Romans 7:19
Verse
Context
Struggling with Sin
18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.19For I do not do the good I want to do. Instead, I keep on doing the evil I do not want to do.20And if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
Sermons







Summary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
For the good that I would I do not - Here again is the most decisive proof that the will is on the side of God and truth. But the evil which I would not - And here is equally decisive proof that the will is against, or opposed to evil. There is not a man in ten millions, who will carefully watch the operations of this faculty, that will find it opposed to good and obstinately attached to evil, as is generally supposed. Nay, it is found almost uniformly on God's side, while the whole sensual system is against him. - It is not the Will that leads men astray; but the corrupt Passions which oppose and oppress the will. It is truly astonishing into what endless mistakes men have fallen on this point, and what systems of divinity have been built on these mistakes. The will, this almost only friend to God in the human soul, has been slandered as God's worst enemy, and even by those who had the seventh chapter to the Romans before their eyes! Nay, it has been considered so fell a foe to God and goodness that it is bound in the adamantine chains of a dire necessity to do evil only; and the doctrine of will (absurdly called free will, as if will did not essentially imply what is free) has been considered one of the most destructive heresies. Let such persons put themselves to school to their Bibles and to common sense. The plain state of the case is this: the soul is so completely fallen, that it has no power to do good till it receive that power from on high. But it has power to see good, to distinguish between that and evil; to acknowledge the excellence of this good, and to will it, from a conviction of that excellence; but farther it cannot go. Yet, in various cases, it is solicited and consents to sin; and because it is will, that is, because it is a free principle, it must necessarily possess this power; and although it can do no good unless it receive grace from God, yet it is impossible to force it to sin. Even Satan himself cannot do this; and before he can get it to sin, he must gain its consent. Thus God in his endless mercy has endued this faculty with a power in which, humanly speaking, resides the salvability of the soul; and without this the soul must have eternally continued under the power of sin, or been saved as an inert, absolutely passive machine; which supposition would go as nearly to prove that it was as incapable of vice as it were of virtue. "But does not this arguing destroy the doctrine of free grace?" No! it establishes that doctrine. 1. It is through the grace, the unmerited kindness, of God, that the soul has such a faculty, and that it has not been extinguished by sin. 2. This will, though a free principle, as it respects its nilling of evil and choosing good, yet, properly speaking, has no power by which it can subjugate the evil or perform the good. We know that the eye has a power to discern objects, but without light this power is perfectly useless, and no object can be discerned by it. So, of the person represented here by the apostle, it is said, To will is present with me, το γαρ θελειν παρακειται μοι. To will is ever in readiness, it is ever at hand, it lies constantly before me; but how to perform that which is good, I find not; that is, the man is unregenerate, and he is seeking justification and holiness from the law. The law was never designed to give these - it gives the knowledge, not the cure of sin; therefore, though he nills evil and wills good, yet he can neither conquer the one nor perform the other till he receives the grace of Christ, till he seeks and finds redemption in his blood. Here, then, the free agency of man is preserved, without which he could not be in a salvable state; and the honor of the grace of Christ is maintained, without which there can be no actual salvation. There is a good sentiment on this subject in the following words of an eminent poet: - Thou great first Cause, least understood; Who all my sense confined To know but this, that thou art good; And that myself am blind. Yet gave me in this dark estate To see the good from ill; And binding nature fast in fate, Left free the human will. Pope's Universal Prayer.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
For, &c.--The conflict here graphically described between a self that "desires" to do good and a self that in spite of this does evil, cannot be the struggles between conscience and passion in the unregenerate, because the description given of this "desire to do good" in Rom 7:22 is such as cannot be ascribed, with the least show of truth, to any but the renewed.
John Gill Bible Commentary
For the good that I would, I do not,.... The apostle here repeats what he had delivered in Rom 7:15 to strengthen and confirm this part of his experience; that though he had a will to that which was good, yet he wanted power, and had none of himself to perform; and therefore often did what he would not, and what he would he did not. to strengthen and confirm this part of his experience; that though he had a will to that which was good, yet he wanted power, and had none of himself to perform; and therefore often did what he would not, and what he would he did not. Romans 7:20 rom 7:20 rom 7:20 rom 7:20Now if I do that I would not,.... The same conclusion is formed here, as in Rom 7:17, not with any view to excuse himself from blame in sinning, but to trace the lusts of his heart, and the sins of his life, to the source and fountain of them, the corruption of his nature; and to ascribe them to the proper cause of them, which was not the law of God, nor the new man, but sin that dwelt in him.
