I’m not saying that believers have no sin, but that our identity is not bound up with sin. Paul recognized that he “kept on doing evil” even though he wanted to do good, but then he makes an amazing statement. “It is no longer I who do it!” Wow! Well, who does it then, Paul? Answer: “sin living in me.”
And this is the condition of all believers. We all still have “sin living in us.” It is called the flesh, that part of us that is yet unredeemed.
And yet it is crucial to separate our true selves from our sin. Our true identity is as one who is redeemed by Christ, one who is a partaker in God’s nature, one who loves and lives for righteousness. That is who we are; that is our identity. When Paul sinned, he said, “It is no longer I who do it.”
However, it is possible to take this thought too far. When getting a speeding ticket, it wouldn't work to tell the judge, "It wasn't I who did it." That's an abuse of this truth. Likewise, if we sin, we should confess the sin to God. To "confess" means to speak the same thing; we must side with God and His truth and confess our sin, acknowledge that we have sinned and ask forgiveness with genuine sorrow and brokenness by God's grace. In this way, we side with God and turn away from our sins.
The right use of Romans 7:17-18 is to acknowledge that when we stumble and fall, which always leads to confusion and slavery, it is not our "new man," our true nature, but rather our flesh, which is weak and faltering. We should never connect ourselves with our sin; instead, we must find our identity in Christ.
As I said in yesterday's lesson, the world teaches us the opposite of God's Word. They teach us to find our identity in our temptation and sin, which keeps us in bondage to sin since we believe that is who we are.
Friend, get used to saying when you stumble, “That’s not who I am! It is sin living in me.” Keep your identity clear! You are one who loves holiness and righteousness, who loves what is good and right and true. But your new self has flesh, which is unredeemed, and that can trip you up.
Question 5. Why do you think it is important to not find our identity in sin? Share your thoughts:
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Let’s notice Paul’s conclusion to this whole matter:
“So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Romans 7:21-25 (NIV)
Question 6. What is the solution to this “waging war within”?