Why Do I Do What I Don’t Want to Do?

Breaking Free From Besetting Sins

Why Do I Do What I Don’t Want to Do?

I. Introduction

A. What do have a hard time ?

1. My

2.

3.

4. Moods

5. Excessive

6. Sexual desires

7.

8. Other bad habits

9. _____________

II. Why Can’t I Change?

A. The problem

1. Romans 7:15-16, 18 (NAS) ¹⁵For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. ¹⁶But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. ¹⁸For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.

2. Mark 14:38b (NAS) “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

3. aren’t enough!

B. The results of the problem:

1.

2.

3. and discouragement

a. Romans 7:24 (NAS) Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?

C. The good news

1. You !

III. God’s Promise to You

A. John 8:32 (NAS) “And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

1. The secret to personal change is not !

2. You break free from a besetting sin by the !

3. The way you determines the way you . And the way you feel determines the way you !

4. Most people just try to work on their (their external behavior).

a. God says to start with your !

b. Bad cause bad !

c. If you’re going to change the way you , you must first change the way you !

B. Behind every self-defeating behavior is a that I’m believing.

1. I’m believing something about myself (or God, others, success, failure, life, my past, present, future, etc.), that is !

IV. The Foundation for Breaking Free From Besetting Sins:

A. Acknowledge that the of my “problem” is .

1. I John 1:8 (NAS) If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.

2. The basic attitude of sin: “I’m in and I don’t need .”

3. If I want to break free from besetting sins, I must stop myself.

B. Admit that is the only One who can me.

1. John 14:6 (NAS) “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

2. Romans 7:24-25a (NAS) ²⁴Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? ²⁵Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

C. all that I to Jesus Christ

1. “Why should I do that?”

a. Because nothing else !

2. II Corinthians 5:17 (NAS) Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

3. II Timothy 1:7 (NAS) For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

D. Happiness is a . God gives you a free will to do whatever you want with your life.

1. God says, “You can depend on , or you can depend on Me. But, you have to live with the !”

2. can be the turning point in your life!

V. Conclusion