Know Your Enemy: The Flesh in Man’s Fourfold State | Romans 6:19-7:25

So I wanted to open up by bringing a slight character clarification to one of our hymns today. If you look in your bulletins, it's, To God Be the Glory. And you'll see here, it says in the third stanza, O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood, to every believer, the promise of God, the vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

The Whole Counsel of God in Hymnody and Justification

So it's important to understand the whole counsel of God with respect to these kinds of phrases because I appreciate how our confession explains this, that in the chapter on justification, it says, God did from all eternity decree to justify all the elect.

And Christ did in the fullness of time die for their sins. Remember on the cross, he said, it is finished. Amen. And he rose again because of their justification. Nevertheless, they are not justified personally until the Holy Spirit doth in due time actually apply Christ unto them.

So even though redemption was accomplished on the cross, it's not applied personally until faith, the Spirit gives us faith. And it is, of course, the Spirit that gives us faith because it also says in the hymn later on, O come to the Father through Jesus the Son.

We understand, however, that no one can come to Christ unless the Father who sent Christ first draws him. Right. And John 6, 44. So we just have an understanding of the whole counsel of God there. And as this also has some bearing on today's message, you can see from the sermon title, it is about knowing your enemy, the flesh in man's fourfold state, the flesh in man's fourfold state.

And I'm really excited to dig into this. I don't know. I just always get excited to to deliver the word. It's just such a blessing to study it and to deliver it as well. But if you turn with me to Romans chapter six and verse 19, the very beginning of where Pastor David started reading today in Romans chapter six, verse 19.

The Flesh, Sanctification, and the Means of Grace

OK, so verse 19 says, I'm speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. Remember, there's different definitions of the word flesh here. Specifically, it refers to human weakness. Like when Christ said the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

OK, now it continues. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness. OK, to sin, past tense, which led to further lawlessness. So now, now present your members as slaves to righteousness, not to sin, or to lawlessness, but to righteousness leading to sanctification.

For when we were there, you see now note here. There is a role that we play in our sanctification. We must present our members as slaves to righteousness. That is a role that we play. Doesn't mean that we sanctify ourselves or that our work sanctify us, but we play a role in receiving the means of grace that do sanctify us, primarily being the word of God.

Because Christ said, sanctify them in the truth. Your word is truth, right? In John 17, 17. So verse 20, for when you were were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. One or the other, contrasting principles there that Paul repeatedly brings out.

Therefore, what benefit were you then having from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things, what are those things? The sin, the works of the flesh, right, is death. The wages of sin is death, as it says later on.

But now, having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, sealed unto God by his spirit, by his work, by Christ's work in life and death, you and through faith, you have your benefit leading to sanctification and the end, eternal life.

For the wages of sin is death, right? But the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Again, contrasting principles. Paul, once again, continues to pack, jam-pack this passage with more law and gospel at just about every verse, every term that we see.

And after the Lord has withdrawn the sinner from the abyss of perdition, from that bondage, and set him apart for himself by means of adoption through the spirit, having begotten him again, making him born again, and formed him to newness of life, he embraces him as a new creature, a new creation, and bestows, he gives, he grants the gifts of his spirit.

This is the acceptance to which Peter refers, and by which believers, after their calling, are approved by God, even in respect of works, the works that they do, that we do. For the Lord cannot but love and delight in the good qualities which he produces in them, in us, by means of his spirit.

So God's work, it is all God's work, and it is all by God's grace that we become good, are reckoned good, are declared good, and are progressively conformed to the image of Son and doing good works.

Amen?

And this is a quote from the most excellent of theologians, John Calvin, in his Institutes of the Christian Religion. I highly commend that work to you. And now, okay, so this awesome God of ours, of the law and the gospel, himself provides us with all the means necessary to deal with our flesh, okay, in every sense of the word, okay?

By virtue of now having been freed from sin and consequently enslaved to God, okay? Because, now if you turn with me to 2 Peter 1, we will see another unfolding of what Paul is getting at here. 2 Peter 1.

I'll start in verse 3, okay? Seeing that his divine power has granted to us everything. Okay, what does everything mean? It means everything, all things pertaining to life and godliness. Okay, absolutely everything, including our struggle against the flesh.

Through the full knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and excellence. For by these he has granted to us his precious and magnificent promises. Okay, these gospel promises. So that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust,.

By the lust of the flesh.

Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and choosing sure. For in doing these things you will never stumble. For in this way, the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be abundantly supplied to you.

Okay, this is an awesome passage here. All things pertaining to life and godliness are granted to us by God through the full knowledge of Christ. Okay, amen. And this passage, however, specifically verse 10, is not talking about becoming sinlessly perfect in this life, right?

