The Sin Issue

18For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.19For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 21I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
Romans 7: 18 - 24 NKJV

I'm dwelling into something that mnay christians don't enjoy dealing with.  Not only that, but something I myself have struggled in explaining.  It is the white elephant in the room for many a christian.  It is blessed by His forgiveness yet secretly harbored within many of us, or so we all too often feel anyway.  So, what is this part of our former nature that we all too often carry with us still?  Well, the apostle Paul recognized what it was.  Indeed, he was struck that despite knowing the grace and love of Christ that he still found himself in the grips of bad behaviors at times.  Tell me, how many christians out there still struggle with the sin issue?  I know that my readers cannot see it, but I just raised my hand in agreement.  So, since Paul seemed to recognize that within him raged a battle between good and wickedness does that mean that Jesus somehow missed the forgiveness of sin in His sacrafice on the cross?  Excuse me, but does that sound like something Jesus would do?  So is that sin issue really an issue at all?  Believe me, I've struggled often in my attempt to comprehend it.  I finally came to grips that Christ would never have left the door open for more sin in us.  No, for the death of Christ on the cross was accomplished that the "body of sin" might be done away with {Romans 6:6}.  Not only that, the death died on the cross He died to sin ONCE FOR ALL {Romans 6:10}.  This was no sin debt down payment.  Jesus became sin to pay our debt in full {2 Corinthians 5:21}.  So, all that we know and read of the grace of Christ points to us that we are no longer slaves to sin, yet we continue to immerse ourselves in our old beliefs.  That man is dead and gone {romans 6:7}.

6knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.7For he who has died has been bfreed from sin. 8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.10For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6: 6 - 11 NKJV

In Pauls defense, he recognized that it was not he himself which was at war with what Christ had accomplished in him.  Paul saw something different was at work here, something working against what he himself knew to be right and true.  Paul recognized that in his mind he found the law of God, but that in his flesh, his members, was found the law of sin and death {Romans 7:25}.  I find it interesting in scripture that after Pauls recognition of the war of sin in his own members that he immediately speaks to his readers that it is Christ Jesus who has made us free from the law of sin and death {Romans 8:2}.  So, is there really a white elephant in the room for every christian?  I believe that Paul would tell us definately not.  For Christ has freed us from all the entanglements of that which was our former nature {Romans 6:6}.  So, when we continue to see ourselves as harboring some kind of sin that still requires our Lords forgiveness, we are resurrecting something which was put to death by Christ long ago.  In fact, if we were to ask our Lord to forgive that sin within us, His response to us will always be "what sin?"  Would you continue to make payments on a bill that you already paid?  If not, then why would you continue to seek Gods forgiveness for something He provided for so long ago?  Of course, the institutional church refuses to do us any favors by continually harping that we need to seek His forgiveness daily, I get it.  However, the truth of Christ Jesus is that He not only put sin to death, but that He lives through us today {Galations 2:20}.  Free of sin yet filled with the Spirit of Christ Jesus in us.

10And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies dthrough His Spirit who dwells in you.
Romans 8: 10 - 11 NKJV

~Scott~