May the mumbling commence!
Yesterday’s talk of sinful patterns begs a question: What do we do with sinful patterns in our lives? Let us visit what a like to call the “do” passage from Romans chapter seven:
For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.
Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. 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. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
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? Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. (Verses 11-25)
If we embrace the Law of the Lord, our sins will become clear to us – painfully clear. You and I may have good intentions, but we both know where good intentions lead – they pave the way to Hell. Good intentions are part of that expansive highway in life that leads to death and destruction.
Like Paul, we wage war within ourselves. We know what we should do – in our minds we are a slave to the Law. But our very nature is sinful – the patterns and customs of this world make us a slave to sin.
This inner conflict forces me to join with Paul and say, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” Yes, I know that I am in need of saving. I know that Jesus has the power to save – thanks be to God.
Thanks to the Law and the Spirit that undergirds the Law, I know my own sinfulness. Bring those sinful patterns in your life to Jesus for transformation. I have sought salvation through Jesus the Christ, the Messiah of God. My hope is that you have joined me in this never-ending journey.
It is a journey of suffering. Not suffering for the wrongs that we have committed, but suffering for the painful seeking of change – change so that we may be more like Christ Jesus. O God, keep us aware and obedient to the movement of Your Holy Spirit in our lives. Help us to invite all of creation in our mutual discovery of Jesus and the Spirit he has gifted us with. Read from Romans chapter eight:
We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. (Verses 22-27)
We groan for transformation – the redemption of our bodies. We groan with all of creation. We groan with pain that has meaning – like childbirth. We hope and strive for this transformation in our lives because it is not fully realized.
But the hope is real and strong. God’s Holy Spirit helps us to pray and change ourselves into accordance with God’s will. Intercede, O Holy Spirit, and create a church body that more closely resembles the purposes that the Great Creator made it for.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
No comments:
Post a Comment