It is actually about the hope of eternal life. We still sin in this life, even though we have been redeemed in our inner man. Because Christ has granted us all things that pertain to life and piety and godliness through the full knowledge of him so that we might be godly people.

We should therefore zealously practice all the virtues that he lists in the same chapter. Everything from faith to moral excellence to knowledge, self-control, which is vital for wrestling, warring against the flesh, right?

Self-control, perseverance, godliness, holiness, etc. And so assure ourselves that God has elected us into Christ's eternal kingdom. So that passage, that verse there, if you do in doing these things, you will never stumble.

It's not saying you will never sin again. That's not what it means. It's saying you will never stumble in your future glorification. Because in this way, the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.

It's referring to our future state of glorification, okay? Now, the end of Romans 6 describes, but actually more than that, it contrasts how believers are now in a completely different state from that of unbelievers, okay?

So I want us to back up now to get a bird's eye view of the forest, okay? Get a big picture view from our friend, the early church philosopher and theologian, Augustine, okay? Who taught the four different states of man in relation to sin, okay?

And that's where I got the sermon title from, the fourfold state of man. Four states of man. What's the first state? It is what Augustine describes as able to sin, able to not sin. The Latin has a nice rhythm to it.

It's able to sin, able to not sin. This is man. This is describing man before he sinned and fell in the garden with God. In this state, okay, the flesh was not operative in man. It was not alive in man.

It was not working in man because man was not yet corrupted by the fall, and by sin, and by the curse that God placed on the earth as a result of sinning. Though temptation and heeding to temptation was still possible.

It was still possible to sin, able to sin, able to not sin. Why? Well, why is that? I thought you would never ask, right? So we need to understand something very important here. Now there is a sense in which able to not sin is a little bit misleading because in the predestined counsel of God, God saw it fit to predestined Adam to fall.

Amen. So God, in a sense, Adam, in a sense, was predestined to fall and to choose to sin, to disobey God because God had a plan in all of that to glorify his son through the cross and all of that work that came later on because God is a God of, he is a teleological God.

He sees the end. He declares the end from the beginning. Amen. So, but we need to understand that man was not in a glorified state in the garden. Okay. This is very important. This is where a lot of different views, theological views get this wrong.

Man was not glorified. He was not perfected fully in the garden. In order for him to reach glorification, he needed to keep the law, a covenant, fulfill the covenant that God gave to him in the garden in order to achieve a perfect state of glorification.

That is why Romans 3 .23 says,. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. So, and Adam, similarly, had to obey God in the garden for a time in order to fulfill that covenant of works that God had given him.

And this is exactly what Romans describes and Corinthians describes. Whereas by one man, the disobedience of one man led to condemnation to all men. He disobeyed the covenant. He broke the covenant. In Adam, all die.

But in Christ, all are made alive. In Adam, in Christ. In Christ is the new covenant, in Christ, our mediator. And the old covenant of works is in Adam, our representative, he represented us in the garden.

In that covenant of works that he failed to comply and obey. And that is why Christ came. In order to satisfy what Adam could not. That covenant of works that was violated. And whereby all of us are guilty in Adam and are guilty of pain of death.

For God is holy and just and righteous and good. And as is his law, as we will see. So, this is the state of man prior to the fall. Now, what's number two? State number two is not able to not sin. Okay?

Non pose non pecare. Unable to stop sinning, in other words. This is man as an unregenerate, unconverted, unbelieving sinner. After the fall of Adam. In bondage to sin and the flesh. Okay? This is talking about unbelievers.

Because unbelievers are slaves to the world, to the flesh, to the devil. Something very important that I also learned from the apologist James White. In one of his podcasts. Is this is very important to keep in mind.

Unbelievers will remain perpetually in this state. Even in the resurrection. With their resurrected body of shame and disgrace for all eternity. And will continue on sinning. Because they are never and never will be regenerated by the grace of God.

They are condemned. They are reprobate. Which also explains, helps to explain, why God's punishment is everlasting. It must be everlasting and not conditional. Because man, even in hell, will continue to sin.

Right?

Very important insight there. That I think sheds a lot of light on this state of man and his flesh. He is completely consumed by the flesh. And will continue to be so, even in hell, in the lake of fire.

This also clearly refutes the false teaching of annihilationism. That eventually, sinners, unbelievers, will cease to exist. And will expire in the lake of fire. Not the case. That is not the case. So, state number three.

Able to not sin. Pose non peccare. Able to not sin. This is man as a regenerated, a regenerate, converted, not degenerate, but regenerate.

Right?

