I have been thinking of this scripture and did not know were to find it until I called my friend. He told me where it was, if I would have kept reading Romans, as I am currently doing, I would have run in to it.
Romans 7:15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
Paul said this? WOW! Again, if you wrote over half of the New Testament you had to be pretty close with God and to say this? What hope do we have? Encouraging or discouraging?
Here is a few paragraphs from which Paul speaks about the above:
Romans 7:14-25 14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 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. 19 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. 20 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.
21 So I find this law at work; When I want to do good evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 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. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 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.
My bible called Quest Study Bible (NIV) has commentary on the side. This commentary usually starts out in a question and I am going to put the questions it asks pertaining to these scriptures below:
- Isn't this a cop-out? (Romans 7:17,20)
- If I'm a slave to God's law, why don't I always obey it? (Romans 7:21-25)
What do I have to say about all this? More will come later because I do not fully grasp or understand it. I like to write this in the blog because it helps me to remember what I am reading and keeps everything better organized then I do. I can easily go back look up a topic and add comments on what I feel or think. Please feel free to add your thoughts or comments and we'll study together. As Proverbs 27:17 says "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
Talk to you all soon.
2 comments:
It is not a cop out because Paul also tells us to Uphold the Law. Earlier this summer, two gentlemen came to our door. They were of a certain religion that I won't name here. Anyway, after some back-and-forth, they were unable to understand that I was sure that I was going to Heaven because of God's grace, and His promise to all believers as stated in the Bible. They couldn't understand why I wouldn't just live a life of sin if I was so sure of my salvation. They went as far as to say, what was the point of living if you didn't have to earn your way to heaven. This struck me as odd, because, under this mindset, what's the point of living when you finally reach Heaven? It's the same - to give glory to God, to enjoy His blessings, to be a part of a winning team. Not to mention, doing all of this with the new heart God gives the moment a person is saved. A heart that loves God. Before I was saved, it was impossible for me live a Godily life. But now, as Paul says - "Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!" My greatest desire is to live a Godly life.
Great stuff. Grasping that there is nothing I can do to earn salvation other than believe is still hard for me. It seems so free and so easy....that tends to trip many people up. I talked to a guy last weekend who kept telling me he was seeking, he knew there was more to life, he knew there was something he was called to do, he was seeking and unfulfilled. He is seeking and I have faith he will find when God wills it. I pray for this. When God finds him and opens his eyes he will know what he has been seeking. It is God. He will understand it is nothing he did or can do but only Gods amazing grace and mercy that saved him. It is not by works we are saved, Romans 4. What you said is right on! If we have to work to earn our salvation then we may boast, but when and how much do we need to do? Is it just having a good heart and doing good deeds? No, the bible says we will be judged by the law and "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Rom. 3:23. We already know we lost if we do not believe. If you could see in the future and knew if you went into the championship game and played according to your current strategy you would lose 42-0? What if someone told you all you had to do was kick the field goal and not go for the first down in your first drive and you would end up winning. This would then change the momentum to your side and you would win the championship 24-7? Would you do it? God tells us in Romans "all fall short" and "no one is righteous" yet he tells us also John 5:24 "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." John 6:29 "Jesus answered, ' The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent'" John 6:40 "For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." John 8:24 "I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins."
I am randomly going through John and picking out scriptures. It is amazing how clear this seems to be!
One of the most famous scriptures and can sum this up is John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
God is telling us if we believe we live if we don’t we die.
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