The Wretched Man Identity (1)
A Sermon on Romans 7:25
Scripture
25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.
25I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
Sermon Description
Paul once again brings up that there is an internal battle within himself – a part that is under the law of God and a wretched part that is burdened by the law of sin. The Christian delights in the law and sees that it is good but he cannot keep the law. This statement is true of the regenerate man, the believing Christian. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones then asks if Paul is referring to himself in Romans 7:25. In order to find that answer, he encourages the readers to consider the whole of the passage and compare it with other passages in the Bible. The Doctor then dissects various other passages of scripture in formulating his view on this verse including Galatians 5, I Corinthians 9, and Ephesians 6. He also cites passages in Romans 8 and John 11 that discuss inward groaning. As Christians study the Bible, they should ensure that they are looking at both the whole of scripture and the context of the passage they are studying. The Doctor reminds the listener that there is hope that the Lord will return to break the law of sin that burdens spiritual bodies.
The Book of Romans
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.