Know yourself(Romans 7:18-25)

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Know yourself (Romans 7:18-25)

No matter how hard you try to know yourself through philosophy, you cannot know yourself, so you give up trying to know yourself, and it degenerates into pragmatism, and the whole world is buried in market thinking that puts prices on possessions, functions, and roles.

The fact that the church is currently struggling in a state of stagnation is a sign of the end times, but the main reason is that the trumpet of the gospel is not clear, making it difficult to tell whether it is the world or the church.

There are many heroes throughout history who uphold principles and justice, but like Paul, there are not many churches that teach why humans are completely corrupt lumps of clay with zero potential.

Q. Why do you say that human righteousness is like rags?

“ For I know that in me ( that is, in my flesh,) dwells no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I fine not.” (Romans 7:18)

A. Human righteousness born in the fallen Adam became addicted to the poison of good and evil.

Paul explains why he is a Jew and a Pharisee who is blameless in the law, but now he knows why he cannot obtain righteousness through the law.

The content is the fact that there is nothing good in my body.

It means that I now know that I always have the will, but I do not have the ability to do good.

So, “For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.” (Romans 7:19)

It means that humans are evil by nature.

It means that the mouth is always diligent, but the body is, in a word, evil and lazy.

The Bible says that he was a paralytic because his head and body were moving separately.

Q. What is the cause of separate head and body?

“Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me.” (Romans 7:20)

A. Romans 7 is the basis for the human psychology of the sinner in Adam.

I am not the cause of the head and body being separate.

Here, at last, there is hope for salvation.

If that's all I am, there's no hope.

However, Apostle Paul realized that because it was not me, but the sin within me, if I only get rid of this sin, I would be liberated and this would be salvation.

However, in all religions, since everything is done by oneself, one has to repay everything oneself, and if one makes a mistake one has to correct oneself, so there is absolutely no hope.

Among them, those who use the accelerator and brake well stand out.

However, because human nature is evil, goodness is always by our side, but there is an element of it not being able to do so, and that is because we are caught up in sin and follow sin.

If this is my problem, it will end only when I die.

However, if the problem is not me but sin, the problem can be solved by just casting out that sin.

Therefore, a person who understands the grace of redemption through the cross of Christ, who belonged to Adam before, believes in Christ's death and resurrection, and is baptized into Christ, and who has come over into Christ, who has nothing to do with sin, and has obtained the righteousness of God, boldly say, ‘I am not a servant of sin. I am a servant of Christ.',  we must personally drive sin out by saying.

The fact is that now the master has changed and the belong has also changed.

Let's say there's a person who has a smelly mouth.

If the cause is cavities, if you take out the teeth, there will be no smell.

If my whole body stinks, there is no hope. Wouldn’t it end only when I die?

Similarly, if I become a bad person, I have to die to end it, but if the problem is the sin within me, all I have to do is solve the sin problem.

Therefore, if I die with Jesus and live again in Christ, I will not die, but the sin within me will be removed.

If I become one with Christ, I have participated in the death of Jesus and I have participated (metokoi) in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

What is inside me changes through faith in the atoning work of the Lord's cross.

This is the Word, Baptism, and Holy Communion.

If you don't know that, no matter how hard you try, it's useless.

“I fine then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me” (Romans 7:21)

‘Desiring to do good’ is a possibility of an innate conscience.

All religions are developing this possibility.

The only problem is that the evil thing is with me.

If you just oust this from me, the problem will be solved.

All you have to do is exchange it for the Spirit of life in Christ.

An apple tree cannot change its fruit at will.

Apple trees have no choice but to produce apples due to their nature.

A hardy-orange tree cannot produce oranges according to his mood.

If you live your religious life without knowing this, you will not be a servant of righteousness until you die.

Following the cross of Christ, we must change the sin of our nature into the Holy Spirit of life.

Q. Why is human nature so hopeless?

“For although I delight in the law of God according to the inward man, I see myself held captive by the law of sin in my members.” (Romans 7:22-23)

A. The inner being of man always loves the law of God.

All believers love to hear the word of God.

However, they don't actually have the will or ability to do so.

why? Because of the sin within it.

We need to see this fact.

You definitely have to discover yourself.

That's why you do QT in the morning, but in the afternoon it disappears like melting ice cream, right?

So, it is said that true meditation is following Christ's movements with faith (Psalm 1).

The law of my heart, which I see as another law, is myself, encompassing my values, way of thinking, stereotypes, subconsciousness, and knowledge.

However, the fact that another law is taking me captive as the law of sin means that I see it taking me captive even though I have good thoughts and my mind is strong.

What is this? It is the law of sin within my members.

When there is a fight between the inward and the outward, the flesh always wins.

When Ishmael and Isaac fight, Ishmael always wins.

That's because Ishmael is stronger.

There is an age difference of 13 years.

When Isaac fights in the flesh, he always loses.

This is the reality of humans who have not been born again.

In Galatians chapter 4, Abraham's wife Sarah drives out Ishmael when Isaac is weaned. (Galatians 4:30) Do you think Sarah is a bad person?

It was done by faith.

It's faith. Sarah cast out Ishmael for her faith.

In Genesis chapter 21, Abraham follows Sarah's instructions and drives out Hagar and Ishmael.

He drove out the internal enemy, the one born in the flesh.

He then makes a peace treaty with his external enemy, Abimelech, king of Gerar.

Next comes the incident where Abraham sacrifices Isaac in Genesis 22.

There he receive God's blessings.

He gets inner peace, outer peace, and God's approval, and then he receives God's blessings.

Therefore, the law of one member within us, this law of sin, must be driven out by the law of the Holy Spirit of life in Christ.

Only then can true peace come.

Q. What is the only way to salvation for a human being with sin?

“O wretched man that I am! who will deliver me from the body of this death? I thanks 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” (Romans 7: 24-25)

A. A death sentence must be handed down to oneself.

You should be lamenting that you can't do anything.

However, there is hope because I have finally discovered my true self.

Therefore, we must not offend God as if we had done so on our own.

No matter how well you try, you should not try to save yourself because you only have your heart.

Only the law of the Spirit of life in Jesus Christ can save us from these people.

Therefore, we must know, believe, and accept that the  Spirit of life exists in Jesus Christ.

He is no longer in this world in a physical body.

Paul says that when I walked alone, I served God with my heart and mind.

However, he confesses that he has no choice but to serve the law of sin in the flesh, and that he is a paralytic.

He says that without realizing it, he is a slave to sin and now he has discovered this.

Therefore, we should not be left to lead a religious life on our own.

In fact, it was not me when I sinned, and it was not I who became righteous.

I became righteous only because I was considered righteous through Christ, not because I did well.

If you have received God's righteousness through faith, let that righteousness dominate your life.

Let Christ, the righteousness, reigns me.

You just have to keep changing it. The message of the cross of Christ.

Why should I try to do well?

If in the past I tried to do well and failed, now let Christ do work, not me.

Crucify me.

Even if I hide me who can't do it in me, make excuses, try my best to do well, and try to stand on tiptoe, it is all useless.

It is all a matter of darkness.

Quickly surrendering to the redemptive grace of Christ's cross is the shortcut to happiness.

Written by Ptr. Yohan Kim.

Translated by  Nancy Chung

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