Romans 8:9-11 - Spirit in You

9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

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God's Spirit Dwells in You... You Are Not Alone in the Spiritual Battle

The message that Paul delivers in verses 9-38 of chapter 8 is a crescendo, that starts with a series of premises about the Spirit of God being in you since you are believers (vss. 8:9-13). Because these premises are true, you as a believer in Jesus Christ, have the Holy Spirit. Having the Holy Spirit means you are God’s child - adopted, but a child of his nevertheless - and an heir to all He possesses. (vss. 8:14-17)

Glory awaits us, and all of creation is eagerly awaiting the ultimate end when we are in glory with Jesus and the Father. (vss. 8:18-24) 

The Spirit of God helps us; intercedes for us; He knows us. We are known, called, justified, and glorified in Jesus. (vss. 8:26-30) 

 The big finish! God held nothing back in order to save us, therefore nothing and no one can stand between us and God. We are winners in Christ. This is not a limping stagger to the finish line. This is like Secretariat in the Belmont! Only bigger and better, because it is His victory! (vss. 8:31-38)

 I was going to say that if you don’t get tears in your eyes when you read these verses, you really aren’t into it. I can say that, because I for years have read these verses fairly dispassionately, thinking, “Those are nice.” But as I have read, studied, and thought about this letter I have come to realize that the lack of victory in my life is not God's doing. It is mine alone. I have not allowed Him to work in me to maturity, to peace. I keep steppping in to take over. For some reason, I think I can run my life better that can God. (That is only partly facitious. I may not think or believe that premise, yet I live and act as if I do.)  

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V. 9 - “You are not in the flesh” - Paul has used most of the previous seven chapters, logically, reasonably making the case that trying to meet God’s justice by our actions has failed us. All the things we do in the flesh come to nought. Sin is a spiritual problem, not a physical problem. Our physical behavior is a manifestation of our broken, failed, sinful nature. The flesh kills, the Spirit gives life. (See: John 6:63; 2 Cor. 3:6; Gal. 6:8; Rev. 22:17)

“If indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.” - I do not think Paul is doubting the Christians in Rome have God’s Spirit in them. 

The premise is this: if you have Christ (you have believed in Him) you have the Spirit of God within you. Christ promised this. (See: John 14:16, 23, 26; John 15:26; John 16:7; Acts 2:38; Rom. 8:2).

This is the truth Paul wants us to know. "

"If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ” - If you belong to Jesus Christ you have the Holy Spirit in you. If you do not have the Holy Spirit you do not belong to Christ. Note there is both an affirmation and a denial.

The affirmation: You believe in Christ; you are His possession; He is Your Savior; He is in you; you are in Him. Because those are true, you have the Holy Spirit living in you.

The denial: If you choose not to believe in Christ you do not have the Holy Spirit; you do not have Jesus in you; you are not in Jesus; Jesus is not your Savior.

Both are true, but only one of these applies to you. Your choice: your decision. 

V. 10 - “If Christ is in you... the spirit is alive” - This physical body will not be in heaven when you see Jesus and the Father face to face. This body is bound for destruction, the price of sin, the legacy of Adam. We believers receive new perfect sinless bodies, the reward of faith, the gift of Jesus.

We are born again, and our spirit is reborn to eternal life. 

V. 11 - “The Spirit of Him...” - God, Himself. “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:24)

“Who raised Jesus from the dead” - God. Only God can do this. Jesus, through the power of God and the Holy Spirit raised Lazarus (John 11:1-45); Jairus’ daughter (Matt. 9:18, 19, 23-26); and the widow’s son (Luke 7:11-16).

“Dwells in you” - The Spirit of God dwells in you! Jesus told us, that if we love Him, He and the Father will come to us and make a home in us. (See: John 14:23, and 21). That is the idea behind the word “abode” (vs. 23) - i.e., a dwelling, a mansion, a home. This is not a temporary stay, “Motel 6” for God, not even a Hyatt Regency, but a home, where you put down roots and get comfortable.