Romans 7:19
Struggling with Sin
18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.19For I do not do the good I want to do. Instead, I keep on doing the evil I do not want to do.20And if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
Be Sure Your Sin Will Find You Out!
By Keith Daniel3.5K1:16:33PSA 119:9PSA 119:11ISA 57:1JHN 17:15ROM 7:19ROM 8:6GAL 5:16JAS 4:7This sermon emphasizes the importance of repentance, seeking God's forgiveness, and walking in the Spirit to overcome sin and live a life pleasing to God. It highlights the power of God's Word to cleanse, renew, and guide individuals away from evil and towards righteousness. The message encourages humility, self-control, and a deep commitment to studying and applying the teachings of the Bible to avoid spiritual shipwreck and experience God's grace and restoration.
Total Commitment
By J. Edwin Orr2.1K28:51Total CommitmentROM 3:23ROM 5:1ROM 6:23ROM 7:15ROM 7:19ROM 8:11ROM 12:1In this sermon, the speaker focuses on the subject of sin and its impact on humanity. He explains that both Gentiles and Jews are sinners, emphasizing that all people have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. The speaker then moves on to discuss the concept of justification, highlighting that through faith in Jesus Christ, believers can be justified and have peace with God. He also addresses the ongoing struggle with sin in the life of a believer, using Romans 7 to illustrate the internal conflict between wanting to do what is right but sometimes falling into sin. The speaker concludes by emphasizing the importance of relying on God's grace and reckoning oneself dead to sin but alive to God.
Thursday #2 Complete Commitment
By J. Edwin Orr1.9K53:19Revival TheologyMAT 6:33JHN 10:16ROM 6:7ROM 7:15ROM 7:19ROM 12:1EPH 4:22In this sermon, the preacher discusses the doctrine of renewal and the concept of complete commitment to God. He uses a story about a Hopi Indian to illustrate the idea of having two dogs that represent the struggle between sin and righteousness. The preacher emphasizes that every person is born with the guilt of sin, except for Jesus Christ. The solution to this problem is justification, which means being set right with God and declared innocent through faith in Jesus Christ. The preacher also emphasizes the importance of dedicating one's whole life to God and living a holy and acceptable life as a living sacrifice.
Three Keys to Spiritual Victory
By Jim Cymbala1.8K32:51Spiritual Victory2SA 15:21MAT 16:26ROM 7:19EPH 6:121TI 6:122TI 4:7In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of fighting for souls and standing against evil. He encourages believers to fight for their loved ones through prayer, even when they are facing difficult situations. The preacher also highlights the need to discern when to walk away from certain battles and not waste time and energy on unnecessary conflicts. He calls for a deeper commitment to Christianity, beyond just attending church on Sundays, and urges believers to be all in for God's work. The sermon concludes with a reminder of the importance of being fully engaged and committed in every aspect of life, just like a dedicated basketball player on the court.
(Men God Made) Samson
By Willie Mullan1.3K51:01SamsonJDG 13:1MAT 6:33ROM 7:19ROM 7:24GAL 5:17In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the story of Samson from the book of Judges. He emphasizes the theme of restoration and the grace of God. The preacher highlights how Samson, despite his flaws and mistakes, was restored by God and used mightily for His glory. The sermon also emphasizes the importance of learning from Samson's life and the consequences of giving in to the lusts of the flesh. The preacher encourages the audience to turn their eyes upon God and seek His deliverance and guidance in their own lives.
Revival Begins With You - Part 1
By Tom Phillips98637:03Personal Revival2CH 7:14PSA 81:10MAT 22:37MAT 28:19ROM 7:192CO 3:51PE 3:15In this sermon, the speaker discusses the opportunity and simplicity of sharing the word of God. He emphasizes that God will provide the words for us to speak and encourages listeners to not be afraid or worried about what to say. The speaker shares his favorite witnessing verse, Psalm 81:10, which reminds us to open our mouths wide and allow God to fill them. He also emphasizes the importance of rejoicing in Jesus and being a vessel for God's work.
