Rev. David Holwick D Illustration #4438 is basis of sermon
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
January 24, 1999
Romans 7:14-24
OLD WAYS WON'T WORK
SERMON SUMMARY: Romans 7 is traditionally understood in a purely
psychological context, but real issue is the superceding of Old
Testament Torah-based covenant versus New Testament Jesus-and-Spirit
covenant living. Complicated sermon, but enthusiastically rated by
those who like studying the Bible.
I. Inner gremlins.
A. "Y2K" problem.
1) Embedded chips will fail without warning.
2) Power plants, banks. (Christians stockpiling ammo...)
B. People problem.
1) Something wrong inside us.
2) How messed up are you?
3) What difference can your faith make?
II. A hidden influence on our world.
A. Romans 7 has shaped western culture.
1) Augustine's conversion in 400's.
a) "Make me pure - but not yet, not yet."
2) Luther's conversion in 1500's.
a) From frustrated monk to fiery Protestant, saved by grace.
3) Modern psychology.
a) Tension between our conscious and subconscious.
b) Individual's torment that we are not what we want to be.
c) Americans especially are always trying to improve
themselves.
B. "Miserable sinner" theology came out of it.
1) A Lutheran Confession of Sin reads:
I, poor sinful man, confess to God, the Almighty, my
Creator and Redeemer, that I not only have sinned
in thoughts, words and deeds,
but also was conceived and born in sin, and so all my
nature and being is deserving of punishment and
condemnation before His righteousness.
Therefore I flee to His gratuitous mercy and seek and
beseech His grace.
Lord, be merciful to me, a miserable sinner.
2) Guilt, for what you've done and HAVEN'T done, are big in
churches.
C. Passage has a long history.
1) Men dealt with it in last Monday's Bible study.
2) In studying for this sermon, I came to a surprise.
III. History of interpretation.
A. Five options. #4438
1) Paul as Non-Christian.
a) The "I" is Paul as a non-Christian viewed from his later
Christian perspective.
2) Paul as Everyman under Adam's system.
a) The "I" refers to Adam, or to humanity in Adam, with
Genesis 3 being the background.
3) Paul as Everyman under Law's (Jewish) system.
a) The "I" is the representative experience of all,
Christian or non-Christian, who try to live under law.
b) (In other words, trying to be righteous and holy by our
own efforts).
4) Paul as an immature Christian.
a) The "I" refers to Paul in the years immediately following
his conversion when he still tried to live under the
Law before learning to live by the Spirit.
b) This is often called "the victorious Christian life" view).
5) Paul as normal Christian.
a) The "I" is representative of Paul and any normal
Christian who is simultaneously justified, yet still
a sinner and struggling with the normal tension
between living in two ages at the same time.
b) Most popular view in modern Christendom.
Luther described it this way:
A Christian is at the same time a sinner and a saint;
he is at once bad and good.
For in our own person we are in sin, and in our own
name we are sinners.
But Christ brings us another name in which there is
forgiveness of sin, so that for His sake our sin is
forgiven and done away.
Both then are true.
There are sins - and yet there are no sins...
you stand there for God not in your name but in
Christ's name;
you clothe yourself with grace and righteousness
although in your own eyes and in your own person,
you are a miserable sinner.
#4437
IV. A new way to view the struggle.
A. Non-Christians are not in view.
1) "Law" must be law of Moses, not natural law.
a) Torah, not general Roman law, in view because 7:2-3
was a debated point among Jews.
1> Torah says death immediately severs marriage.
2> Roman law says one year must go by to get estate.
3> Rom 7:4-6 clearly points to Mosaic covenant.
2) How could 7:21-22 describe inner motivation of non-Christians?
B. Christians are not in view.
1) Are Christians really in slavery to sin?
a) Romans 6 says we are freed from sin's bondage.
b) Romans 8 states it even more forcefully.
2) Is Paul schizophrenic?
a) Can chapter 7 contradict chapter 6 and 8?
C. Pious, believing Jews are the focus.
1) They are committed to the old covenant of Moses.
2) Sin's bondage not broken until sacrifice of Jesus.
a) Obeying Law doesn't break pull of sin.
b) And if it doesn't work for them, they shouldn't try to
push this system on the Gentile believers.
V. Revolution in Pauline theology.
A. A new view of first century Jews.
1) They were not entirely legalistic.
a) They realized they needed God's help.
b) Paul himself was essentially satisfied with his
Jewish life.
1> Faultless. Phil 3:6
2> Advanced, and zealous. Gal 1:14
2) They were group oriented rather than individualistic.
B. A new view of the Roman church.
1) Tension between Gentile and Jewish Christians just as
strong as that between all Christians and pagans.