“Will give life to your mortal bodies” - This is a promise of resurrection for the believers. The Holy Spirit is the ‘down payment’ of the promise. The Holy Spirit is the guarantee that we are Christ’s own possession. We are His, because He paid the price on the cross and in the tomb. Our physical bodies must die because of sin. We will be raised to life by the Lord, just as He raised Jesus Christ. Our resurrected bodies will be immortal. We will be just like Him. See: “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” (1 John 3:2-3)

“through His Spirit who dwells in you” - This is a vital, important point. The Holy Spirit lives in you (dwells in you). God lives in you. Christ Jesus lives in you. The phrase, “dwells in you” is used twice in this verse, repeated to emphasize the point. “Christ in you, the hope of glory”. (Col. 1:27)

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Romans 8:5-8 - Flesh is Death

5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,
7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,
8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

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Set Your Mind on the Spirit

V. 5 - “those who are according to the flesh” - This verse could be paraphrased “We go where our mind is...” Whether it is golf or pornography, smart phone apps or Instagram, money or fame - when we are addicted to these worldly things, our waking thoughts are drawn there. Addiction to drugs or alcohol is a physical manifestation of the life your mind is living. (See: Prov. 23:7) The Proverbs talk about negative side of following where your heart leads. (See: Prov. 6:14, 18; 12:20; 27:19)

“those who are according to the Spirit” - The Proverbs also teach about the positive side of following where your heart leads, especially if your heart is focused on the Lord. (See: Prov. 2:2; 4:4, 23; 16:1). In Colossians we read, “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Col. 3:1-3)

Peter also gives us encouragement, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY." (1 Pet. 1:14-16)

Living for Christ is a commitment, just as accepting Him as Lord and Savior is a commitment. We do not just “go with the flow”. The worldly nature and flesh are in opposition to the Holy Spirit. Seldom, if ever, will our worldly nature guide us into doing Jesus’ will. We will wail, “Why can’t I do what I know is right?”, just as Paul did in chapter seven. Turn to Jesus, ask Him for the power to do His will, for the strength of character to will to do right, not just be willing to do so.

V. 6 - “mind set on the flesh is death” - The mind set on the flesh does not believe in God. That mind may believe that God is, but does not believe that He will be the final judge. The person that rejects God will receive the penalty - death. "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (John 3:36)

“Mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.” - Jesus promised, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage.” (John 14:27) Jesus also said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)

V. 7 - “hostile toward God” - We (humans in general) like to think we can be neutral towards God. We like to think in shades of grey, and not in stark black-and-white. Nuances give us ‘wiggle room’. We like to think that having an agnostic belief is not the same as an atheistic belief. However, sin is active rebellion or passive indifference - the result is the same: rejecting the claims of God and going our own way. Paul wrote we were “alienated and hostile in mind” (Col. 1:21). Peter tells us while although we were ignorant we were ‘engaged in lusts’ (1 Pet. 1:14).

V. 8 - “cannot please God” - The only way we can please God is to be in Jesus, and Jesus to be in us. The way, the truth and the life are in Jesus and Jesus alone. (John 14:6). “Pleasing God” is not doing things - it is believing in Him who was sent to save us.

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Romans 8:1-4 - Free from Death

Chapter eight is an elegiac song about the glory of being Christ’s own. In verses 1-8, Paul expands on the statement in the last half of verse 7:25. The first half of 7:25 answers the question, “Who can save me from this death?” (Rom. 7:24) The second half of 7:25 Paul tells of the two natures that are at war within us - the sinful fleshly nature and the new spiritual nature. Verses 1-8 of chapter eight shows us that the flesh (our old nature) is the way of death. The new nature, that of the Spirit of God is life.

***CHAPTER 8 - Outline
8:1-4 - Free from Death
8:5-8 - Flesh is Death
8:9-11 - Spirit in You
8:12-17 - Spirit Testifies
8:18-25 - Creation Longs for Freedom
8:26-30 - God’s Plans

8:31-39 - Who Can Stop Us?

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1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,
4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

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V. 1 - “Therefore” - Because of Christ Jesus our Lord, and what He has done for us...

“no condemnation” - Remember, “The man who sins will surely die.” (Ezek. 3:18), and “The soul who sins will die,” (Ezek. 18:4). But, God does not want people to die in their sin, “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies” (Ezek. 18:32), and “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather the wicked turn form his way and live.” (Ezek. 33:11)

This is not our lot - to die in our sin - because Jesus came to seek and save the lost. (See: Luke 19:10) See also: Mark 16:16; Luk. 8:12; Acts 15:11, 16:31.

V. 2 - “Christ Jesus has set you free” - The scenario is: Spirit of Life versus sin and death. Jesus came to save the lost (Luk 19:10). When you believe in Christ (i.e., place your life in His hands) you have new life (See: Jn 20:31; 1 Tim 1:16; 1 Jn 5:13). It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we come to eternal life (See: Jn 6:63; Rom 7:6, 8:6, 10; 1 Cor 15:45; 2 Cor 3:6).

