Experience of Grace #4 - Acceptance of the Struggle
Description
In "Acceptance of the Struggle," Dr. Kurt Bjorklund unpacks Romans 7:14–25 and the tension every believer knows—wanting to do good, yet finding sin still at work within. Discover how embracing the struggle, rather than denying or surrendering to it, leads to deeper grace and a life increasingly aligned with Christ.
Summary & Application
Living in Grace When You Don't Live Up to Your Best Intentions
Have you ever set out to be a better version of yourself—more patient, more generous, more attentive to the people around you—only to find yourself doing the very thing you didn't want to do? If so, you're in good company. The Apostle Paul described this same experience in Romans 7, and in week four of the Experience of Grace series, Kurt walked through this passage to help us understand what to do when our best intentions collide with our actual behavior.
The Reality of Indwelling Sin
Paul opens Romans 7:14–25 with a striking admission: "We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, and what I hate I do."
Kurt explained that Paul is describing two realities at work in the believer's life. First, indwelling sin produces undesired acts. Second, indwelling sin prevents good acts. As Paul writes in verse 18, "For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out."
Kurt illustrated this with a memory of being a young father to four small boys. "Why would I yell?" he asked. "It wasn't because I had said, you know, I really want to be the kind of dad who yells… I would yell sometimes out of frustration and because I was big and they were small and I could. But when I would get quiet after the event was done, I would say, that is not the kind of dad that I want to be."
This tension is something every believer experiences. Whatever version of the person you want to be, there will be moments when even your best efforts fall short of your best intentions.
A War Within
Paul doesn't soften the language. In verse 23, he describes "another law at work in me, waging war." Kurt connected this to the broader spiritual reality: there is a battle going on for the soul of every believer. Scripture warns that the devil prowls like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Jesus Himself said the thief comes to steal and destroy, but He came to give life (John 10:10).
The question isn't whether the struggle exists. The question is what to do about it.
Five Possible Responses
Kurt outlined five ways people respond to the reality of indwelling sin:
Deny it — pretend the issue isn't really there.
Avoid it — what Kurt called "deliverance theology," the belief that if God doesn't take it away, there's nothing we can do.
Give up — conclude that sin is simply too strong.
Try harder — double down in our own strength, which usually leads to frustration.
Accept the struggle — acknowledge the depth of the battle and continue to pursue the person God made us to be.
The fifth option is the one Paul models. As Kurt put it, "What I mean is to acknowledge the depth of the sin, the battle we're in, and say, I accept that this will be an ongoing struggle, but I will continue to pursue being the person God made me to be."
Aligning the "Want To Want To"
One of the most helpful concepts from the message was the distinction between the "want to" and the "want to want to." There are days you don't want to go to work, but you go anyway because you want what comes from it. The deeper desire shapes the action.
The same principle applies spiritually. Kurt explained, "Aligning with Christ means saying, what I really want is to align my life with Him, even when it crosses my will." Sanctification isn't simply about willpower in the moment; it's about cultivating deeper desires that gradually shape our behavior over time.
Grace That Doesn't Depend on Performance
Then comes Paul's outburst of relief in verse 24: "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
This is the heart of the gospel. Romans 8:1 declares that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Your status before God is not based on how well you navigate the struggle.
Kurt offered a powerful analogy: "If someone asks why you love them and you say it's because they're pretty or smart, then they feel pressure to maintain that. But if you say, I just love you, it changes everything." That's what God has done through Jesus Christ. Even at our worst, we are still loved.
He closed with a reflection on John Newton, the author of "Amazing Grace," who came to realize that nothing could separate him from God's love. The more Newton saw his own sin, the more precious Jesus became to him. The same dynamic is true for every believer. Recognizing the depth of our struggle doesn't drive us away from grace; it deepens our appreciation of it.
Living in the Tension
The Christian life is not a steady upward climb to perfection. It's a journey of accepting that the struggle is real, the war is ongoing, and the grace of God is greater than every failure. Paul ends the chapter holding both realities together: a slave to God's law in his mind, yet still battling sin in his nature. And in the middle of that tension, he gives thanks.