Christ's Life in You
By Erlo Stegen56140:38LifeGEN 1:26ISA 26:3ISA 53:5MAT 6:33ROM 7:192CO 3:2HEB 9:26In this sermon, the speaker reflects on the presence of negative traits in our lives such as anger, irritability, and unfriendliness. He emphasizes the need to examine our lives and align them with God's plan. The speaker then refers to Genesis 1:26, where God created man in His image and gave them dominion over the earth. He highlights the importance of living in a way that reflects God's image and asks the audience to consider what others would read in their lives. The sermon also touches on the role of sin and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ in reconciling man with God, and the failure of previous attempts, such as sacrifices and the giving of commandments, to restore man to his rightful place.
Authority Over Satan, Tape 1
By Otto Koning2MAT 4:10ROM 7:19EPH 6:10PHP 4:6JAS 4:71JN 4:4Otto Koning shares his experiences in Dutch New Guinea, highlighting the spiritual warfare he faced among head hunters and demon-possessed individuals. He reflects on the struggle to stand against the powers of darkness, emphasizing the importance of being filled with the Spirit and resisting Satan. Through his journey, he learns to rely on the power of Jesus' name and scripture to overcome fear, worry, and impure thoughts, ultimately leading to victory in spiritual battles.
Christ: The Object of Our Desire
By Chip Brogden0GEN 3:16GEN 6:5PSA 23:1PSA 73:25MAT 6:33MRK 14:1LUK 7:36LUK 10:38LUK 22:42JHN 12:1ROM 7:19COL 2:6JAS 4:2Chip Brogden preaches about the importance of having Christ as the sole desire of the Church, emphasizing that our desires are often rooted in sin and selfishness. He highlights how our righteousness can be misguided and how we may unknowingly seek to please ourselves even in spiritual matters. Brogden stresses the need to daily die to self and follow Christ, just as we initially accepted His sacrifice for our sins. He warns against selfish desires in prayer and urges believers to have Christ as the center of their lives, finding contentment and fulfillment in Him alone.
Victory Over Your Besetting Sin
By David Wilkerson0Victory Over SinFear Of God2SA 11:27PSA 36:1PRO 3:7PRO 14:27PRO 16:6ROM 7:19David Wilkerson emphasizes the destructive power of secret sin in the lives of Christians, which leads to cowardice and defeat. He illustrates this through the story of King David, whose sin with Bathsheba followed a great victory, resulting in his estrangement from God and the boldness of his enemies. Wilkerson argues that true victory over besetting sin requires a deep-seated fear of God, which has been neglected in many churches today. He calls for a return to teaching about the fear of the Lord as essential for overcoming sin and experiencing genuine deliverance. The sermon challenges believers to confront their sins rather than excuse them, highlighting the need for a profound relationship with God.
Sermon on Threefold Righteousness
By Martin Luther0ROM 3:23ROM 6:23ROM 7:192CO 5:21EPH 2:8Martin Luther preaches about the threefold nature of sin and righteousness. The first sin is outwardly criminal acts, opposed by a righteousness based on appearances and earthly rewards. The second sin is inherent and uncurable by human strength, countered by the righteousness of Christ received through faith and grace. The third sin is personal actions, which can only be overcome by faith in Christ and works that promote righteousness and diminish original sin.
True Submission: A Matter of Choice
By Charles Finney0Disinterested LoveTrue SubmissionMAT 6:33MAT 16:25MRK 10:29LUK 10:27ROM 7:19ROM 8:31CO 10:311CO 13:1JAS 4:7Charles Finney emphasizes that true submission to God is a conscious choice that requires the relinquishing of selfish motives and a genuine love for God and others. He warns against false hopes rooted in selfishness, asserting that true submission involves a complete acquiescence to God's will and a commitment to prioritize His glory over personal interests. Finney clarifies that submission does not mean being willing to sin for God's glory, but rather entails a heartfelt obedience to His moral law and a desire for the good of others. He illustrates that true happiness is found not in pursuing one's own interests but in seeking the glory of God, and he concludes that the gospel calls for a disinterested love that transcends selfish desires.
