So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
Romans 7:14-25 NLT
These are some of the most influential verses in the Bible. No one in the ancient world would so intimately share their inner struggles. Their world (and ours) was bent towards showing the “good side” to others. Because he was accepted in Christ no matter the opinion of others, Paul found the freedom to share the struggle we all have with sin. Sin twists our desires, and we do what we don’t want to do. Rather than justifying his faults, Paul admitted his powerlessness; it is only through Jesus Christ that a person can be free (v.25).
Sin is not a problem “out there” in others; sin is a problem in each of us. Paul repeatedly made the point that sin is a problem in everyone. All have sinned; all are separated from God. Every human being needs Jesus. In these verses he shares the struggle we have all felt—we want to do good, but the power of sin pulls us away from God. We feel guilty but continue to do wrong things. Freedom from this struggle is found in Christ who, as He lives in us, gives the power to overcome sin and our selfish desires.
Sin is a problem for all of us. Don’t look down on others who are struggling—give praise to God that His power is in you and that you have chosen to follow Him. His power sets us free. Reach out to others and show them the freedom that comes from loving Christ. This was the mission of Paul’s life, and the mission God is inviting us to join.
How can God’s forgiveness and approval help you to be more authentic and vulnerable? Where are you struggling with sin?
