"What a wretched man I am!"

[Romans 7:14-25]

Are you guarding your heart well?  Are you guarding your heart well when Satan's thoughts try to come into your heart?  There is a book called “Freedom From Sinful Thoughts” written by Pastor Heinrich Arnold, a Christian counseling pastor (Internet).  In this book, the author emphasizes the importance of fighting and struggling against the evil thoughts that come into us countless times.  The reason is because if we neglect and let them come into our thoughts, then the evil thoughts will grow and eventually bear the fruit of sinful actions.  The moment we voluntarily enjoy evil thoughts, we are being manipulated by the forces of darkness without even realizing it.  Because a change in behavior begins with a change in mind, we cannot enjoy true freedom in Christ unless freedom from sinful thoughts precedes it.  Indeed, how will we fight and overcome evil thoughts in the realm of our thoughts?  How can we win this fierce internal battle?  The author is telling us not to focus on ourselves, but to focus instead on God and the victorious cross of Jesus.  When we do that, we are confident that we can win this fight.  What does it mean here to focus on God and focus on the victorious cross of Jesus?  It implies that without God's help, we cannot win the inner battle in the realm of our thoughts with our own strength.  Thinking more specifically, we must fight and overcome evil thoughts with good thoughts with faith in God and with the assurance of victory.  Those good thoughts are God's thoughts and His words.  Even knowing this, there are times when we lose our inner battle with ourselves and commit unwanted sins.  How distress is it when we want to have God's thoughts in our hearts, obey God's word, and live according to God's will, but despite this, we see ourselves falling into Satan's delusion and committing sins because of evil thoughts? 

In today's text, Romans 7:24, we can see that apostle Paul shares this confession in a letter to the saints in Rome in his inner struggle: “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?”  Why does Paul describe himself as a wretched man, that is, a miserable man?  The reason is because of his “body of death” (v. 24).  What is this “body of death”?  This is “the body of sin” (6:6) and also refers to the “mortal body” (v. 12).  This body of sin or mortal body is the body of the “old self” (v. 6), which follows its evil desires (v. 12) and “the sinful nature” (7:5).  And there is a law that this body of the old self obeys, and that law is “the law of sin” (v. 23).  This law of sin was causing Paul to commit unwanted sins (vv. 15, 16, 19, 20), so Paul is saying, “What a wretched man I am!” (v. 24)  Now he laments in distress as he sees himself fighting the law of sin to which the body of the old self obeys, and the law of God (v. 22), in which the new man in Jesus rejoices and obeys the inner man.  Having already been justified through faith in Jesus, he became a new man, and his inner man delighted in the law of God (v. 22).  But another sinful law within his members kept making him commit unwanted sins.  Because of this, Paul suffered.  In his heart, Paul wants to obey God's law and do good (vv. 19, 21), but in his flesh, which is the body of sin, he does not do the good he wants, but does the evil he does not want (v. 19).  Looking at himself, he laments, “What a wretched man I am!” (v. 24).

Isn't this the lamentation of you and me?  When we look at ourselves, like Paul, we want to do good by obeying God's law in our hearts.  But as we see ourselves repeatedly committing unwanted sins, how many time are we disappointed and agonized over ourselves in distress.  However, this battle with ourselves continues to this day.  Even now, the law of God and the law of sin are fighting each other within us (v. 23).  These two laws continue to clash within us even now.  To give an example, what we want with our hearts after we believe in Jesus is to obey God's law, "Do not be covetous."  And in our hearts (our inner man) we want to be satisfied (sufficient) only with Jesus (Phil. 4:11).  However, unlike our hearts, our bodies keep shouting to our minds and hearts, ‘Be covetous, do not be satisfied with Jesus alone, pursue Jesus + Alpha.’  So sometimes, like the psalmist Asaph, we are envious (jealous) when we see the prosperity of the wicked (Ps. 73).  Why are those wicked people healthy without pain and hardship (vv. 4-5), eating well and living well (v. 7)?  However, while thinking to ourselves, ‘Why do I have to live in poverty and suffering like this?’  There are times when we feel that covetousness and greed arise within us as we see the wicked always peacefully adding to their wealth (v. 12).  Even so, we know.  Like Asaph, when we cannot resist the temptation of covetousness even though we know that we should not bear the sinful fruit of covetousness and commit a sin, there are times when we see ourselves committing a sin against God as this covetousness eventually grows (Jam. 1:15).  At that time, we often suffer from remorse of conscience.  Even so, we are thankful that when God loves us and punishes us with the discipline of love, we repent and turn around to ask God for forgiveness because of receiving that discipline.  Then, like Asaph, God's blessing is to confess, “I have no one but you in heaven, and on earth I have no one to desire but you” (v. 25), realizing that there is only the true Jesus.