Divine Life and Deliverance From Bondage to Sin and Death
By T. Austin-Sparks0MAT 11:28JHN 5:1ACT 7:39ROM 7:19GAL 5:1EPH 2:6HEB 4:9HEB 10:38HEB 12:15T. Austin-Sparks preaches on the significance of the miraculous sign at the Pool of Bethesda in John 5:1-18, highlighting the Jewish setting during the Feast of the Passover and the man's struggle under the law for thirty-eight years, symbolizing Israel's wilderness journey. He draws parallels to the bondage of the law in Galatians and the freedom found in Christ, emphasizing the importance of walking in liberty and not returning to legalism. The sermon underscores the need to embrace the grace and truth brought by Jesus Christ, who offers rest and deliverance from the burdens of the law.
Causing Our Enemies to Flee
By David Wilkerson0Victory Over SinGod's Love and CompassionROM 7:19ROM 8:37David Wilkerson emphasizes that sin can lead Christians to live in defeat and cowardice, robbing them of their spiritual vitality and courage. He highlights the struggle between the flesh and the Spirit, referencing Paul's confession of doing what he does not want to do. Despite God's hatred for sin, His infinite compassion remains for His children, assuring them that nothing can separate them from His love. Victory over besetting sin is crucial, as it leads to the fleeing of all other enemies such as worry, fear, and anxiety. Wilkerson encourages believers to confront their sins boldly to reclaim their spiritual strength and freedom.
The Life of Obedience
By Mary Wilder Tileston0DEU 16:20DEU 26:16PRO 3:5ROM 7:19JAS 4:171JN 1:9Mary Wilder Tileston emphasizes the importance of following what is just and righteous to experience a fulfilling life, as commanded by the Lord in Deuteronomy 16:20. She urges believers to wholeheartedly keep and do God's statutes and judgments, with all their heart and soul, as instructed in Deuteronomy 26:16. Tileston echoes Frederick Temple's warning against ignoring the clear voice of conscience and the command of duty, emphasizing the need to discern between right and wrong. Furthermore, she highlights Jean Nicolas Grou's teaching on the necessity of making a firm resolve to never deliberately give in to faults, act against conscience, or refuse God's requirements, laying a strong foundation for a spiritual life despite inevitable inadvertencies.
The Significance of the Death of Christ
By T. Austin-Sparks0The CrossIndependence from GodGEN 3:1ISA 53:5EZK 28:13JHN 8:44ROM 7:19ROM 10:32CO 5:21PHP 2:81PE 1:181JN 4:20T. Austin-Sparks emphasizes the profound significance of Christ's death, illustrating how it addresses the essence of sin, which is independence from God. He explains that this independence leads to enmity with God, creating distance and impotence in our spiritual lives. The sermon highlights the dual aspects of the Cross: the judgment of sin and the acceptance of Christ as the perfect sacrifice, which bridges the gap between humanity and God. Sparks urges believers to recognize the cost of salvation and the necessity of surrendering their independence to fully embrace the power of the Cross. Ultimately, he calls for a deep reverence and gratitude for the price paid for redemption.
The Love of the World and the Love of God
By J.C. Philpot0PSA 49:10PRO 23:2ISA 48:22JHN 17:23ROM 7:19ROM 8:131CO 15:581JN 2:15J.C. Philpot preaches about the dangers of loving the world and its temporary pleasures, emphasizing that those who love the world do not have the love of the Father in them. He contrasts the characteristics of those who love the world with those who do the will of God, highlighting the eternal consequences of each path. Philpot urges believers to resist the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, as they all stem from the fallen world and are opposed to God. He emphasizes that the world and its desires will pass away, but those who do the will of God will abide forever in His presence.
