Tag: wretched man
Thanks be to God!
Scripture reading for June 23: Romans 7
“So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.” Romans 7:21-25
Paul described for the Roman believers how he personally wrestled in his own body and soul with the sin nature that was exposed by being under the law. The law of God acted as a mirror, revealing the rebellion to God’s law within him. In his mind, Paul wanted to do right and obey God’s law. In fact, he was a zealous Pharisee who delighted in God’s law. But he found a war going on within the members of his body that wanted to do evil and break God’s law. He felt like a captive in his own body to the appetites of his flesh, defeated in fulfilling his desire to do right. He was a wretched man under bondage to his flesh. Who would be able to deliver him?
Paul answered his own question: “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” It is through faith in Jesus Christ that the old sin nature in our members is defeated. God’s gift to us is Christ’s righteousness and the indwelling Holy Spirit Who leads us in triumph and applies Christ’s blood to our sins and eliminates guilt. Through the Spirit we put to death the old nature and find freedom. The Spirit reveals God’s Word and nature to us and in us as we humbly confess our sins and ask for mercy and power. The Spirit gives us understanding that we are God’s children and His love is shed abroad in our hearts! The Spirit brings the gifts and fruit that transform us into witnesses of Christ’s resurrection power.
Have you ever experienced what Paul describes as a war inside him between the desire to do good and evil present? Were you able to make the changes in yourself to defeat the evil desires from victory? Describe your “Thanks be to God” moment that helped you to victory.
Prayer: Father God, thanks be to You and Jesus Christ my Lord for the Gift of the Holy Spirit. Through Your Spirit, I am daily finding new freedom to walk in victory through humble dependence and obeying Your Word. Fill me with the Holy Spirit afresh today and use me to witness to a wretched soul. Amen.
The Spirit of Life!
Scripture reading for July 22nd: Romans 7:15-8:8
The Jewish way of life produced frustration for the godly Jew who sought obedience. Paul knew what he was talking about as a Pharisee who was zealous for keeping the law. He knew that the law was holy and he wanted to keep it. But he found that the harder he tried, the more he broke that law that he had set out to keep! His description of this is classic!
“So I find this law at work: When 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 the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” Paul’s experience was that of failure and frustration over the sin in his members. If his experience ended here, there would be no hope. ” Thanks be to God–through Christ Jesus our Lord!” (Romans 7:25a)
It was Jesus Christ who set Paul and us free from sin in our members. Jesus was made sin for us and bore that sin in His body on the cross on our behalf. Those that have believed on Jesus Christ are no longer under condemnation or left in a wretched condition of helplessness. The new law of the Spirit of life liberates us from sin and death. Now the requirements of the law are met in us through the Spirit. We are free now to live by the Spirit and not be under condemnation from failing to keep God’s law. We know God’s grace and forgiveness through Christ’s sacrifice.
Our minds must be set on the Spirit, however. A mind set on the Spirit produces life and peace in our everyday walk. We cannot set our minds back on the sinful nature. If we do that, death will result. The mind that is set on the sinful nature is hostile to God and cannot please God. (Romans 8:6-8) So we see that the Spirit gives freedom from condemnation, frustration, and a feeling of hopelessness. Are you making the choice to set you mind on the Holy Spirit today?