Blessed Hope Bible-Presbyterian Church
500 Upper Bukit Timah Rd, Singapore 678106
The Apostle Paul praises God for giving him His Word and is resolved to all the law of God to guide his life. He loves God’s Word because it brings to his life God’s blessing. He rejoices in embracing God’s Word. What about you? How much is God’s Word an integral part of your life? In psalm 119, the psalmist speaks of the blessedness of embracing God’s Word. It benefits him.
The Apostle Paul sees in his heart both the propensity for good and for evil. He has to actively choose to do good whilst he sees an evil tendency seeking to pull him down. He sought the Lord to help him do good and finds in the Lord a present help. James Smith echos the Christian’s victory over sin as he waits upon God, “What a mercy that evil does not reign in you, and over you. It did reign once, and would reign but for free and sovereign grace.”
The Apostle Paul describes the war within him that is waged between the Spirit and the flesh. It is a very real battle. He saw the rottenness of the flesh. It is corrupt and evil. He calls this the sin that dwells in him. He saw also the Spirit prompting him not yield to sin. He could differentiate well between good and evil and he realizes the pull toward evil is such a contending force within him. This acknowledgment leads him to endeavour by prayer and supplication to keep close to God and not yield to sin.
The Apostle Paul identified the source of mischief in the believer’s life as the sin that is within him which he identified as his “flesh”. It entices him to sin. And he speaks of a conflict within him, a tug of war between the flesh and the new nature within him. The new nature was formed in him when he received Jesus Christ into his life. The Holy Spirit now indwells him. The flesh does not speak of his body. His body is not evil. In fact, the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit of God.
The Apostle Paul acknowledges that the law is indeed good because it warned him against yielding to temptation and sin against God. As the psalmist testified, “Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellers.” (Psalm 119:24) The word of God is valuable to him because it helps him to navigate and keep clear of the landmines of life.
He understood that if he sinned, he is culpable. He is without excuse. The Holy Spirit by the Word brings conviction to his heart giving it no rest until it surrenders. He has an awakened conscience, sensitive to sin. This heightened spiritual awareness is the mark of spiritual maturity.
The Apostle Paul testified that he hates sin. He tells us there is a spiritual vigilance within him to keep pure. This is intense in that he understood the ravages and deceitfulness of sin. He would not want sin to overcome and overwhelm him. In fact, he would not allow the taint of any sin to take control of his life.
The Apostle Paul gives a truthful testimony in his self-evaluation the fact that he realizes his propensity to sin! He openly declares the conflict that he experiences as a believer. He is not speaking these words as a discouragement to believers rather an encouragement for believers to trust God’s grace to live holy lives.
The Apostle Paul described himself as “carnal”. It means “fleshly”, with the tendency to satisfy the flesh, implying sinfulness, sinful propensity. The “sold under sin” means figuratively, of becoming enslaved to sin, personified as a master who gains control. The Apostle Paul shows us that a born-again believer can struggle against the dominion of sin in his or her life in his own strength.
The Apostle Paul declared that the law of God is holy, just and good. He explained that the indictment of the law against the sinner for transgressing it, should by no means diminish the highest regard accorded to it. The law of God showed to man his sinfulness. He ought to be grateful that God did not left him without knowledge of his fallen estate but revealed the law to show his sinfulness so that redress can be made!
The Giver of the law is the thrice holy God. Therefore, it is clear that the law given by a holy God, cannot be tainted with sin. It fact, the Apostle Paul tells us, God’s law is holy, just and good. It is void of the filth of sin. It is right and fair. It is good, a blessing to all who obey and live by it.
The Apostle Paul has been making it clear that man’s sad plight of falling into sin is due to his sinful nature. The law of God showed him his sinfulness. It arouses in him the understanding of the uncontrollable working of sin in his life. It is made him feel miserable by the knowledge his propensity and inclination to sin without recourse.