In Romans 7 Paul describes the terrible conflict within the believer who desires to live righteously.

Note below that the believer delights “the law in his inward man (soul)” (v22), but the Sin “in his members,” which we have seen is activated by the law, overpowers the man’s good intentions (v20). Man’s intentions and will power are not adequate to overcome the power of the Sin nature. Only Christ’s Spirit in the believer’s spirit trumps Sin in the flesh of man. The soul is not reliable to overcome the flesh.

Romans 7:17-23 (AMP) However, it is no longer I who do the deed, but the Sin [principle] which is at home in me and has possession of me. ¹⁸ For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot perform it. [I have the intention and urge to do what is right, but no power to carry it out.] ¹⁹ For I fail to practice the good deeds I desire to do, but the evil deeds that I do not desire to do are what I am [ever] doing. ²⁰ Now if I do what I do not desire to do, it is no longer I doing it [it is not myself that acts], but the Sin [principle] which dwells within me [fixed and operating in my soul]. ²¹ So I find it to be a law (rule of action of my being) that when I want to do what is right and good, evil is ever present with me and I am subject to its insistent demands. ²² For I endorse and delight in the Law of God in my inward man (his soul). ²³ But I discern in my bodily members [in the sensitive appetites and wills of the flesh] a different law (rule of action) at war against the law of my mind (my reason) and making me a prisoner to the law of Sin that dwells in my bodily organs [in the sensitive appetites and wills of the flesh].

We see here that by self-effort to try and keep "the Law," the fallen nature of Sin in man's flesh becomes so exceedingly and powerfully Sinful; it then become so obvious to us. It is God’s law that showed Sin for what it really was, and presented us with the certainty that we could never in ourselves live up to its perfect standard. Paul tells us that, apart from the law, he would not have known what Sin was. This dilemma cries out for an answer; the only answer for the believer who desires to live righteously is to realize that we are not under "the Law" (Rom 6:14), and then live by trusting “the spirit of life in Christ Jesus” within the believer’s spirit.

To the Galatians, Paul wasn’t pulling any punches. He said told as it was, calling them what they were: “Are you so foolish and so senseless and so silly? Having begun [your new life spiritually] with the [Holy] Spirit, are you now reaching perfection [by dependence] on the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3)

Once we see Christ is alive within us and that He is the overcoming Christian within every believer, we will thank God for His gracious provision!

“For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the Sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of Sinful man to be a Sin offering. And so he condemned Sin in Sinful man in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us who do not live according to the Sinful nature, but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:3-4)

⁸Those controlled by the Sinful nature cannot please God. ⁹ You, however, are controlled not by the Sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, your body (of Sin) is dead (figuratively) because of Sin, yet your spirit is alive because of (Christ’s) righteousness. (Romans 8:8-10)

Thus, we have addressed the matter of foolishly trying to overcome Sin by trying to keep the law by self-effort; we have seen the utter hopelessness of it. We have also seen that dependence upon “the spirit of life in Christ Jesus” within the believer is the only way for a Christian to live righteously.

Having seen the problem of Sin, and with that God’s adequate provision in Christ’s cross, we can agree with Paul. Receiving God’s divine favor and spiritual blessing dispensed by grace, spontaneously brings us to thank and glorify God. 2 Corinthians 4:15 (AMP) For all [these] things are [taking place] for your sake, so that the more grace (divine favor and spiritual blessing) extends to more and more people and multiplies through the many, the more thanksgiving may increase [and redound] to the glory of God.

Part 7 of 14 – Should we say “Okay, we are under grace, so now we can sin without penalty.”

Let’s now take a look at the other extreme, as spoken by a man who says “Well, we have grace, so we can Sin, its okay; we have the grace of God to take care of that.” While it is true that God’s grace is limitless to those who receive Christ, Paul answers this attitude in this way.

“Shall we go on Sinning that grace may increase? By no means! We died to Sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Romans 6:1-2)

Paul is not saying it’s impossible for believers to go back to sinning. He is saying, considering that we have died with Christ, the Sin nature that indwells our flesh is now rendered powerless over us. We once were Sin’s subjects, but now we do not have to yield to Sin’s temptations – we are free from Sin's dominion. Romans 6:7 …anyone who has died has been freed from Sin (loosed from Sin’s power).

Therefore, it is stupid for us then to go back to the habit of sinning. What does bondage to Sin have that we desire? Do we miss the guilt? Are we homesick for the lies? Do we enjoy being angry and vengeful? Do we like the sick feeling in your stomach when we practice sinning?

We would have to be out of our mind to miss our “old man,” our old, unrenewed, self-loving self.

Romans 6:6 (AMP) know that our old (unrenewed) self was nailed to the cross with Him in order that [our] body [which is the instrument] of Sin might be made ineffective and inactive for evil, that we might no longer be the slaves of Sin.

To return to Sin after having been awakened from Sin’ death, and then being anxious again about our sins does not make sense, but it’s not impossible for the Christian to sin. A believer can return to sin, but why would he want to?

Some take the following verse to be a license to sin.  Romans 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence (Sin) might abound. But where Sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

This verse prompted the Russian monk Grigori Rasputin, known as “the saint who sinned,” to teach that we should sin, and do so as often as we can, so God’s grace may abound in our lives. Obviously his view widely misses the mark of this verses intention.

Rom 5:20 is saying the Law makes “Sin” exceedingly obvious, so as to turn our heart to God and receive God’s love and grace. When we trust God we’ll find that the grace of His indwelling life reigning in our spirit is greater than the Sin nature in our flesh; it no longer has power over us.

This supposed freedom to sin is viewed by some as a "license to sin," as some call it. It sounds even more appalling to the religious legalistic Christian who prefers the Law to rule man. But consider this. Has the Law actually perfectly kept anyone from sinning? Remember, if you “offend in one point” of the law your “guilty of all (James 2:10). Obviously, the Law does not keep us from sinning. Scripture tells us, and also our own experience should make it clear to us, that the Law is powerless to make one actually live righteously.

We should not fail to take into account these two points.

1.) Christians still have a free will. Romans 12:2 (NIV) Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. Some Christians exercise their free will and choose to reject God’s grace of life and still live according to the world – yet they are saved by grace through faith - yet as by fire (see 1Cor 3:13-15).

2.) It is the grace of God reigning in our lives that is able to bring us to live righteously – because God’s grace is actively working in each of us “both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Philip 2:13).