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
For the good that I would I do not - Here again is the most decisive proof that the will is on the side of God and truth. But the evil which I would not - And here is equally decisive proof that the will is against, or opposed to evil. There is not a man in ten millions, who will carefully watch the operations of this faculty, that will find it opposed to good and obstinately attached to evil, as is generally supposed. Nay, it is found almost uniformly on God's side, while the whole sensual system is against him. - It is not the Will that leads men astray; but the corrupt Passions which oppose and oppress the will. It is truly astonishing into what endless mistakes men have fallen on this point, and what systems of divinity have been built on these mistakes. The will, this almost only friend to God in the human soul, has been slandered as God's worst enemy, and even by those who had the seventh chapter to the Romans before their eyes! Nay, it has been considered so fell a foe to God and goodness that it is bound in the adamantine chains of a dire necessity to do evil only; and the doctrine of will (absurdly called free will, as if will did not essentially imply what is free) has been considered one of the most destructive heresies. Let such persons put themselves to school to their Bibles and to common sense. The plain state of the case is this: the soul is so completely fallen, that it has no power to do good till it receive that power from on high. But it has power to see good, to distinguish between that and evil; to acknowledge the excellence of this good, and to will it, from a conviction of that excellence; but farther it cannot go. Yet, in various cases, it is solicited and consents to sin; and because it is will, that is, because it is a free principle, it must necessarily possess this power; and although it can do no good unless it receive grace from God, yet it is impossible to force it to sin. Even Satan himself cannot do this; and before he can get it to sin, he must gain its consent. Thus God in his endless mercy has endued this faculty with a power in which, humanly speaking, resides the salvability of the soul; and without this the soul must have eternally continued under the power of sin, or been saved as an inert, absolutely passive machine; which supposition would go as nearly to prove that it was as incapable of vice as it were of virtue. "But does not this arguing destroy the doctrine of free grace?" No! it establishes that doctrine. 1. It is through the grace, the unmerited kindness, of God, that the soul has such a faculty, and that it has not been extinguished by sin. 2. This will, though a free principle, as it respects its nilling of evil and choosing good, yet, properly speaking, has no power by which it can subjugate the evil or perform the good. We know that the eye has a power to discern objects, but without light this power is perfectly useless, and no object can be discerned by it. So, of the person represented here by the apostle, it is said, To will is present with me, το γαρ θελειν παρακειται μοι. To will is ever in readiness, it is ever at hand, it lies constantly before me; but how to perform that which is good, I find not; that is, the man is unregenerate, and he is seeking justification and holiness from the law. The law was never designed to give these - it gives the knowledge, not the cure of sin; therefore, though he nills evil and wills good, yet he can neither conquer the one nor perform the other till he receives the grace of Christ, till he seeks and finds redemption in his blood. Here, then, the free agency of man is preserved, without which he could not be in a salvable state; and the honor of the grace of Christ is maintained, without which there can be no actual salvation. There is a good sentiment on this subject in the following words of an eminent poet: - Thou great first Cause, least understood; Who all my sense confined To know but this, that thou art good; And that myself am blind. Yet gave me in this dark estate To see the good from ill; And binding nature fast in fate, Left free the human will. Pope's Universal Prayer.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
For, &c.--The conflict here graphically described between a self that "desires" to do good and a self that in spite of this does evil, cannot be the struggles between conscience and passion in the unregenerate, because the description given of this "desire to do good" in Rom 7:22 is such as cannot be ascribed, with the least show of truth, to any but the renewed.
John Gill Bible Commentary
For the good that I would, I do not,.... The apostle here repeats what he had delivered in Rom 7:15 to strengthen and confirm this part of his experience; that though he had a will to that which was good, yet he wanted power, and had none of himself to perform; and therefore often did what he would not, and what he would he did not. to strengthen and confirm this part of his experience; that though he had a will to that which was good, yet he wanted power, and had none of himself to perform; and therefore often did what he would not, and what he would he did not. Romans 7:20 rom 7:20 rom 7:20 rom 7:20Now if I do that I would not,.... The same conclusion is formed here, as in Rom 7:17, not with any view to excuse himself from blame in sinning, but to trace the lusts of his heart, and the sins of his life, to the source and fountain of them, the corruption of his nature; and to ascribe them to the proper cause of them, which was not the law of God, nor the new man, but sin that dwelt in him.