Prayer: Father God forgive us for we have sinned against You. We have fallen short of Your expectations for our lives with these actions of unrighteousness. Help us through the power of Your Spirit to resist temptation now and in the future that we might grow in our ability to fend off future attacks against us. Help us to resist one day, hour, and minute at a time. We wish to serve You and You alone, O God. Amen.
Main Scripture: Romans 7:16-25 (NKJV)
O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I 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.
Associated Scriptures:
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves (Philippians 2:3-4).
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom (Proverbs 11:2).
The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe" (John 6:63-64).
Correlative Quotes:
Autobiographically Paul points out that even the believer is constantly beset by the tugs and pulls of a self-seeking and self-centered ego. Paul designates this ego “the flesh.” This is no straw man which he sets up. But in fact, pictures the anguish of Paul’s own soul. He knows to do right and to obey the law, but in himself he cannot do either.[1] – Woodrow Michael Kroll
Sin is a terrible master, and it finds a willing servant in the human body. The body is not sinful; the body is neutral. It can be controlled either by sin or by God. But man's fallen nature, which is not changed at conversion, gives sin a beachhead from which it can attack and then control. Paul expressed the problem: "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 find not" (Romans 7:18).[2] Warren Wiersbe
Humility in the spiritual sense is an inwrought grace of the soul that allows one to think of himself no more highly than he ought to think (Ephesians 4:1-2; Colossians 3:12-13; cf. Romans 12:3). …The exercises of it are first and chiefly toward God (Matthew 11:29; James 1:21). It requires us to feel that in God's sight we have no merit and in honor prefer others to ourselves (Romans 12:10; cf. Proverbs 15:33). It does not demand undue self-depreciation but rather lowliness of self-estimation and freedom from vanity. …But humility must also be expressed towards those who wrong us, in order that their insults and wrongdoing might be used by God for our benefit (see Acts 20:18-21). (Matthew 18:3-4).[3] – Merrill F. Unger
Study:
I remember hearing Bill Cosby live on stage in Chicago Illinois many years ago talking about raising his children. One night when he got home from work, his wife told him to go upstairs and “kill the boy.” He could tell by the frustration in her voice that he had better not ask why but go up and find out for himself. When he looked at his son, he saw that the boy had just given himself a haircut. When he asked his son, “Son, what did you do to your hair?” The boy answered, “I don’t know.” Bill returned, “Son, did you have your head with you all day?” The boy responded, “Yes sir, I did.” Bill said, “Was a reverse Mohawk what you had in mind?” His son answered, “I don’t know.”
Paul is battling the frustration that comes from not understanding why we sin even though we have been rescued from sin. It’s a frustration that we all feel. When it seems that the Spirit is saying “Son, what did you do?” like Bill Cosby’s son, we say to God, “I don’t know!”
I think that sometimes God’s Spirit looks at us and asks, “Have you had your head with you all day?” Paul seemingly understands the point of the child. He says, “I know that inside me there is no good thing” (vs.18). The will to do good is there, but I don’t know how to perform it. This is an insightful statement and the beginning of humility.
In a state of helplessness Paul cries out, “O wretched man that I am! Who can deliver me from this battle that is in me?” (vs. 24). Humility cries out for understand and forgiveness.
Who can deliver Paul and us from the frustration of sin in the believer’s life? The final answer and only answer is Christ Jesus. Paul came to the conclusion that we must all come to, only Jesus has the power to help us overcome our evil nature and establish the spiritual patterns that control the actions of our lives.
Why do we commit sin? We convince ourselves that we will be better off once we have committed it. Humility is set aside and personal pride takes over. The boy in the story probably thought he would look better once his hair was cut the way he wanted it.
Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18).
“True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” – C. S. Lewis
Pride was the beginning of the fall of mankind. However, even before Adam fell to the pride of wanting to be like God, Satan (Lucifer) fell to pride and became pride perfected (Ezekiel 28:14-15 and Isaiah 14:12-15).
Summary Statement:
The basic law of relationships is this: You tend to become like the people you spend time with. …If you want to have more humility, spend time with Jesus Christ. He is humble. He wants a relationship with you. He wants you to spend time with him in prayer and reading his Word and talking to him. He is humble, and as you get to know him, you’ll become more like him.[4] – Rick Warren
Pride makes decisions in the flesh. Humility follows the Spirit.
Lessons within the Lesson:
What is the function of the law of God?
Explain the conflict between doing good and doing evil
How are we delivered from the battle between good and evil?
What part does spiritual growth play in this process?
[1] Woodrow Michael Kroll, General Editor, Romans, Liberty Bible Commentary, © 1983 by The Old Time Gospel Hour, p.
[2] Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary. Copyright © 1989 by Chariot Victor Publishing, and imprint of Cook Communication Ministries. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
[3] Merrill F. Unger, Humility, The New Unger's Bible Dictionary. Originally published by Moody Press of Chicago, Illinois. Copyright © 1988.
[4] Rick Warren, Pride Destroys, Humility Builds Up, © 2015 – Rick Warren, All Rights Reserved, http://rickwarren.org/devotional/english/pride-destroys-humility-builds-up.
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