The state number two was a degenerate. State number three is man as a regenerate, converted, believing Christian. Indwelt by the spirit and power of God. Who has been granted the gifts of repentance and faith in Christ alone.

For the forgiveness of sins. Right? Amen. Let me be clear about this then. We are, we believers, are no longer in state two. With the unbelievers. We are here now, in state number three. This is our state.

We are now able to not sin. I'm not saying that we're perfect. Okay? I just covered that. For he who says he has no sin is a liar.

Right?

It's not that we'd never sin anymore, but we are now able to obey God. Because we have the spirit of God. And we have been transformed by God. We are new creations in Christ. This is important to, in order to rightly apply and distinguish the law and the gospel here.

We have been transformed by the grace of Christ.

Amen.

So, now we are able to put sin and our flesh, our fallen bodies, to death. To mortify them. And our members, our earthly physical members. And to walk in holiness and obedience. All by God's power and means of grace.

Amen.

So, this is key to understand and to not fall into an imbalance of despair. Or a sort of self-deception of thinking that we don't sin anymore. That we're perfect now. That's self-deception.

Okay?

We must be in tune with our reality. This is our reality. And so, Romans 7 verse 5, that is why Romans 7 verse 5 says,. For while we were in the flesh, past tense, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law, because we were at odds with the law, because we were not converted yet.

They were at work in our physical members. To bear fruit for death. But now, having been released from the law, in other words, the guilt or condemnation of the law, having died to that by which we were constrained, so that we serve in newness, new life of the Spirit, by faith and not in oldness of the letter of the law's condemnation.

Right?

Now, I really appreciate, I really love how our good friend, the Puritan, Thomas Brooks, puts it. He sums up the matter very, very nicely in his well-known treatise, The Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices.

Another excellent work that I commend to you all for your benefit. He says, Though sin dwells, so sin still dwells in the regenerate, in the Christian, yet it does not reign over the regenerate. It does not rule.

It does not control. It does not tyrannize us as believers any longer. We are dead to sin now. Amen? He continues, They rise, they rise by repentance and by all the other means of grace, by into newness of life, because God gave us a regenerating baptism of death to sin, raising us into newness of life.

Amen? Amen. So this is our state. And we must embrace this reality in our lives and not be deceived. Now, state number four, the final state. Not able to sin. So whereas, you know, this is the other final state, so to speak.

Not able to sin. Not possible to sin. Man, this is man in his glorified, his final glorified eternal state in heaven. The reason for this is because our fallen physical bodies will perish. Well, we'll actually be we will be separated from our bodies and will be resurrected and glorified.

That part of us that remains corrupted will be renewed and resurrected and glorified, perfected. In other words, for what benefits do believers receive from Christ at their death? The souls of believers are at death made perfect in holiness and do immediately pass into glory.

That state of glory and their bodies being still united to Christ under the promise that Christ will raise them, raise it up from the last day. Do rest in their graves till the resurrection. Amen. So this is question 41 of the Baptist catechism.

Now, and what benefits do believers receive from Christ at the resurrection? At the resurrection, believers become raised up in glory, resurrected, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgment and made perfectly blessed in the full enjoyment of God to all eternity.

That is something to look forward to. Amen. That is just amazing. Amazing truth from God's word there. Now, I want to go ahead and do a drive by a drive by commentary of Romans seven through eight, so that we can wrap up the flesh, begin to wrap up the flesh.

And since I've already I've covered this most of most of the this this this stuff already. And also, I don't want to shortchange the amazing stuff that is in Romans. I would rather come back to preach Romans in its fullness instead of only focusing on the flesh.

OK, but I really think it's important to go through this and to make good sense of this, because it has direct bearing on how we relate to sin in the flesh. OK, so join me, therefore, in Romans seven.

Romans 7, the Law, and the Principle of Discovery

OK, I've already covered the beginning of Romans seven. With respect to these contrasting principles that Paul presents to us of mastery and slavery to the law on the one hand and to sin on the other.

OK, I encourage you to go back and listen to them if you haven't checked those out yet. I'm not going to deal with that here too much. And we also saw previously how Christ frees us, releases us from both the condemnation of the law and from the tyranny of sin, from the law of sin, from the principle of sin.

Like Calvin says, right? Like Romans six and seven say. Romans seven also explains the holiness, righteousness and goodness of the law. Because it comes from God and God is good, right? God is holy, righteous and good.

So is his law from verse 12. And this is referring to the moral law specifically. The moral law is summarized in the Ten Commandments and further summarized in the two great commandments to love God and love your neighbor.

