“What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Rom. 7:24-25 NIV)
We’re all born with a propensity to sin
Many years ago, when I was young and new in ministry, and as I still do today, I always stated boldly in my talks that everyone is born with a sin nature (Rom. 3:23) and must be redeemed by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in order to be saved from hell and be transformed into a brand new creation (John 3:1-22). One day, after delivering my message, I was approached by a very angry pastor who took great exception to my message. He said, “You will never convince me that a brand-new little baby is born sinful!” My first thought when I heard him say that was, “Have you ever brought a new baby to your home? We have snd let me tell you, from the very moment they entered our home, they took over! And they cried every time they didn’t get what they wanted. They were totally self-centered and demanded their own way!” But I didn’t argue with him because he was completely convinced that he was right, no matter what the Bible said from cover to cover. By the way, I heard a story about a preacher who tried a little experiment to prove the sin nature in children. His wife ran a daycare, and she had a large backyard set up for about 15 children. One day, while the children were out in the backyard, he opened the back door and got all their attention. He said, “Children, don’t any of you spit on this yellow flower!” He pointed at a daffodil in a flowerpot next to the back door. Then he went back into the house, shut the door, and secretly watched them from an upper window. The children came over as a group and looked at the flower, which they hadn’t even noticed before, then went back to play. But over the next few minutes, one by one, they went over and spit on the flower. That’s because they had been told not to. It only made them want to do it! And that’s how sin works! Remember the story of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden? It’s exactly the same with all humans, today!
Everybody deals with temptation and sin!
Jesus was tempted three times in the desert, yet He did not sin! (Heb. 4:15-16)
Peter sinned three times even though he boldly swore to Jesus he would not. (John 18:25-27)
The Apostle Paul struggled with sin, and he wrote about its powerful pull on human beings and what to do about it (see below).
“For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Rom. 7:14-24 ESV)
Yes, the Apostle Paul struggled with sin, but in the next verse, right after all he said above, he gives the answer:
“What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Rom. 7:24-25 NIV)
Therefore
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” (Rom. 8:1)
“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Cor. 10:13)
“For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” (Rom. 6:14)
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)