; do you sound like them? Do you delight in the law of the Lord?
Do you so delight in God’s Word that you pursue it? Do you read and meditate on God’s Word in your daily life? Are you eager to hear God’s Word when we come together as the church to worship?
Whether you obey it perfectly or not is not the question. The question is whether or not you delight in it. Does your inner being respond to the reading and preaching of God’s Word?
One of my all time favorite moments in the Gospels comes at the end of Luke, after the resurrection, when Jesus is talking with the disciples on the road to Emmaus. He teaches a couple of disciples all about what the Old Testament Scriptures say about him. And afterwards the disciples say to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32).
Does your heart burn with delight when the Scriptures are opened to you?
Notice the conflict that Paul raises, here, between the inner being – his very soul – that delights in God’s law and the law of sin – in his body – that wages war against his soul.
Paul says that he delights in God’s law, even when the law is convicting him of his sin; perhaps, especially when the law convicts him of his sin. If it was not for the law, we wouldn’t know what sin is!
The response, “Who are you to judge me?” Is not the response of someone who delights in the law.
The response, “Yes, that is right – that is what God says – and I need to repent” is the response of someone who delights in the law.
I had a friend who would often come away from a sermon and say, “Wow! That sermon really kicked my tail. I needed to hear that. I need to go to the cross of Christ and ask the Lord to mortify that sin in me.”
III. Desire to Do Good
Which brings us to the third D. The same Paul who speaks of his Disobedience in the Present Tense, and his Delight in God’s Law, also speaks of his Desire to Do Good. Verse 15 – “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate to do.” Verse 18b-19 – “For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing.”
Aargh!
I want to do the right thing, but then I don’t. And then I get so mad at myself.
Notice how different this mentality is to the person who says, “Well no one’s perfect. Chill out. Stop beating yourself up about it. Relax. It’s no big deal.”
The unbeliever – the unregenerate – is not convicted to deal with his sin. He simply wants to “forget about it.”
Some drink to forget. Some stay busy to forget. Some get over-involved in the sports world to forget. Some hate themselves so much that they go into various stages of depression. Some even cut themselves out of hatred.
But what does Paul point us to, “Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
The only way to do the right thing is through Jesus Christ.
The only way to go when you blow it is through Jesus Christ.
When you wanted to do good, but didn’t, you need to bring it to Jesus Christ – who will forgive you and strengthen you to go back out and try again.
Assurance of salvation is essentially found in these two acts of faith (1) Trusting in Jesus Christ – and in him alone – for forgiveness; and (2) Living a holy life in response to his forgiveness.
It is called having Jesus Christ as your Savior AND your Lord.
It is not enough to believe he is Savior, but not Lord. You can’t say – “I believe in God, Jesus and the Bible – but not live it out in some measure.” We’re not looking for perfection. We’re looking for struggle. We are looking to struggle well.
You also cannot call Jesus Lord, but not Savior. You can’t say – “I have to try harder.” It is not about our strength. It is only in the Lord that we find strength to struggle well.
And one last note on this. We need each other to help us struggle well. We, as individuals, are weak. Sometimes, many times, we need the community of faith – our church – to confront us and to encourage us.
As long as we live in this life we will struggle; but if we are struggling well, then we can know
THE TRUTH HAS SET US FREE – AMEN!