OK, this is the moral law that Adam was bound to in that covenant of works in the garden. The moral law that was broken and that we are bound by to obey and condemned by if we disobey, which all of us are born in disobedience to God because Adam broke it and we broke it in Adam.

Right. And because, of course, it was it would have been sinful to kill Eve or to lie to God, which they did. And then in all of those things, that was always sinful. It was never OK to sin in the garden.

That is why they died. OK, now also. There's two things here, the holiness, righteousness and goodness of the law and the sinfulness of sin personified. This is important because Paul personifies sin as if it were a living person for sin, taking an opportunity, takes an opportunity through the commandment and deceive me.

Sin deceived me and through it killed me. OK, so sin can kill us as if it were a person. Verse 11. So the apostles, God breathed words, identify sin as a most stubborn, pernicious enemy. As a principle personified that seeks to operate within us to take advantage of us, even as believers in our flesh, which is primarily physical, as we've seen and as we will see once again.

Now, I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived. Sin came back to life and I died. Sin killed me. That's verse nine. OK, so now let's address the age. I really want to tackle the age old debate about who or what Paul was referring to in this second half of Romans seven.

OK, this is a very controversial passage. Is he describing or referring to unbelievers? Or perhaps to mature believers in their prime? Like Paul was when he wrote the letter, at the time he wrote the letter.

He was in a mature Christian state of maturity, in his prime, so to speak. Or perhaps to immature believers in their infancy. Or is it somewhere in the middle of these views? These are the common, the popular views.

OK, now let's dive into this. Is it possible that it is someone, it's referring to someone who is transitioning? OK, not in the transgender sense. OK, that doesn't exist. That transition does not exist.

But this transition right before being converted to then experiencing conversion is a real transition. And being saved by God as a new or recent convert. Could that be what Paul is referring to? I've explained before also that I think this passage does teach what's called the via media.

The via media, which means the middle of the road. It's sort of a middle view. And I think that men like Martin Lloyd-Jones are wrong to say that it doesn't matter who Paul is referring to in this passage.

OK, even though I do agree that even though this passage is difficult, we should seek to understand it. And not just give up and say, oh well, it's too difficult. There's godly men on both sides. Who cares?

That is a sinful attitude to have. We need to strive always to achieve a full knowledge of him. A full knowledge of Christ and his word. Amen? That includes Romans 7. And this is a very important passage because it deals with several aspects of man throughout these different states.

So we need to understand it rightly.

OK?

And because this passage directly relates to how man himself relates to the flesh under the specific spiritual states or conditions that I just talked about. Those four conditions. And to the dynamic that lies between the inner man and the flesh.

That tension, so to speak. That warfare. We need to exercise wisdom and apply the law and gospel distinction. That first principle of application. Like William Perkins said, our good friend the other Puritans said.

And the analogies of scripture and of faith. To rightly understand the counsel of God in context and as a whole. As a systematic whole.

OK?

In order to rightly understand this passage and apply it to our own selves. In our condition.

OK?

One of the main reasons that I want to highlight why...

OK.

So this is one of the main reasons that I also want to highlight this passage. Because it's what I refer to as the principle of discovery. The principle of discovery.

OK?

This principle of discovery runs throughout the entire passage. That entire second half of Romans 7. Paul clearly emphasizes the discovery or the realization of certain things. As if it were the first time that he became aware of them.

This is key to understanding the passage.

OK?

But first, let's take note of how Paul describes his state, his prior state. Of being killed by sin in verses 7 through 13.

OK?

So Romans 7 and verse 7. What shall we say then? Is the law sin? May it never be. Rather, I would not have come to know sin except through the law. So there it is described.

OK.

I didn't realize what sin really was until the law came. For I would not have known about coveting if the law had not said, You shall not covet. But sin...

There you go.

There we see again. Sin personified. Sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, worked out in me coveting of every kind. For apart from the law, sin is dead. Now I was once alive apart from the law as an unbeliever.

But when the commandment came to me, that is, when I realized it, in other words, when I realized what it really meant, sin revived and I died. And this commandment, which was to lead to life, was found to lead to death for me.

For sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. Killed me. All past tense there. So the law is holy and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. Therefore, did that which is good become a cause of death for me?

No.

May it never be. Rather, it was sin. In order that I might be shown to be sin, by working out my death through that which is good, the law. So that through the commandment, sin would become utterly sinful.

It's a mirror to expose how bad our sin really is. So Paul here is recounting his past. His first time discovering sin and being convicted of it by the law. As well as his previous relationship to sin prior to being saved.

Because in this condition, sin had mastered him and killed him. And then killed him.

So.

