6-26-2018

Good Morning All,

         Romans 7:19;” For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.”

  Our middle granddaughter is approaching walking age.  She crawls everywhere and much faster than you would think.  I think his parents sometime prefer the time when she was less ambulatory.  But soon she will take those wobbly steps to independence.  I must admit; I find those first few attempts amusing.  Her older siblings and older cousin who passed through this stage were fun to watch.  They could stand up in the middle of the room any time they wanted.  You could see in their eyes that they wanted to walk but the feet didn’t go anywhere.  After a few seconds, they would look down at their feet as if thinking, “Feet do your stuff.”  It was fun to watch this. Their mind knew what to do but the message to the feet wasn’t getting through as effectively as it should.

   This is what Paul is telling us in our verse.  He knows what is good and proper to do; he just can’t get his body to do it.  He also knows what is wrong and should not be done; he just can’t stop sinning.  Paul is speaking of that tension that occurs within a Christian.  We are at the exact same time sinners and saints.  You can either say a “sainted sinner” or a “sinful saint” we are one in the same.

    This can really cause stress and tension for the Christian.  Many people, perhaps you, think that a Christian should be perfect, as in without sin.  So when we sin, we feel we are not saved.  Paul tells us that this isn’t even close to right.  Paul re-tells what Jesus spoke of in the Gospels.  The desire of your heart shows your faith.  If you desire to do what is good and right, if you place the needs of others ahead of your own, if you trust God for your care and future, you have faith.  If you desire only selfishness, self-centered desires and trust only your own thoughts, plans and wishes; then you may not have faith.

    Notice it is not that we slip and fall back into a sinful mode; it is the desire to sin and be only concerned about yourself.  If you sin and then feel remorse or guilt or the desire to correct it if you can; you are of faith.  You know what is good but sometimes you just don’t do it.  Even when you know it is wrong, sometimes you still do it; just like Paul.

    The essential part of this is that you do not cause your salvation.  This is always a gift from God.  Even your faith, the desire to trust in God’s promise, is given by the Spirit.  Yet our sinful nature still sneaks back in once in a while.  Yet God is a God of mercy; his love for you will never die.  This is important for us; we will fall into sin, sometimes big by our measures, yet God continues to love us and to treasure us.  Our salvation is God’s greatest gift for us.  Our trust in that promise is all we need.  God gives us the tools we need to face the challenges of today.  This is part of his grace for us.  All we have depends on him and not on us.  God’s grace overcomes all of our failures.

Gracious Lord, all my efforts fall short.  Without your mercy, I am lost.  Keep me safe in your loving arms.  Guard and protect me from all evil.  Be with those who are struggling today with the trials of this world.  In your precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret