Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Romans 7 DEVO: The Law & Our Struggle with Sin

Chapter 7:
I love how Paul writes Romans – a logical & systematic laying out of Bible truths. In the first 6 verses Paul’s main point is “that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives.” He uses marriage to illustrate this. If a spouse dies, the remaining spouse is free to remarry because they are “released from the law of marriage.” In the same way, when a person dies to the old life and begins a new life with Jesus, the “law” of sin no longer has to be obeyed. Before I knew Jesus, I had no option but to sin, but now I can chose to live differently by God’s power – and so can you!
Paul then anticipates the next question: “What shall we say, then? Is the law sin?” Survey says… no: “the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.” Whenever we take our focus off the freedom God has given us and we put it on the restrictions He lines out (which are meant to protect us), we are deceived into sin – the same mistake Adam & Eve made! So the law is good, points out sin, but is not the cause of sin!
Paul then wraps up with what could very well be the testimony of all believers who desire to live for God: “For what I want to do I do not do………For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing……What a wretched man I am!” What is Paul’s point? Until we leave this planet, our new life in Christ will be at war with our sinful nature! Ahhhh……but there’s hope: “Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Wow – I need to hear this!!!
SO WHAT?!
*So where are you in relation to the law? Still under it because you have not put your faith & trust in Jesus Christ? Or, serving in the new way of the Spirit? God is offering forgiveness and a new way FREE today!
*When it comes to freedoms and restrictions, which ones do you focus more on? This tells us a lot about ourselves. Lord help us to be so consumed by your love, mercy & grace that we will thank you for both the freedoms and the “restrictions.”
*Finally, when you read 14-25, what sin comes to mind in your life (& mine)? Why not ask God to help in this area? Maybe look up some verses that address that sin and memorize them? God want us to help us be victorious in these daily battles!

No comments:

Post a Comment