Sermon Audio

For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 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. (Romans 7:15-20, 24-25)

"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."

Struggling with sin is a difficult thing.

It weighs heavily on the conscience, as evidenced by what St. Paul wrote before this evening's Epistle. "I know what is good, what is of God, and this I want to do, but in my flesh I am unable to do it—I am unwilling to do it. O wretched man that I am." "The spirit indeed is willing," Jesus said, "but the flesh is weak." (Matthew 26:41b) We know what the good to do is, because the spirit is willing, and it can drive us batty that we cannot accomplish it, because the flesh is weak.

It is cause for much grief. For we know and have been told many times, especially during this somber season of Lent, that it was this sinfulness, the multitude of sins committed, the weakness of this flesh that sent God in the person of His Son to the cross. He was led there like a Lamb to be slaughtered, and opened not His mouth. (cf. Isaiah 53:7) That is to say, He went willingly, without kicking and screaming, willfully taking upon Himself the weight of this world's sin—and if He has taken upon Himself that weight, part of it is my sin and your sin, my sins committed and your sins committed. And willfully, He sacrificed Himself, shedding His blood for our offenses, dying the death we rightly deserved for them and which He did not. How can one who struggles with sin not sorrow over that?

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance: struggling with sin is a difficult thing. But, it is met with another: "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners..." (1 Timothy 1:15) More than that, we take comfort in this: "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."

We can take comfort in that, even in the midst of our struggle, because it says there is no condemnation waiting for us who are in Christ Jesus. One who is in Christ Jesus does not walk according to the flesh, seeking every opportunity to sin, willingly fulfilling the sinful desires of the flesh, but wars against that according to the Spirit. This one prays, "Lord I believe, help my unbelief." (cf. Mark 9:24b) This one prays, "Lord, I have sinned against Thee by thought, word, and deed; by what I have done and what I have left undone..." That is walking according to the Spirit; for by the same Spirit we also cry out with St. Paul, "O wretched man that I am."

And, walking according to the Spirit, we are directed to the cross of Christ. And, there gazing upon the Lord of all bleeding and dying, gazing upon the lifeless body of God, we see all the wrath and condemnation God would curse you with—every single last bit. Why does St. Paul write that "[t]here is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus"? Because, Christ Jesus has received it all in our place. Now, there is not one iota of condemnation or wrath left for those who are in Christ Jesus. There on the cross, Christ Jesus died with our sinful flesh—we died with Him who died for sin once for all—we died to sin! (cf. Romans 6:2-3, 8)

For those who are not in Christ Jesus, who walk according to the flesh? That's another matter, and perhaps one we can take up very briefly with these two statements: Those who are not in Christ Jesus are those who refuse to believe that He has taken upon Himself their sin and infirmities and died with them, either by denying sin or denying the need for a Savior; they still live to sin. Those who are not in Christ Jesus cannot and do not say with St. Paul, "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief."

However, for those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, there is therefore now no condemnation.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made [us] free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

To one such as these—to you dear sinner-saints, dear blind-seers, dear dead-living, there is no condemnation, but forgiveness. For to those who walk according to the Spirit, who struggle with the sinful flesh and confess it for what it is by God-given contrition, is spoken back these words of comfort, "I forgive you for the sake of Christ Jesus."

Comfort because you are dead-living, as St. Paul also wrote in this evening's Epistle: "And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." You are dead according to the sinful flesh, but alive according to the Spirit of God who gives life and peace.

Or, as St. Paul has also said,

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:4-11)

So, take comfort, dear fellow sinner-saints, blind-seers, dead-living, for Christ Jesus who has taken our sinful flesh upon Himself and died with it is no longer dead. Yes, He who is God-in-the-flesh died the death due us, but did not remain in the grave, rising against to life on the third day. "[He] by His death hath destroyed death, and by His rising to life again hath restored to us everlasting life." Therefore, our consciences need not be burdened, nor our hearts filled with grief, for He who died is raised back to life; we can rejoice in the knowledge of sins forgiven and everlasting life procured for those who are in Christ Jesus—for you dear Baptized!

And should your conscience still be burdened or your hearts grieved over your sins, come see me one-on-one. For then the Word of God that gives peace to troubled minds and hearts will be spoken directly into your ears. There, the Office of the Holy Ministry deals with you by Christ's divine command, absolving you as you repent of your sins and want to do better; this, dear hearers, is just as valid and certain, even in heaven, as if Christ our dear Lord dealt with you Himself. For this is Christ's divine command to His called ministers: "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." (John 20:23) So, when the divine command is fulfilled, you will hear time and time again that there is now no condemnation for you, since you are in Christ Jesus, because you are forgiven for all of your sins!