But this is important. This death by sin is also important. Remember the parallels in Romans 6. Now we are dead to sin. Dead to sin. And this regenerating baptism of death. Notice that very carefully.

Okay.

Now let's continue in verse 14 of Romans 7. For we know that the law is spiritual. But I am fleshly, having been sold into bondage under sin. Having been sold. Past tense. To bondage under sin. Let's stop right there.

Okay.

So we saw in Romans 7 -13. How Paul is describing his relationship to sin prior to being saved.

Okay.

Now.

Is it possible to apply verse 14 to a believer? We need to ask ourselves this question. Is it possible for a believer to say. But I am fleshly, having been sold into bondage under sin. How can this possibly refer to believers.

When this flies against everything that Paul said in Romans 6. The entirety of Romans 6. Did he not say earlier. That knowing this. Our old man was crucified with him. With Christ. Already. In order that our body of sin might be done away with.

So that what? We would no longer be slaves to sin.

Okay.

How is it possible then. That verse 14 could refer to a believer. We have to make sense of this in light of the whole counsel of God.

Amen.

So that seems very unlikely. This seems to be referring more to. An unbeliever.

Okay.

Who is fleshly having been sold under sin. Fleshly. In other words carnal. Carnal is another word for it. Now carnal can also refer to an immature believer. As Paul later on says. That you are carnal.

You are being carnal.

But again.

We have to be careful. With what exactly Paul means here. It seems pretty clear. That it cannot be a believer. Thus far. And just because. Not also the present tense right. He is saying I am fleshly. This is why some people in part think that.

Paul is describing himself in his present state. In his mature Christian state. It's like wait a minute though. That just because it's in the present tense. Does not necessarily mean. That Paul is referring.

To his present mature state as a believer. Writing this God breathed letter. Of Romans.

Because.

He could also be using a literary device. Known as the historical presence. Or the dramatic presence. For rhetorical emphasis right. And I think I just used this not too long. Just before when I was describing.

Martin Lowe Jones's views. Because he thinks that we shouldn't. It's not really. It doesn't really matter who Paul is referring to.

However.

Brother Lloyd Jones has passed away for some years now.

So.

But I'm describing. His views in the present tense. So this is in. Essentially what Paul is doing. He is using this rhetorical device. Because we have to make sure that we're not contradicting. Other passages right.

That's the analogy of scripture. Scripture cannot contradict scripture. That means that our interpretation. Is wrong. And we need to correct it. By harmonizing all of scripture with scripture.

Amen.

So.

Let's continue here. For what I am. Working out. I do not understand. I do not understand.

Okay.

Does that sound like a believer to you. For I am not practicing what I would like to do. But I am doing the very thing. I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not want. I agree with the law. That it is good.

The law is good. So now. No longer am I the one working it out. But sin which dwells in me. So notice here. Notice here.

There's.

He has a conviction of his sin now. And is just realizing. That he has somehow enslaved. To doing the evil. That he hates. But doesn't understand. How to deal with it.

Yet.

Right.

He's still. Discovering these things. As if for the first time. Now notice also the transition here. Earlier Paul said. That I am. Carnal. I am fleshly. Having been sold into bondage and as an I am. My entire person. Is fleshly.

But here. He is presenting a dichotomy. A contrast. He says.

Wait a minute.

I am doing the thing I hate now. I don't understand why I'm not practicing what I would like to do. And I'm realizing now. I am not the one working it out. But sin.

Is.

Which dwells.

In me.

So now we're starting to see a transition of sorts.

Okay.

There's a very subtle. Transition here. From a convicted. Unbeliever. Who is being weighed down by the burden of a sin. To a new.

Convert.

A recent convert.

Okay.

Verse 18. He continues. For I know. For I know. That not nothing good dwells in me. That is.

In.

My.

Flesh.

For the willing. Is present in me. But the working out of the good. Is not. There we see the contrast again. The dichotomy.

For the good.

That I want. I do not do. But I practice. The very.

Evil.

I do not.

Want.

But if I am doing the very thing I do not want. I am no longer the one working it out. But sin. Which dwells.

In.

Me.

Okay.

So he is discovering more fully now. That it is sin. Dwelling in his flesh. That's causing him these problems. To practice. The evil that he does not want to do. This tendency. To do evil. When he doesn't want to do it.

He's conflicted now. There is a conflict. An internal conflict. Verse 21. I find.

Then.

I discover.

Then.

As if for the very first time. The principle.

The law.

That in me.

Evil.

Is present. In me. Who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur. With the law of God. In the what. The inner.

Man.

My mind. My spirit. That's the inner man. But I see a different law.

In.

My.

Members.

My physical members. Man is two parts.

Right.

Body.