In the midst of these internal or spiritual battles, Paul concludes in Romans 7:17 and 20: “As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me” (v. 17), “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” (v. 20).  Paul says that doing unwanted evil in the midst of his inner struggle is not him, but the sin that dwells in him.  Of course, this should not be used as an excuse for us to sin in violation of God's law.  Because we are responsible.  One of those responsibilities is described in 2 Corinthians 7:1 – “Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”  It is our responsibility to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit by perfecting holiness in the fear of God according to the word of God.  We can't say that the sin that dwells in us after committing a sin is that we have committed such a sin, while not fulfilling this responsibility.  However, the clear fact is that the sinful nature inherent in us, who have already become new people by believing in Jesus like Paul, is making us commit unwanted sins.  In the Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 13, Article 2, “On Sanctification,” says: “This sanctification is throughout in the whole man, yet imperfect in this life; there abideth still some remnants of corruption in every part: whence ariseth a continual and irreconcilable war; the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.”  In a word, even those who are born again commit sins (Park).  So, when Paul saw himself doing evil (v. 19) that he did not want to do and hated (v. 15) because of the sin that dwelled in him, he lamented, “What a wretched man I am!”  Indeed, what can we who are afflicted like Paul do?  It is only to look to Jesus Christ, the Savior.  We see Paul saying, “What a wretched man I am!  Who will rescue me from the body of this death?” in verse 24 and in verse 25 “Thanks to be God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”  How could the apostle Paul give thanks to God after lamenting, “What a wretched man I am!” in the midst of discouragement, frustration, and sorrow?  It is because of Jesus Christ, the Savior who rescued him and saved from the body of death.  Paul was able to give thanks to God through Jesus who died on the cross in order to destroy the body of death and the body of sin so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin (6:6).  Although when we see our own weakness, wanting to obey God's law in our hearts, but committing sin against God in our flesh by following the law of sin, in discouragement, frustration, and despair, say, "What a wretched man I am!“ and have no choice but to lament, we have no choice but to give thanks to God when we look at Jesus, who shed His blood on the cross to destroy our sinful body and rose from the dead to justify us, we have the assurance of salvation and a joyful eternal hope. 

What is that joyous eternal hope?  That is the glory of God (5:2). The glory of God that we hope for is the day when Jesus returns (1 Cor. 15:51), so that we are no longer dishonor (v. 43), in weakness (v. 43), but are imperishable with immorality (v. 54) and our lowly bodies will be like His glorious body (Phil. 3:21).  We will participate in “the divine nature” (2 Pet. 1:4).  You and I will fully participate in the character of Jesus.  God the Holy Spirit, who already dwells in us, is sanctifying us so that we who are justified may participate in the character of Jesus.  Although we are not perfect now, on the day of Jesus' return, we will fully participate in the character of the Lord.  We have no choice but to give thanks to God because God has given this sure and joyful hope to us who are justified through Jesus Christ.  Hopefully, in the midst of these grateful hearts, let us all fight the spiritual warfare faithfully and well.  Since we delight more and more in the law of God in our hearts, let us strive to do good by obeying it.  And let's defeat the law of sin with the law of God.  Let’s overcome evil with good.  Although the sinful nature within us delights in the law of sin and tries to make us do the evil we hate and do not want to do, I hope and pray that we may enjoy the law of God that we desire in our hearts and overcome evil with good by doing good.