## Schizophrenic Christians

## Romans 7:14-25

Schizophrenia has been a popular topic of discussion among many over the years. In literature we have tales of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde. In our legal system we have people claiming that they should not be held liable for their conduct because they have multiple personalities. The recent comedy "Me, Myself, and Irene" has come under fire from certain groups saying it isn't politically correct to make fun of such a disorder. Realizing I run the risk of not being politically correct, I have entitled this message, "Schizophrenic Christians". But before anyone gets too upset at me, let me explain what I am talking about. The Christian has two natures, the carnal and the spiritual, which are in constant conflict. Paul speaks of this conflict in the seventh chapter of Romans. Consider v21 as our text this evening.

(Rom 7:21) "I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me."

The seventh chapter of Romans is one of the most important passages in the Bible for the child of God who is striving for a life that is pleasing to God. This chapter describes the struggle of the believer who is desperately trying to live out the Christian life in the power of the flesh. It is a sad picture of failure. The importance of learning this truth can be seen from Paul's attitude as we progress through the passage. He starts confused, disillusioned, a failure. He ends the passage with a shout of praise. When we learn the truth about our two natures, and begin to live with that truth in mind, we too will move from failure to victory... from sighs of despair to shouts of praise.

I. We Have Two Natures

A. Wonderful things happened when we got saved.

1. Every sinful action, word, thought; from the past, present, and future, disappeared under the blood of Jesus Christ.

2. We became a child of the king, a member of His royal family, a joint heir with Him of everything.

3. We received eternal life.

4. We received eternal health.

5. We received eternal wealth.

6. We obtained a purpose to live, a reason for being.

B. NOTHING happened to our body, though.

C. We now have two natures:

1. We still have a sinful nature - the flesh.

a. "I am carnal" - v14

b. "What I hate, that do I" - v15

c. "Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me." - v17

d. "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing." - v18

e. "The evil which I would not, that I do." - v19

f. "Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me." - v20

g. "When I would do good, evil is present with me." - v21

2. We gained a spiritual nature - the spirit.

a. "I delight in the law of God after the inward man. - v22

b. "With the mind I myself serve the law of God. - v25

c. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Cor. 5:17)

II. Our two natures don't get along.

A. Our new nature wants to do right.

- "... for to will is present with me..." (v18)
- "for the good that I would, I do not." (v19)
- "... I would do good..." (v21)
- "I delight in the law of God after the inward man " (v22)

1. Christians want to believe the right things.

a. We hear the Sermon on the Mount and say, "Yes, I believe that."

b. We hear the Word of God preached, and agree with it that it is true.

c. We hear the missionary sing "People Need the Lord" and believe that we are called to be witnesses.

2. We want to put the Truth into practice in our life.

a. We want to live the Sermon on the Mount.

b. We want to respond to the Word of God.

c. We want to be a living witnesses and testimonies to Christ.

d. We want our lives to be in conformity to God's will!

3. This whole passage is Paul's desperate desire to do right!

4. It is also a picture of your and my desire to do the same.

B. Our old nature wants to do wrong.

"But 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." (vs. 23)

"For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would." (Gal. 5:16)

1. We know we shouldn't lust, but our eyes have a mind of their own.

2. We know we shouldn't gossip, but our tongue takes over.

3. We know that we shouldn't listen to wickedness, but our ears strain to hear it anyway.

4. We seem incapable of controlling our own bodies sometimes.

5. Of course, some are in denial, and believe they are not included in this.

- A clergyman was walking down the street when he came upon a group of about a dozen boys, all of them between 10 and 12 years of age. The group surrounded a dog. Concerned lest the boys were hurting the dog, he went over and asked, "What are you doing with that dog?"
- One of the boys replied, "This dog is just an old neighborhood stray. We all want him, but only one of us can take him home. So we've decided that whichever one of us can tell the biggest lie will get to keep the dog."
- Of course, the reverend was taken aback. "You boys shouldn't be having a contest telling lies!" he exclaimed. He then launched into a ten minute sermon against lying, beginning, "Don't you boys know it's a sin to lie," and ending with, "Why, when I was your age, I never told a lie."
- There was dead silence for about a minute. Just as the reverend was beginning to think he'd gotten through to them, the smallest boy gave a deep sigh and said, "All right, give him the dog."

6. The fact is, we seem enslaved to, and consumed by, our sin nature.

7. Illustration: Eskimo knife and wolf

8. The fact is, our sin nature often seems to betray us, and our old bodies refuse to do what we know is right.

C. Our two natures are complete opposites in every way.

1. Old nature hates God; our new nature loves God.

2. Old nature does not seek God; our new nature craves God.

3. Old nature can do nothing right; our new nature can do nothing wrong. 4

4. (v18a) "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing:"

"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." (1 John 3:9)

III. Only Jesus can make our two natures co- exist.

A. There is no answer within us for this problem. "O wretched man that I am!"

Murderers in Rome were often bound hand to hand, foot to foot, and face to face with their victims, and then thrown into the wilderness or desert to die as the corpse rotted into them. (Paul is painting a similar picture in describing our dual nature.)

B. It drives many Christians to despair!

C. That despair may be the very goal of God for our life, though.

1. Many Christians will never turn to God for victory over sin because they do not recognize their true condition or take it seriously enough.

2. It was the self-righteous scribes and Pharisees who did not come to Jesus for forgiveness simply because they did not think they needed it.

3. How can we not recognize our need before God?

a. We have redefined our old sins, giving them new labels. (sin isn't sin anymore)

b. When we live lives, which deny the reality of our sin, then comes our failure to live as God requires.

c. We ignore and reject God's Word and we buy into the world's philosophy and teachings.

D. We need to come to the end of ourselves:

1. In order to be saved in the first place.

2. In order to become what He wants us to become in our Christian walk.

The Word of God plainly teaches that we cannot become a good Christian on our own. We need the power of Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit to succeed.

"Who shall deliver me? I thank God... Jesus Christ!" (Romans 7:24-25) [11]

- Don't get discouraged if we have trouble being a good Christian. So did Paul!
- Don't feel like a failure if we cannot do it on our own, and you find yourself continually falling down in your Christian walk. So do the rest of us.
- We need to come to the despair of vs. 24, in order to realize the victory of verse 25.
- Learn to feed the new nature, and in so doing you will find victory.
- There are several ways to feed the new nature and starve out the old nature:

1. Bible Study
2. Prayer (pray for a recognition of sin's power in your life, a true heart-felt agony over it's hold on you, such as Paul showed here.)
3. Fellowship with God's people in God's house
4. A life of service for your Lord

Learn what it means to "walk in the Spirit"