1. Therefore, there is now
no condemnation for those who are in Christ
Jesus,
2. because through Christ Jesus
the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law
of sin and death.
3. 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,
4. in order that the righteous
requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who
do not live according to the sinful nature but
according to the Spirit.
5. Those who live according to
the sinful nature have their minds set on what that
nature desires; but those who live in accordance with
the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit
desires.
6. The mind of sinful man is
death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life
and peace;
7. the sinful mind is hostile to
God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do
so.
8. Those 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 is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is
alive because of righteousness.
11. And if the Spirit of him who
raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who
raised Christ from the dead will also give life to
your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in
you.
12. Therefore, brothers, we have
an obligation — but it is not to the sinful
nature, to live according to it.
13. For if you live according to
the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit
you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will
live,
14. because those who are led by
the Spirit of God are sons of God.
There are two answers to
the question above.
1. People who aren't
Christians.
2. Christians who, on account
of their salvation, no longer have a sinful nature
but think they still do and act like it
(see
previous study, "Remember to
Believe").
Many Christians who struggle
with porn are in the second category. Though saved
by grace, they now try to overcome their porn
habits by works — the powerless
I-can-do-it-on-my-own approach of their former sinful
natures.
No wonder Paul advises that "we
have an obligation — but it is not to the sinful
nature, to live according to it" (verse 12
above).
Our obligation is to live by
grace and faith — to believe that Almighty God is
truly powerful enough to rid our lives of
porn.
So let's call on him for grace
to withstand porn. And if the deliverance isn't
overnight, be patient. Almighty God is on the case.