V. 3 - “What the Law could not do” - What was the Law unable to do for us? It could not save us from sin, it could only alert us that we sin. (See: 2 Cor 3:6, 7; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:15, 16; Col 3:13, 14; 2 Tim 1:9)

“God did” - God took away the condemnation, the penalty of death through Christ Jesus. (See: Col. 2:13, 14) We have been reconciled to the Lord in Christ Jesus. (See: Col. 1:20; Eph. 2:16)

"as an offering for sin" - Sin offering was first addressed during the escape from Egypt. (See: Lev. 4:1-6:30) Jesus said the Last Supper, "for this is My blood of the covenant, which is being poured out for many for forgiveness of sins." (Mat. 26:28) During the ceremony, blood was sprinkled on the altar by the priest - seven times 'before the Lord', (See: Lev. 4:6, 17) or the priest was to touch his finger in the blood and touch the horns of the altar and pour the rest at the base of the altar. (See: Lev. 4:25, 30).

“He condemned sin in the flesh” - Christ, being the perfect sacrifice in order to meet God’s justice requirements, died on the cross. It was a public execution, just as was the bull or goat sacrificed on the altar in the Tabernacle. All the sin of the world was placed on Jesus while on the cross. The price has been paid. 

Another aspect of this statement: What Jesus did was not just spiritual, i.e., God acting from on high, thereby delaring us free from sin, even though we did not see Him do anything. Instead, God in Jesus Christ came to earth, being born of Mary. He lived and died on earth, in a physical human body, with all it's limitations. This is a big deal. There are instances in the Bible where divine beings spent time on earth, but none came to live permanently as a human being. Jesus came and lived 'in the flesh'. He was sacrificed in our place, physically - 'in the flesh'. Just the sacrificial lambs, goats, bulls, etc., physically died, so Jesus died. This was not an imaginary death. This was not the death of an animal that we can by faith believe carries away our sin. Jesus' death and resurrection actually, physically happened - 'in the flesh'. There is no doubt he died. There is no doubt he rose from the dead. All the sin of the world, of mankind from the beginning of time to now (whenever the end of now might be) were placed on Him. He took the condemnation on himself, that we might be free. No more shame. No more fear. No more death. Sin has been banished because He came 'in the flesh'.

His resurrection showed that death is not permanent for Him. He lives! The condemnation of sin was culminated in His sacrifice. He died in the flesh, and was made alive in the Spirit. (See: 1 Pet. 3:18)

V. 4 - “So that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled” - The ‘so that’ makes us look back to verse 3. The Law could not be fulfilled (completed) unless a sacrifice sufficient for God was made. As follows: 

• God sent His Son to live as an actual human (vs. 8:3a).
• God sent His Son to be the necessary sacrifice (vs. 8:3b). 
• The Son’s sacrifice paid the full price for the world’s sin (vs. 8:3c, 4). 
• No further payment is necessary, the Law is fulfilled (vs. 8:4a). 
• Our response is by faith and the Holy Spirit, and not by obedience to the Law (vs. 8:4b).

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Rom. 7:19-25 - War! Flesh vs. Mind

19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.
20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.
21 I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.
22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man,
23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.
24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?
25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

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- - - Who Will Set Me Free? - - -

V. 19 - "For the good that I want" - Same song. Second verse. I see the good way, but I do not walk in it. See verse 15, above.

V. 20-21 - "I am no longer the one doing it" - This is a reprise of verse 17, above. The sin within me is the driving force in my life and behavior.
Verses 20 and 21 are an “If-Then” statement: IF I know better, but I sin anyway, THEN there must be a power that is controlling me, driving me away from I know is best. Paul labels this power as the principle that evil (sin) is within and not external.

V. 22 - “Joyfully concur with the law of God” - Paul is not grudgingly admitting God is right. Is this amazing or what? Who can “joyfully” admit they are a sinner and have no control over the sin? Who admits they are totally lost? Usually we are forced to cry, “Uncle!”. We can be free from the power and penalty of sin, but not through the Law. What is the answer? Jesus Christ our Lord! See verse 25 below!

V. 23 - “waging war against the law of my mind” - My mind says this is the right way to live, but I fail to live that way. My body, my actions are in opposition to what my mind says. The law of sin is more powerful than the power of my mind. I am under that awful power, therefore am a slave to the power of sin. My old nature is too powerful to successfully oppose.

V. 24 - “Wretched man that I am.” - I am a slave! Who will set me free? Paul is emphasizing that it is beyond our human powers to break free from sin and its penalty. Your sin nature owns you. Is there no hope for me? 

V. 25 - “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” - The answer: Jesus Christ our Lord! God sent Jesus to save us from sin. He came to break the chains of slavery to sin.

