Romans 7:15-25 I don't understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I can't. I do what I don't want to--what I hate. 16 I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience proves that I agree with these laws I am breaking. 17 But I can't help myself because I'm no longer doing it. It is sin inside me that is stronger than I am that makes me do these evil things.
18 I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn I can't make myself do right. I want to but I can't. 19 When I want to do good, I don't; and when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. 20 Now if I am doing what I don't want to, it is plain where the trouble is: sin still has me in its evil grasp. 21 It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love to do God's will so far as my new nature is concerned; 23-25 but there is something else deep within me, in my lower nature, that is at war with my mind and wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. In my mind I want to be God's willing servant, but instead I find myself still enslaved to sin.
So you see how it is: my new life tells me to do right, but the old nature that is still inside me loves to sin. Oh, what a terrible predicament I'm in! Who will free me from my slavery to this deadly lower nature? Thank God! It has been done by Jesus Christ our Lord. He has set me free.
Romans 8:4-8 (Living)So now we can obey God's laws if we follow after the Holy Spirit and no longer obey the old evil nature within us. 5 Those who let themselves be controlled by their lower natures live only to please themselves, but those who follow after the Holy Spirit find themselves doing those things that please God. 6 Following after the Holy Spirit leads to life and peace, but following after the old nature leads to death 7 because the old sinful nature within us is against God. It never did obey God's laws and it never will. 8 That's why those who are still under the control of their old sinful selves, bent on following their old evil desires, can never please God.
OBSERVATION
Yesterday we discussed the new life that we have through Christ and that we have to choose to be controlled as if we are a slave to righteousness. I hope that everybody that read that is back again today because there is something that I didn’t tell you.
This new life stuff, it is hard! I am trying to do what is right but oh no I blew it again. I wanted to watch my mouth, I wanted to be nicer to her, I wanted to pray and read my Bible and I meant to stay away from that. Within my own power I can not follow God’s perfect law for very long.
How can I possibly do it? God will never tell us to do something that we don’t have the power to do. I don’t have the power to do it on my own but thank you Jesus that you sent a helper to us like you said that you would.
The Holy Spirit gives us the strength to do those things that are pleasing to God, the power to overcome our old way of life that is trying to get us to live according to this world.
For God is at work within you, helping you want to obey him, and then helping you do what he wants. Phil 2:13 (Living)
APPLICATION
I will stay plugged into the power source. The Holy Spirit is the only power that I can use to live a life that is pleasing to God.
PRAYER
Thank you Jesus for sending the Holy Spirit to give us the power to please God with our lives.
