by Pastor William Kang

Romans 7:7-13

What may be the reason why people lack personal conviction of sin according to this passage?  I think people don’t have the correct, Biblical understanding of human nature.  People in general lack conviction of sin because they think that they are inherently good and that their sins are attributed to others, to circumstances or to any force outside of themselves that forced them to play the sin card.  In other words, they blame their sin on others because that fits their worldview (the worldview that they’re good).  In these verses, though, Paul demonstrates that humans are dominated by a sinful nature that seems to have a mind of it’s own.  Not only does it seem to have a mind, but it seems to be more powerful than us.  Sin produced in me every covetous desire (v.8).  Once I was alive apart from the law but sin sprang to life and I died (v.9).  Sin deceived me and put me to death (v.11).  There is a spiritual aspect about me that was killed by sin, and as a result I have a sinful nature that spews out sin.

Have I been deluded about my own sense of righteousness because of my lack of awareness of God’s holy laws? Sometimes I am deluded about my own sense of righteousness.  It is when I serve God beyond the call of duty or when I fulfill my duties and obligations, or when I do the good that I am blinded to my sinful nature.  During these moments I am just so enamored by the good that I did that I lose my awareness of God’s holy laws.  During these moments of delusion I think that because I’ve done one good thing I have fulfilled the entire law and forget about my sinful nature and the sins that I’ve committed  in the past.