“on the one hand... but on the other” - This is the dilemma, the paradox of our faith. The two natures are constantly warring within us. The old nature (fleshly, worldly nature, the sin nature) wars against the new life given to us by God. The big difference is now we have the Holy Spirit within us. We have Jesus to empower us to live for Him rather than for sin.

This will be more fully developed in Romans, chapter 8.
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end of Chapter

Rom. 7:15-18 - We Have This Dilemma

15 For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.
16 But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good.
17 So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.
18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.

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- - - It's My Fault! - - -

Verses 15-25 seemingly are a scream of frustration - almost like raw emotion thrown into a sea of reasoned logic. Paul has reasoned us through the following:

God has revealed Himself; we have rejected Him. The Jews have had all the advantages; but they, too, have rejected His message. Abraham’s faith, not His works earned approbation; he is our example. The Law is Holy and Righteous. The Law cannot save us, but it can show us where we fall short.

Can we see or feel the frustration? The Law is Holy and Righteous, but it does not, cannot, save us. If a Holy and Righteous Law is useless, what hope have we?

This section drives home with emotion what logic might not do. We cry, “The Law has no power to save us! There is no hope! We are dead! What are we to do?”

Praise the Lord! We are not left hanging there.

V. 15 - “for I am not practicing what I would like to do” - The human condition. God has told us what He expects. We have the knowledge. We seem to lack is the ability to act correctly on that information. So, we stand back, baffled. “Why? Why can’t I do what’s right?”

V. 16 - “I agree with the Law” - I do what is sin. I know it is sin because the Law warned me. I know I shouldn’t do it, so I am forced to admit the Law is right, the Law is good and righteous. Before the Law operated in my life, I was doing the same things I do now, but was woefully ignorant and it didn’t bother me too much. Now, I am no longer ignorant. It makes little difference in my behavior. Now, I am wracked with guilt and shame because I know what I do is sin.

V. 17 - “sin which dwells in me” - It is clear that sin’s power over me is greater than the Law’s ability to warn me away. The Law, though spiritual, has no spiritual power to deliver me from sin.
The Law is a traffic cop. “Sir, do you know how fast you were traveling?”
“Uh. About 70.” (My answer, if I am to be truthful, which I might as well do so since he has caught me on radar.)
“Do you know the speed limit here is 55 mph?”
“Uh. Yes.”
“I’m going to have to write you a ticket for speeding.”

It is not the policeman's fault I was driving over the limit. It is not the law's fault I was over the limit. It is mine alone.

V. 18 - “nothing good dwells in me” - The problem is not external. It is not the holy and righteous law handed down by God, it is my sin nature within me.

“the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. “ - it is the ‘willing’ not the ‘will’ to do the righteous thing. The willing is more a want than driving force. I kinda want to do what is right, but not enough to make a commitment to do. I think in the second “Star Wars” movie (Episode 5) where Luke Skywalker is in training. He is chided for failing a task, and he whines, “I’m trying.” The master Jedi, Yoda, tells him, “There is no try! There is only Do, or Not Do!”
That is our cry, our lament. “We wanta do what’s right. We just cant do it.” Our old nature does not have the power to do it, any more than the Law can empower us.

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Rom. 7:13-14 - Law Does not cause Death

13 Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful.
14 For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.

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- - - The Law is Spiritual - - -

V. 13 - “did that which is good become a cause of death” - The Law does not keep us from sinning. The warning is not the cause of spiritual death. You are the cause of your own spiritual death.

“through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful” - The Law shows us the price (cost) of sin is death. This is a good thing. Why? Knowing the facts can bring into focus what is important.
Sin causes death. We are fully warned that our death is caused by our sin. Whether we know sin is the cause of our death or not matters little - the result is the same. Without the Law, our only excuse (which is an extremely lame excuse) is that we were not paying attention. We ignored God’s glory. The commandment becomes like a slap up along the side of our head.

So what was always sin is now utterly sin because Now You Know. There is no ‘maybe’ or ‘might be’ or ‘could be’ - there is now no excuse. When you play golf and hit your ball into a penalty area, the rule says that if any part of the ball touches the penalty area line it is considered to be in the penalty area. There is no room for argument whether the ball is half-in, or partially-in. If it touches the line, it is the same as being totally over the line. That is what God is saying here. There is no ‘almost a sin’ or ‘just a little sin’, it is wholly and utterly sin.

V. 14 - “the Law is spiritual” - Secular government laws are written by men for men (for the ‘politically correct ‘- for people by people). The Law was given to us by a Holy and Righteous God. “God is a spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (See: John 4:23-24).

“I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin” - What a contrast! The Law is spiritual. I am not. Sometimes Christians tend to ‘discount’ the Law, since we know salvation is not by works but by faith. By extension, works and the Law are not spiritual. This line of reasoning shows our misunderstanding. 

The problem is not the Law. The problem is we inherited sin nature from Adam’s sin - his rejection of God’s command. We are forever under that sin because we cannot offer the perfect sacrifice. The cost to redeem us is beyond, far beyond, our ability to pay. Until that price is paid, we are enslaved to sin, to the penalty, to death. (See: Rom. 6:16, 17, 20; Jam. 1:12-15)

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Rom. 7:7-12 - Law Reveals our Sin

7 What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, "YOU SHALL NOT COVET."
8 But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead.
9 I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died;
10 and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me;
11 for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.
12 So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

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- - - Is the Law Sin? - - -

V. 7:7 - “Is the Law sin? May it never be!” - A fair question. If the Law points out sin, does that make it sinful? When our criminal law forbids us to rob banks. Is the forbidding or is the robbing wrong? Of course the Law, or our laws are not the sin or source of sin. Plus, the Ten Commandments and Torah were handed down by a Holy and righteous God.

“I would not have come to know sin” - The Law is there so we will not be ignorant! To be clear, adultery or covetousness are sins whether we know it or not. How do we repent if we don’t realize the sin of our actions? But when revealed, there is now no excuse. Before the Law exposes the sin, we may have unsettling and unfocused feelings about certain activities - but we don’t know for sure.

V. 7:8 - “produced in me coveting of every kind” - So, he had no idea, then he is told coveting is a sin. Suddenly, he realizes we wants all kinds of things, especially when others have them.

“Apart from the Law sin is dead” - Is this saying sin does not exist outside the Law? In other words, if you can remain ignorant of the Law, you can get away with almost anything. I’m pretty sure that is NOT what this verse says. For example: If someone tells you that the newer model VW Bugs have a small flower vase on the dash. You will begin to see VWs with plastic flowers on the dash, and think, “I never noticed that before.” They’ve been there for years, you just weren’t aware of them.
In a similar way, sin has always been there, but without the Law identifying the sin, you might not know the sin. You would not know that sin leads to death.

V. 7:9 - “when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died” - The reality of the wages of sin became known. Once you know and understand that sin and death are inextricably joined, you know the ultimate fate - death. A movie from a few years ago was titled, “Dead Man Walking”, about death row inmates. This is an apt title for the person who has just realized sin and its consequences.

V. 7:10 - “this commandment... proved to result in death“ - The Law was given to show the Israelites how to live for God - things to do, and things to not do. The downside of the Law there is no excuse - we now know we need salvation.

The New Living Translation reads thusly: “At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, and I died. So I discovered that the law's commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead.” (Rom. 7:9-10)

The key concept here is “spiritual death” - eternal separation from God. Physical death is ahead for us all - one of the consequences of the original sin. Spiritual death is also a result of sin, but is inevitable only for those who reject the gift of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. This consequence is far more serious than physical death.

V. 7:11 - “Sin... Deceived... Killed” - The deception of sin leads us into eternal separation from God. We are deceived in a couple of ways.
We believe we are in control of our lives and our future. Our sin nature tell us since we are the ultimate end of the evolutionary process, we are the ultimate decider of right, wrong, the direction of our lives. The problem: this ignores that God is in charge.

We want to believe that if we do more good than bad the ‘scales of justice’ will be in our favor. We like to think our lives are graded on the basis of a ‘curve’. The problem with this line of thinking: it ignores that God is perfect, and the ‘grade’ is more like a plumb line. (A plumb line shows what is perfectly vertical.) Either we are perfect, or we are lost, deceived, and dead. It is impossible for our natural self to be perfect in our own power.

We want to believe if we tell ourselves every thing will be fine, it will be. “If it is so natural, how can it be wrong?” The problem: sin has warped our view and understanding of what is good and right. What we see as good and right, God sees as sin against Him.

V. 7:12 - “So then, the Law is Holy” - Is this a big jump - going from the Law identifying sin, to the Law is Holy? The Law says, “Do not covet.” Coveting is the sin. The Law warning us avoid sin is not sinful. If a sign on the freeway warns you that sharp curves are ahead and your speed should be less than 60 mph, it is not the sign’s fault if you are going 75 mph and careen off the road into the canyon.
It is good for the Law to warn you about sin. It is good for you to know what to avoid. You can either ‘blunder’ into sin by being ignorant of sin, or you can go forward, head up, knowing you are sinning. Sinning on purpose means you are rejecting God’s warning. God is holy, righteous, and good, and you must bear the consequences of your decisions.

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