When we are dragged to Christ and we learn the Truth, then as Paul states it in our "inner being I delight in God's law" (Rom 7:22). But there is still a mighty struggle going on in our carnal "members."
Rom 6:20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
Rom 7:23 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.
v. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
This struggle that we have with the carnal flesh will continue all the days of our life while we are still in the flesh. We must be deliverered/rescued from this "body of death."
Rom 7:25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
What I believe Paul is explaining here, that 'before' we received grace through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we "
were servants to sin." With the Holy spirit indwelling we still "fight the good fight" (1Tim 6:12), but we are overcomers and sin will not reign in us any longer.
Rom 6:8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
v. 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.
v. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
v. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
v. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
v. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God
v. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
Rom 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
Here is an email that speaks on this also.
http://bible-truths.com/email11.htm --------------------
In one of your emails you said that God expects us sin, which means he's not disappointed or angry with us?
The question here is: Everytime I sin, I ask forgiveness and repent. I feel that it's not working (repenting, asking forgiveness, etc). Am I doing something wrong?
[Ray Replies]
Dear Jeff:
Unfortunately, there is not a magic bullet that will instantly clean us of all sin and bad habits. Even the physical analogies of this spiritual washing, purging, and cleaning of our carnality, indicate that time is required. It takes time to wash clothing, it takes time to purify gold and silver in a furnace, etc.
The penalty of sin issue can be settled in your heart and mind the instant you come to realize that Jesus PAID IN FULL the penalty for your sins and all the sin of the world. However, paying the penalty for sin does not instantly PURGE AND WASH US CLEAN OF SIN. The penalty is paid, but the condition lingers.
The more you SEE your sins and shortcomings, the more you will DESIRE to rid yourself of these things. We are crucified WITH CHRIST, yet we live, but the life we live is one of OVERCOMING THE SINS FOR WHICH WE AND CHRIST DIED FOR.
We have been HAND-PICKED by God to be in His kingdom. Now we must go through the training course that He has set before us. Jesus said that He overcame THE WORLD. We too are to overcome THE WORLD. It's a HUGE task, that requires the power of SPIRIT to accomplish.
Don't become discouraged in well-doing. You will triumph in Christ if you have His spirit working in you. God will even give you the DESIRE to want to do right and be right.
This life is a life of SPIRITUAL WARFARE. There will be many battles before the final victory. So we must endure and we must overcome. For those whom God has chosen, this will be accomplished!
God be with you,
Ray