Well-meaning parents and school teachers told you to "believe in yourself, you can do it."
24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 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.
Don't kid yourself, when it comes to living a good life that is pleasing to God, you don't stand a chance! Even the "best" Christ follower, the one with all the attendance awards and the ones that can quote Bible verses in King James, has something working against them that causes them to either struggle with sin or just give into it.
Look at the apostle Paul, the guy that we would say had it all together, he had to admit that there is something that is working against him wanting him to go against God. Paul didn't put his confidence in his ability to keep God's commands but rather he realized that it is only by God's grace that he was anything at all.
1 Corinthians 15:9-10 For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church. 10 But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.
I need to rely on God's grace. God choose to extend grace to me through his son Jesus so that I could have a relationship with him, he extends his grace at the time of salvation and he extends grace to cover my short-comings everyday.
Help me Lord as I strive to live each day for you, help me to remember that I am nothing without your power, you are the only one that can defeat the power of sin.
Look at the apostle Paul, the guy that we would say had it all together, he had to admit that there is something that is working against him wanting him to go against God. Paul didn't put his confidence in his ability to keep God's commands but rather he realized that it is only by God's grace that he was anything at all.
1 Corinthians 15:9-10 For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church. 10 But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.
I need to rely on God's grace. God choose to extend grace to me through his son Jesus so that I could have a relationship with him, he extends his grace at the time of salvation and he extends grace to cover my short-comings everyday.
Help me Lord as I strive to live each day for you, help me to remember that I am nothing without your power, you are the only one that can defeat the power of sin.
