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Romans: The War Within We Cannot Win - Kevin Maurice

·32 min·3 clips

Kevin tells kids to circle the 'word of the day' for a sweet treat, hinting at the most important word in Christianity.

This sermon by Kevin Maurice concludes a semester-long study of the Book of Romans at Grace Covenant Church. He addresses the internal conflict Christians experience between their desire to follow God and their ongoing struggle with sin. Maurice frames the chapter as a summary of the entire book's themes. He begins by examining the purpose of God's law, arguing it does not create sin but reveals it, similar to a Plimsoll line on a ship's hull showing its safe load limit. Maurice references the apostle Paul's writing in Romans 7:7, stating the law makes us aware of our sin, like a speed limit sign exposing we are already speeding. He explains that the law is holy and good, but it only diagnoses our spiritual condition without providing a cure. The sermon then describes the intense inner war Paul outlines in verses 18-19, where he fails to do the good he wants and does the evil he hates. Maurice compares this duality to Robert Louis Stevenson's *Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde*, illustrating the single person torn between two natures. He suggests that the very agony over this struggle is evidence of the Holy Spirit's work within a believer. A key insight is that willpower and self-effort are insufficient to win this war, leading to a point of desperation. The sermon builds toward Romans 7:24, where Paul cries out, "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" The pivotal moment identifies "Who" as the most important word, contrasting Christianity's focus on a savior with other religions' focus on methods or rules. Maurice declares the answer is Jesus Christ, who delivers believers from sin's penalty, power, and eventual presence. He uses the historical anecdote of Winston Churchill sleeping the "sleep of the saved" after the U.S. entered WWII as a picture of resting in a secured victory. The service concludes with communion, presented as a tangible reminder of this deliverance. The tone is pastoral, instructional, and conversational, directly engaging both adults and children with illustrations and interactive note-taking. The style is expository, walking through biblical text with practical analogies and a clear evangelical message. Listeners interested in Protestant theology, biblical exposition, or personal spiritual struggle would appreciate this episode. Those seeking a non-religious, academic, or interfaith perspective on scripture would likely find it less applicable.

As heard by us

Romans 7 framed as a plain account of the Christian tug of war.

This sermon stays close to Romans 7 and reads the chapter as a clear mirror for Christian life. It keeps returning to the gap between what believers want to do and what they still end up doing, and it says that tension in plain, workable language.

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Why you'd press play

If you feel split between wanting good and doing the opposite.

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