2) The "good news" of Jesus intersects both cultures and yet
unites these diverse races into one people of God.
3) The date of the writing of Romans is significant.
a) Church in Rome began at Pentecost, when Roman Jews
at Jerusalem were converted by Peter, then went home.
1> They became Jews who believed in Jesus as Messiah.
2> What do Christians need to be holy? Torah.
b) Due to rioting, Emperor Claudius expelled Jews from
Rome for 5 years. Acts 18:2
1> Pagan Roman historian Suetonius says the rioting was
instigated by "Chrestus" - agitation over Christ?
2> Since Jewish Christians also had to leave, Gentile
believers took over church.
A> Paul mentions them meeting in homes of wealthy
Gentiles at end of Romans. (16:3-16)
c) When Jews were allowed back, may have felt pushed out.
1> Sunday vs. Saturday worship, etc.
2> Conservative Jewish believers may have refused to
set foot in a Gentile house.
C. Paul sided with the Gentiles.
1) Torah doesn't make us holy.
2) Only spiritual dependence on Jesus can do this.
a) We have a new system now.
b) Jesus breaks the power of sin.
VI. How broken is sin's power for you?
A. Christians disappoint every day.
1) Some fall into major sin.
2) Others show little joy or love of a Christian.
3) Is Christianity a sham?
B. A tension remains in the Christian life.
1) We remain sinners.
2) But we can be Spirit-led people.
VII. The new way with Jesus. [adapted from a different article;
proper fit?]
A. Our struggle is not essentially against specific sins or habits.
1) (Paul talks here not of sins but of sin)
2) Don't get trapped by guilt of failure.
3) We are wrestling with a warped nature.
B. Human nature is not essentially good. (see 7:18)
1) But when we come to Jesus, a revolution takes place.
2) Become saints who sin, more than miserable sinners.
C. Legal or religious codes cannot make us holy.
1) Favored by 1st-cent. Judaism and 20th-cent. Fundamentalism.
2) Fulfills human need for boundaries and attainable goals.
3) Leads to hypocrisy and inner turmoil?
D. Wanting to do what's right doesn't make us able to do right.
1) But Jesus can help us be moral.
2) Example of missionaries in Mongolia.
Exciting growth where church had never been.
Moral problems cropped up.
Westerners hit them over head with Bible?
Instead they had church explore Bible, pray to Jesus,
and decide how to handle it on their own.
Result was a vibrant, mature church where holiness
is taken seriously.
3) Spirit mindset.
a) Seek presence of Jesus throughout your day.
b) Cultivate fruit of Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience...
c) (Examples of gospel's ability to change people.)
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
#4437, "'Sinners' Who Are Forgiven Or 'Saints' Who Sin?" in Bibliotheca
Sacra, Vol. 152, Theological Journal Library (Galaxie Software),
by Robert L. Saucy, Professor Of Systematic Theology, #608,
October 1995, page 400.
#4438, "Insights From Postmodernism's Emphasis On Interpretive Communities
In The Interpretation Of Romans 7," by Walt Russell, Associate
Professor Of New Testament At Talbot School Of Theology,
Journal Of The Evangelical Theological Society, #374,
Theological Journal Library (Galaxie Software), December 1994,
pages 511-527.
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Assorted notes from articles:
I. Jewish-Christian tension is at core.
A. Paul's focus is not justification by faith alone, but
the conversion of Gentiles and how they would relate to
Jewish believers within the church.
B. Understood by a few ancient commentators.
C. As Jewish-oriented Christians quickly lost influence (few
believed after devastating Jewish revolts), this
interpretation disappeared.
D. Paul's message was then re-shaped by Gentiles.
II. Paul's relation with the Jewish believers.
A. Jews thought Gentiles needed them to understand Torah.
1) But Paul says gospel (not Torah) is power of God.
2) He levels ground by emphasizing doing the Law, not
just possessing.
3) He asserted that by works of the Law no one can be
justified.
4) Law brings wrath and increases sin.
5) His most disturbing point: sin was master over his
readers when they were under Torah, but the mastery
is broken now that they are under gospel. 6:14
B. Romans 7 clarifies role Torah plays in restraining God's
people from sinning.
1) Jews had ready answer to question in 6:1 - Torah.
2) How we know Paul is addressing Jews in chapter 7:
a) They are brothers who know the Law. 7:1
3) His main point: Christians are in a new covenant and
the old one - Torah - is no longer our guide.
III. Law orientation vs. Jesus/grace orientation.
A. Law tells about God but gives no personal power over sin.
B. Only Jesus gives such power.
