Today I'd like to share my notes from a sermon on my favourite part of the bible Romans Chapter 7, Verse 14 (Rom 7:14)
Why is this one of my favourite parts in the Bible?
It is a part of the Bible that really illustrates the humanity in a Christian. I feel like I can connect to it as a human being. I also feel that is written like it is thought out. It follows the pattern that a person thinks in, and reasons in way a person's reasons. These verses make Paul into a real human being with desires, love for God, but also weaknesses. Through faith, he knows Jesus can rescue him and be his strength, his shield, and his salvation. It reminds me to believe that too. I think it displays the raw beauty that humanity can be.
"14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 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!..." (It continues up into ch. 8)
January 26, 2014
(Defying Gravity)
The sermon identifyed the interplay of 3 laws in Romans 7:14:
Revealing
Resisting
and Restoring...
There is the law of God Reveals the moral character of God
There is the law of sin, which Resists
There is the law of the spirit of life which Restores the moral character of God into people's life and experience
There is a comparison drawn between the downward pull of gravity with the direction sin pulls humans in.
"7:21 So I find this law at work; When I want to do good, evil is right there with me."
There is also the existence of a law that defies the law of gravity, The law of aerodynamics
Aerodynamics is the study of forces and the resulting motion of objects through the air.
Studying the motion of air around an object allows us to measure the forces of lift, which allows an aircraft to overcome gravity, and drag, which is the resistance an aircraft “feels” as it moves through the air. Everything moving through the air (including airplanes, rockets, and birds) is affected by aerodynamics.
-https://howthingsfly.si.edu/aerodynamics
"8:1-4...There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."
-----To me the sermon presents a question, 'Which law will we choose to be our ruler, the law of gravity that pulls us down, or the law of aerodynamics that lifts us up?'
By: Leah J.
Why is this one of my favourite parts in the Bible?
It is a part of the Bible that really illustrates the humanity in a Christian. I feel like I can connect to it as a human being. I also feel that is written like it is thought out. It follows the pattern that a person thinks in, and reasons in way a person's reasons. These verses make Paul into a real human being with desires, love for God, but also weaknesses. Through faith, he knows Jesus can rescue him and be his strength, his shield, and his salvation. It reminds me to believe that too. I think it displays the raw beauty that humanity can be.
"14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 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!..." (It continues up into ch. 8)
January 26, 2014
(Defying Gravity)
The sermon identifyed the interplay of 3 laws in Romans 7:14:
Revealing
Resisting
and Restoring...
There is the law of God Reveals the moral character of God
There is the law of sin, which Resists
There is the law of the spirit of life which Restores the moral character of God into people's life and experience
There is a comparison drawn between the downward pull of gravity with the direction sin pulls humans in.
"7:21 So I find this law at work; When I want to do good, evil is right there with me."
There is also the existence of a law that defies the law of gravity, The law of aerodynamics
Aerodynamics is the study of forces and the resulting motion of objects through the air.
Studying the motion of air around an object allows us to measure the forces of lift, which allows an aircraft to overcome gravity, and drag, which is the resistance an aircraft “feels” as it moves through the air. Everything moving through the air (including airplanes, rockets, and birds) is affected by aerodynamics.
"8:1-4...There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."
-----To me the sermon presents a question, 'Which law will we choose to be our ruler, the law of gravity that pulls us down, or the law of aerodynamics that lifts us up?'
By: Leah J.
I like the aerodynamics analogy. The idea that there is a great deal of force and resistance to gravity needed for an aircraft to move across the skies. Just as we Christians have to overcome so many worldly temptations. I cannot say I have mastered this yet... I do not think anyone can
ReplyDeleteIt remind me of the scripture verse from Ephesians 6:12
"For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual [hosts] of wickedness in the heavenly [places]".
I love this chapter because it highlights alot about things the church and Christians in North America (including myself), do not talk enough about. That is the evil/satanic spirits that roam the earth and the desire for Christians to seek the Holy Spirit to overcome these "forces of gravity" that way us down and keep us from holiness. I believe we need the Holy Spirit in us in order to have a fighting chance in this world. Without the Holy Spirit in us, putting on the Armor of God (Ephesians 6:13-18) would be impossible.
I desire to follow the law of aerodynamics. I pray for the holy spirit to build inside of me and create a momentum in me that will lift me up like the airplane needs momentum to take off. And I pray that the word of God and prayer will sustain me in motion.