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Romans 7:19-20

For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

I don’t want to be rude, but sometimes I am even to those I love and appreciate the most. I don’t want to be impatient, but sometimes the irritation of something not happening when I think it should happen just jumps out of me. Martin Luther said that you cannot keep improper thoughts from “flying over your head,” but you can get them from “making a nest in your hair.” Why do I let those improper thoughts “land” and at least start the nest-building process? Why do I sometimes let them build the entire nest, complete with a wrap-around porch and back deck? I grew up in a very conservative home where swear words were off-limits, so I never developed that kind of vocabulary, but why do those words sometimes come to my mind? I was helping Lori make a stir fry last Friday when all the kids were home, and a big glob of hot oil splattered on my finger. In that instant, why did some words I never say try to escape my mouth?

My only solace is that the apostle Paul struggled with some of the same issues. In our passage today, he does not give details but makes the point that he doesn’t do “the good I want” but “the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” He concludes that it is the result of ”sin that dwells within” him that finds its way into his words, thoughts, and actions. Paul is not using this as an excuse; he makes a theological point.

For the believer, the penalty of sin is gone, but the propensity to sin remains. While in the body, we will struggle with sin. It is not what we want to do. And this struggle is not an excuse for sin or a reason to give into it. But it is a struggle, nonetheless. And there will be times when it rears its ugly head for all to see. We are saved by grace, and we live in the flesh. Paul will bring this to a conclusion later in Romans 7. But for today…acknowledge the battle. That’s the first step in the spiritual growth process called sanctification.

Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that a battle goes on inside my mind and heart. I will not be perfect until I see you face to face. Until then, please give me more victories than defeats. For your sake. Amen.

Today’s Journey Message:

Living with the Consequences of Sin