That's the invitation of Romans 7—not to deny the struggle, not to surrender to it, but to accept it and keep pressing forward, anchored in the unshakable love of Christ.
Questions for Reflection
Of the five responses Kurt outlined—denying, avoiding, giving up, trying harder, or accepting the struggle—which one most closely describes how you tend to respond when you fall short of your intentions? What would it look like this week to move toward "accepting the struggle" instead?
Where is there a gap between your "want to" and your "want to want to" right now? What is one practical step you could take to begin aligning your deeper desires with Christ in that area of your life?
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Let’s pray together.
God, as we're gathered around Pittsburgh this weekend and online, I ask that you would speak to each of us who's gathered as part of Orchard Hill. I ask that my words would reflect your word in content and in tone and in emphasis. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen.A Christian author and pastor wrote the following prayer:
Father, the truth about me is that sometimes I choose sin.
Sometimes I choose hatred.
Sometimes I choose slander.
Sometimes I choose envy.
Sometimes I choose greed.
Sometimes I choose pettiness.
Sometimes I choose lust.
Sometimes I choose gossip.
Sometimes I choose pride.
Sometimes I choose self-reliance.
Sometimes I choose self-righteousness.
Sometimes I choose self aggrandizement.
Sometimes I choose dishonesty.
Sometimes I choose unkind words.
Sometimes I choose to ignore the obvious needs around me.
And sometimes I choose to hoard my resources.
And sometimes I choose to neglect your command to share the gospel.The list of things that I wrongly choose could go on and on. And sometimes I act on these things in ways that are even darker than I care to state. Each time I make such a choice, I choose death as taught in Romans 6:23. Today I ask that you would breathe life into my soul afresh and enable me to choose life and to choose you and your ways.
Now I don't know how that strikes you. Some of you may say, well I can relate to that. Others of you may say, that seems like kind of over the top in terms of this person's self reflection. I had somebody say to me recently, just as we've been working our way through Romans, especially these chapters six, seven, eight, they said, seems like you're talking a lot about sin in the last few weeks. It's like, well yeah, it's kind of in the text and it's kind of the point of Romans 6 through 8 is this experience of grace where in Romans 1 through 5 we learn all about why we don't deserve to be in a relationship with God because of our sin. And yet God makes it possible through Jesus Christ and how it isn't what we do that somehow gets us in right standing with God, but it's what Jesus does. And it's our faith in Jesus that gets us there. And therefore it isn't like we somehow earn it.
And then in chapter six, the Apostle Paul basically comes and he says, so if this is true, then why do anything? Like why try? If it's all God in the past, in the future, then what difference does it make? And he answers that. He uses that little phrase again, God forbid, or may it never be. Basically this, what a horrible idea is what he basically says. Certainly not. I think the NIV translates it.
And then in chapter seven, he comes and he asks the question, well then, if I don't get rid of all of the law and the rules—and to a degree here he's talking about the Mosaic Law, the Old Testament law, and that can confuse it. C.S. Lewis did a great little appendix in one of his books, I think it was The Abolition of Man, where he talked about the law. And he said, you know, when you read about the law in the Bible, you may be inclined to say, well is this a specific law? What is this?
He compared the law of Christianity to Judaism, to Hinduism, to Islam. And he basically said the tenets are so incredibly similar in terms of things like be kind, don't steal, don't kill somebody. These things are universal. And his point was to say, when you read about the law here, it's something that's written on our hearts. You don't have to be a Christian to say, I aspire to some of these things. And so even if you say, hey I'm not really a church person, there are things you want to be true in your life that have a universal imprint.
And the challenge that Paul talks about then here in Romans 7 is he says, well then if you try to somehow keep these rules, these standards, this law, you will become mechanical in it, in a sense. And what he does in the beginning of chapter seven is he talks about marriage as an analogy. And he basically says, if you try to keep standards as your way of relating, you're going to lose the love.
Here's what this means. If you try to relate to your spouse by saying, I kept the rules. What were the rules that you wanted? Yeah, I did that. You're going to leave the person feeling kind of cold. But if you really love somebody, then you don't need a lot of rules because you're seeking to please the person. And so Paul is basically saying, yeah it's not like you just get rid of the rules altogether or the law or the standards, but you live them through love, not through just a kind of mechanistic keeping of these rules.
And then in verse 13, 14 through the end of the chapter, which is what we're looking at today, he asks the question again about why this leads to death, or does the law lead to death? And here's really the promise in some ways of Christianity, is that you can change. Not just that you have a future in heaven one day, but you can change here and now. You can be different. That's what 2 Corinthians 5:21 means when it says if you're in Christ you are a new creation.
If you've come to trust Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you've become new. This was Paul again in Romans chapter six talking about how we've been changed, that we're not the same as what we've been.
And so in verse 13 he asks this very pointed question: did that which is good then become death to me? Talking about the law. And he says again, by no means. That same phrase, what a horrible thought. Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandments sin might become utterly sinful.
And then what he does is he twice uses the word “know.” In verse 14 he says, we know that the law is spiritual, but I am unspiritual. Verse 18, I know that good itself does not dwell in me.
We know that the law is spiritual, but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, and what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.
So he says, I’ve got this sin deep inside of me that sometimes causes me to act in ways that I don’t want to act.
Now, I realize that in saying that, some people will be like, so what you're saying is like sin, the devil makes me do the bad things that I do. Like don’t give me that excuse, or don’t give my friend, my kids, my spouse that excuse. But this is a common experience, that whatever your version of the person you want to be, the morality you want to have, there are times that in your life you will find that even in your best efforts, you don’t live up to your best intentions or efforts.
Now let me give you an example. I have four sons. They’re big now, but they were little once. And when they were little, one of the things that would happen from time to time is they would get all kind of wound up together. And I would get frustrated. And when I would get frustrated, sometimes I would yell. Anybody else ever do that as a parent?
And why would I yell? It wasn’t because I had said, you know, I really want to be the kind of dad who yells. I want to be the kind of dad who has fits of emotional rage and anger that hurt the spirits and souls of my kids. I would yell sometimes out of frustration and because I was big and they were small and I could. But when I would get quiet after the event was done, I would say, that is not the kind of dad that I want to be. That is not the way I want to live.
And what Paul is saying here is that we all have this sin inside of us, that sometimes we will do things that are undesired, that are evil, that are wrong because of this sin. And he uses this word “dwell.” He says it dwells in us. It makes its home in us. There is a sense in which your nature is still sinful. And the NIV here translates the word that some older translations translate as “flesh” as “sinful nature” or “unspiritual.” And it’s saying that this is just part of who you are because it’s there.
And then we see the second “know” statement, which is in verse 18. “I know” here is basically teaching us that indwelling sin can also prevent good acts. So indwelling sin produces undesired acts. Indwelling sin prevents good acts.
Verse 18: “For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” There it is. Sometimes I want to do the right thing, and I don’t. “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.”
Now, if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. Again, you may say, well, is this Paul’s way of just saying, well, I can’t help it? But notice what he’s saying is that sometimes when I want to do the right thing, I just don’t.
Have you ever considered Jesus’ story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10? Jesus tells the story about a man who fell among robbers and was beaten, lying on the side of the road. The religious leaders walked by on the other side. And then the Samaritan stops and helps him.
The Samaritan was the cultural enemy of the man lying on the road. He takes him to an inn and says, take care of him, and whatever it costs, I’ll pay when I come back. And Jesus says, which of these was the neighbor? And then says, go and do likewise. The translation of that is that to be unresponsive to obvious need is to not live out the values of Jesus Christ.
So let me ask you, have you ever walked past obvious need when you knew it was there? There are moments in life where you think, I could do something—and you don’t. And what he’s saying is, this is indwelling sin.
