Why Do I Do What I Don’t Want To Do?

Romans 7:7-25

This week’s message was written as a response to a common sentiment shared in the church: why do we struggle to follow God even if we have the desire to do so? This is something that is reflected in Romans 7:7-25. 

A brief context on the book of Romans: Romans was written by Apostle Paul, keeping in mind in particular Jewish Christians who used to live their lives strictly keeping the law. To them, keeping the law was the most important aspect of their life. To keep to law was to live; to not keep the law was to die. However, Christianity as a religion is not one of law or morality. Christianity is a religion of grace. For these Jewish Christians, this raised some confusion. 

Pastor Daniel wanted to share some key points based on this passage in the form of a question-and-answer format.

1. If we are no longer saved by the law, what role does the law function as now?

   • The simple answer is that while the law is not a means to salvation, it reveals to us what is right and what is wrong. The law is good and holy. The law reveals to us what sin is. Pastor Daniel’s analogy comparing sin to a disease state like a broken bone. To diagnose a broken bone, we use diagnostic tools like an x-ray. The Bible, the law, is the diagnostic tool to examine your heart condition and identify sin in your life. In the same way that we cannot heal a broken bone by taking multiple x-rays, we cannot be healed by strictly adhering to the law.

2. How do we fix not doing what I need to do and doing what I don’t want to do?

   • The common answer we hear to this question is that we lack the desire or the will. There is a gap between our willingness to follow through with our convictions and our actual actions and discipline. Additionally, we are told that while we may have to desire to change, w often fail and fall back to old habits. The problem then, becomes either a problem of our lack of will or desire, or our ties to our old habits. Is the answer simply to either build a strong enough desire or to simply break away from your old habits?

   • The Bible says that we cannot fix this problem because it is sin that dwells in us. While we have the desire to do better, to keep the law, and to follow Jesus, we continue to try with our own strength to break our old patterns and ways and continue to see failure. 

3. If this is because sin dwells in me, am I still responsible? And if sin dwells in me, can the Holy Spirit coexist in me?

   • When we receive Christ, when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us. If this is true, then why do we continue to sin? Is this because I am not fully saved and have I not truly opened my heart to Christ? 

   • The Bible helps us to understand this. We are made up of three things: spirit, soul, and body. They are not completely separated but must be understood distinctively.

   • Spirit – the Holy Spirit comes immediately restore our relationship with God

     Soul (or mind) – emotions and thoughts

     Body – actions, instinct, habit

   • Our spirit is completely restored when we receive Christ through the Holy Spirit. However, sin can still dwell in our soul and our body. Thus, the Bible stresses that we still work out our soul and body with fear and trembling. Though the condemnation of sin is gone through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, temptation remains.

4. How do we find freedom from our sinful nature in our soul and body?

   • The answer that we’ve learned is not through more discipline, more effort, more will, or staying strictly adhered to the law. The answer the Bible gives is not through the Law but through Jesus Christ. True freedom comes from a genuine loving relationship with Jesus Christ. As we grow in our love for Jesus, the things we deem good, holy, and lawful such as praying, serving, and loving others begin to flow naturally, not as spiritual obligations, but as the overflow of grace and love we receive through our relationship with Christ.

Reflection Questions:

1. What were your main takeaways from this week’s message?

2. What does a genuine relationship with Jesus look like to you?

3. How might this week’s message about sin and grace change your views on your ongoing spiritual struggles?