The Conflict of Sin and Grace in Believers

The fact that he regrets his actions, that he doesn't approve of them at all, means that clearly he agrees with what the law says about such actions. And that, of course, in turn means this: that his view of the law, therefore, is that the law is something which is essentially good and right in all its demands, in all its denunciations, and in all its condemnation. [00:54:41]

The law itself is in no way responsible for his failure in practice. He says, "There is my position: I do that which I would not. Well, the law isn't responsible for that. I am in agreement with the law that it's a good thing, and I prove that because I don't approve of what I do." [00:49:15]

Sin is something that dwells in us, takes up its home in us. In other words, we mustn't think of sin as being something that is outside. There are many people who think of sin like that, as you know. A man seems to be more or less neutral, and sin is that which comes, they think, from the outside as a temptation to us. [16:16:00]

The sin that dwelleth in me is something which is as powerful as this: it's more powerful than the voice of conscience. It is more powerful than a man's willpower. It is indeed as powerful as this: that it is more powerful even than the man who has now been given to see the spiritual character of the law. [18:06:00]

The Apostle is concerned to show that the law can never deliver and that our only hope is this, as he has already said in verse 4: "Wherefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that in order that you should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we may bring forth fruit unto God." [40:10:00]

The Apostle is dealing here with the law, what the law can do, what the law cannot do, the place of the law in God's whole economy and scheme and plan of salvation. So he draws that first deduction, and it is, from his standpoint, a most important one. So it is from ours. [07:32:00]

The Apostle is showing you what a terrible thing sin is, what an appalling thing that it's in us, that it is resident, that it dwells in us, and that it has this awful power that paralyzes a man, even the man who's come to see the true nature of the law. [38:55:00]

The Apostle is not excusing his sin; he isn't disclaiming responsibility for himself. What he is doing is he's making a confession. He says, "That is the truth about me. That's the weakness in which I find myself. This is the paralysis that I'm aware of. This is my useless struggling." [37:43:00]

The Apostle is showing us again the complete inability of the law to deliver us. Even when you see clearly the spiritual character of the law, that it is of God, that it is holy and just and good and spiritual and good, again, you see, it cannot deliver you. It completely fails. [39:13:00]

The Apostle is concerned to prove something else. Well, now, what is it? Well, surely he says this: he draws this deduction in order that he may say two things. The first is this: he shows in this way that the law itself is in no way responsible for his failure in practice. [04:41:00]

The Apostle is showing what the law cannot do in that it is weak through the flesh. Very well, you see, all along in his deductions, in his explanations, he keeps on reminding us that that is what he's concerned about. He's talking the whole time about the law. [42:04:00]

The Apostle is showing that the law was never given in order to deliver men. It was given that men might come to see the exceeding sinfulness of sin, that they might be led by it, therefore, as a sort of pedagogue, a schoolmaster, to bring to Christ, not an end, but a means to an end. [41:40:00]