Now if I do what I determine not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but the sin dwelling in me.
Truth to Learn
When we lose a battle against our sin nature we simply need to confess our sin and God removes it from us.
Behind the Words
The word “do” (in the expression “I who do it”) is from the Greek word katergadzomai, which we saw back in verse fifteen, meaning “to work fully, to finish, or to fully accomplish.”
“Dwells” is also a word that we have looked at before. It is the word oikeō, which means “living somewhere as a permanent residence, as opposed to a temporary residence.”
Meaning Explained
This verse is very similar to verse seventeen, in which Paul identifies the sin dwelling in him as the reason that he does things that he hates. He now states a very similar fact, that it is the sin which has taken up permanent residence in him which fully accomplishes that which he has determined not to do.
According to Adam Clarke in his Commentary on the Bible, Paul is saying;
My will is against it; my reason and conscience condemn it. But it is the sin that dwells in me – the principle of sin, [the sin nature] which has possessed itself of all my carnal appetites and passions, and thus subjects my reason and domineers over my soul. Thus I am in perpetual contradiction to myself. Two principles are continually contending in me for the mastery: my reason, on which the light of God shines, to show what is evil; and my passions, in which the principle of sin works, to bring forth fruit unto death.
It is this contention between the Spirit of life within us and the sin nature within us which produces the daily battle that all Christians face: the wholesome desire to obey and please God versus the lustful desires of the sin nature that drag us into sin and guilt.
We will not leave this battleground until the day that we are taken to glory. We need to learn how to do battle effectively. We do that by submitting our will to God and learning repeatedly how to fall to our knees when our sinful tendencies win out over our desire to do good. Remember:
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just so that He might forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:8, 9)
Also, keep in mind that when He forgives our sins, He removes them from us, as David said in the Psalms:
For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. (Psalms 103:11-12)
Application
Even though we are in a constant battle with our sin nature, and frequently loose the battle, we know that through confession our sins are forgiven and sent away from us as far as the east is from the west. Lord, help us to learn the necessity of living on our knees!
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved