Today's Scripture
Hope in Jesus – Romans 7:13-25
TODAY’S READING SCHEDULE: Gen 18-19 & Rom 7(CEB)
13 So did something good bring death to me? Absolutely not! But sin caused my death through something good so that sin would be exposed as sin. That way sin would become even more thoroughly sinful through the commandment. 14 We know that the Law is spiritual, but I’m made of flesh and blood, and I’m sold as a slave to sin. 15 I don’t know what I’m doing, because I don’t do what I want to do. Instead, I do the thing that I hate. 16 But if I’m doing the thing that I don’t want to do, I’m agreeing that the Law is right. 17 But now I’m not the one doing it anymore. Instead, it’s sin that lives in me. 18 I know that good doesn’t live in me—that is, in my body. The desire to do good is inside of me, but I can’t do it. 19 I don’t do the good that I want to do, but I do the evil that I don’t want to do. 20 But if I do the very thing that I don’t want to do, then I’m not the one doing it anymore. Instead, it is sin that lives in me that is doing it.
21 So I find that, as a rule, when I want to do what is good, evil is right there with me. 22 I gladly agree with the Law on the inside, 23 but I see a different law at work in my body. It wages a war against the law of my mind and takes me prisoner with the law of sin that is in my body. 24 I’m a miserable human being. Who will deliver me from this dead corpse? 25 Thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then I’m a slave to God’s Law in my mind, but I’m a slave to sin’s law in my body.
What does this passage mean to me/us
The first step to desire the light of Jesus is to acknowledge the darkness that exists in our lives.
I don’t know anyone who wants to do evil. My interaction with people, so far, confirmed my belief that people are still good, or at least try to live good.
I do believe in the power of sin. The power that prohibits us to do good, despite our desire to live good.
Even Pual, the greatest apostle, and follower was torn in between the darkness and light.
He cries out of agony, “I’m a miserable human being. Who will deliver me from this dead corpse?” (v. 24)
The only hope we have to turn our eyes upon is Jesus Christ. When we fix our eyes onto our Lord, we will see how the power of grace reigns in our lives and pulls us out of the miserable situation.
Let us turn our eyes to the Lord!
Prayer
Lord, we fix our eyes on to you! Shine on us today! In Christ name, we pray, AMEN.
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