Now before I go any further, there are different ways people have interpreted these verses. Some say this is Paul before faith. Others say it’s a defeated Christian experience. Others say this is Paul describing his actual experience as a follower of Jesus Christ. And that’s how I take it.
I think it’s the most natural reading of the text. Because in verse 22 he says, “I delight in God’s law,” which is not the experience of someone who’s not a follower of Jesus.
And Paul was a Pharisee. He was meticulous about keeping the law. There’s no indication he abandoned that. What changed was his awareness of sin. The closer you get to Jesus Christ, the more you recognize the iceberg beneath the surface.
Then verse 21:
“So I find this law at work: although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law, but I see another law at work in me, waging war…”
He talks about war. There is a battle going on. Scripture says the devil prowls like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Satan wants to destroy your life. There is a thief who comes to steal and destroy, but Jesus comes to give life. So what do we do? Let me suggest five responses.
The first is to deny it. To say, this isn’t really an issue. The second is to avoid it—what I call “deliverance theology.” The idea that if God doesn’t take it away, there’s nothing I can do. But while God sometimes delivers instantly, that’s not always the case. The third option is to give up. To say, sin is too strong. The fourth option is to try harder. But doubling down in our own strength often leads to frustration. Which leads to the fifth option: to accept the struggle.
And by accept, I don’t mean just saying, well, I’m in a struggle and that’s just the way it is. What I mean is to acknowledge the depth of the sin, the battle we’re in, and say, I accept that this will be an ongoing struggle, but I will continue to pursue being the person God made me to be.
Some people say it’s unhealthy to talk about being sinful. But Jesus said, “You who are evil know how to give good gifts.” Recognizing this is actually healthy. Assigning sin somewhere else or avoiding it is not the point. The healthy thing is to say, I see my own propensity for it, and I’m still engaged in the struggle.
Tim Keller told a story about a man who experienced tragedy and showed remarkable faith. But later, he couldn’t handle his own internal struggle and took his life. There was no room for sin dwelling in him, and it led him to an unhealthy place. Embracing the struggle means aligning our desires with God.
Sometimes we confuse the “want to” with the “want to want to.” Aligning our desires means addressing the deeper level so that it shapes our behavior. Think about work. There are days you don’t want to go to work. But you go anyway because you want what comes from it. That deeper desire shapes your action. In the same way, aligning with Christ means saying, what I really want is to align my life with Him, even when it crosses my will.
Then Paul says:
“What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” There is deliverance.
Then he says:
“So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to sin.”
He’s saying both realities are present. But here’s why “thanks be to God” is so important—because your status is not based on how well you navigate this.
Romans 8:1 says there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Think about relationships. If someone asks why you love them and you say it’s because they’re pretty or smart, then they feel pressure to maintain that. But if you say, I just love you, it changes everything.
That’s what God has done through Jesus Christ. Even at our worst, we are still loved.
John Newton, who wrote Amazing Grace, reflected on this. He said that after repeated experiences of his own weakness, he realized nothing could separate him from God’s love. And Jesus became more precious to him. The more we see our sin, the more we appreciate grace.
So if you’re here today and you’ve never trusted Jesus, the message of Romans is that all of us sin, and none of us can make ourselves right with God. But Jesus has done it. And if you believe, it is credited to you as righteousness. And for those who do believe, maybe today is a day to say, God, align my heart with Yours so that the “want to want to” grows.
God, help us to be people who live in Your grace, who experience Your grace even more fully in our shortcomings and failures. And we pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Thanks for being here. Have a great day.
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This transcript was edited with the assistance of artificial intelligence. Filler words, false starts, and verbal artifacts from spoken delivery have been removed, and grammar has been updated for readability. Every effort has been made to preserve the speaker’s original words, meaning, and intent as closely as possible. This document is not a verbatim transcript. For the original audio or video recording, please refer to Orchard Hill Church’s official media resources.
