DELIVERANCE FROM SIN

Romans 7 14-25

February 19, 2006

Pastor William Underwood

Have you ever felt like Paul did in Romans 6 and 7? You know that you are saved but something is still missing in your life. There is a struggle going on inside. This is the principle of sin that always struggles against the Holy Spirit who lives in you. I want you to think with me about this principle of sin and how we can overcome its power in our Christian lives.

I - Sin is a DEFILEMENT - II Corinthians 7:1
A- Sin defiles consciousness - intellect, sensibility, and will.
1-Intellect (imagination) is polluted through eyes and ears.
2-Emotions are perverted and corrupted.
3-Volition becomes rebellious to God. "Thou shalt not"
B- The Bible calls the consciousness - "the heart"
1-Jer. 17:9 "The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked."
2-The heart can be cleansed and made the house of God.
3-When the mind is pure, and desires are cleansed, and the will is consecrated, we have a clean, pure heart.
4-Although we are cleansed, we are NOT sinless!
C- How does the Holy Spirit sanctify us?
1-He sanctifies the mind by the truth of God - Jn. 17:17
"Sanctify them by Thy truth. Thy Word is Truth."
2-He sanctifies the emotions by the love of God.
3-He sanctifies the volition by the power of God.

II - Sin is a HABIT - Read - Heb. 12:1-2a
A-Habit can be good or evil
1-We are born with an evil nature but NOT with habits.
2-We are born with a fallen nature but we acquire habits.
3-Every habit can be laid aside.
B-HOW do we lay evil habits aside?
1-God demands an immediate stop, a deliberate choice.
2-Eph. 4:28 - "Let him that stole, steal no more"
C- Read - Ephesians 4:22-25
1-The phrase, "old man" occurs only 3 times in the N.T.
Romans 6 Ephesians 4 Colosians 3
2-At Salvation they HAD "put off the old man" (old way of life). NOW they HAD to "Put on the new man."
3-A "habit" is something you wear-the "old man's clothes"
4-In Eph 4 many habits are mentioned--IF you have "put off the old man" then don't wear his clothes!
5-The "old man" is the unconverted self--Rom. 6:6 "Our old man is crucified with Him"
6-Read - Colossians 3:8-10

III - Sin is a LAW - Read Romans 7:23-25, 8:1-2
A- A law acts with constant regularity - like gravity - it is always in force.
1-There is a law of sin within me - I inherited it from Adam - Rom. 7:23-25
2-We all have this law in us but we can be delivered from it
3-We are delivered from the law of sin by having the law of the Spirit of Life operating within us.
B- The condition that will free us from the law of sin
1-A life jacket will overrule the power to sink--BUT I must remain in the life jacket!
2-Peter walked on the sea only as long as he looked at Jesus
a-The tendency to sink was still present and he weighed the same.
b-Christ's power to deliver is greater than the tendency to sink.
3-No matter how long we have been a Christian, the tendency is still downward - the law is still in force.

Christ died not only for the forgiveness of my sins, but that I might have deliverance from the power of the sin principle in all of its forms. Don't believe it because I said it. Search the Word and let that be your proof.