YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO SOMETHING STUPID TODAY!

The evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing!

Rom 7:15, 19:   I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate,  I do. (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.  Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

What is a true Christian? Are they those who achieved perfection?  No!

No, they are those who were called by God, have a relationship with Christ, are renewed by the Spirit, and are set free from the reign of sin.

But why does a redeemed Christian still need to be rescued from the things they keep on doing?  Because in this life believers are not entirely set free from our weak human nature!   We are not perfect yet.  We still do filthy, stupid things!!  Even when we hate ourselves for doing it!

It is about this struggle that Paul speaks in Romans 7. (Read the whole chapter!)  Paul tells us about his own problems and difficulties with sin - as a Christian. You certainly must have heard these words before:

(Rom 7: 19) 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.  Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

Paul compares his struggle with sin with carrying a dead body around, wherever he goes.  This is what he means when he says: "Who will rescue me from this body of death?" Paul knows the answer:  "Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Rom 7:25).

This testifies to a shocking feature of the Christian life. Believers can be deeply divided persons. Genuine faith and genuine wickedness can live side-by-side in us. This explains the sin of faith hero’s in the Bible like Abraham, David, Peter and many others. And it certainly explains why even prominent church members and leaders embarrass themselves, the church, and most of all their Lord, by falling into the trap of doing stupid, filthy things!   And then they too cry out like Paul did:   "Who will rescue me from this dead body that keeps me back and holds me down, when I desire to be victorious in my Lord?"

Christians need the preserving grace of God in their hearts and lives or else they will, in their own strength, fall into scandalous sin over and over again. The body of death we carry is too much for us to bear!  But, thank God, through Jesus Christ we can be more than only saved for eternal life - we can be rescued from this weakness that disappoints us, and others, so often. (Read Romans chapter 8 as well:  The Holy Spirit  gives us the very power of the resurrected Christ!)

Our comfort is that God preserves his children. They are called by God, have fellowship with Christ and are renewed by the Spirit. They are set free from the reign of sin.

Yes, they are not perfect. God needs to preserve them in the faith and in salvation, or all will be lost and none would be saved.   But, by the grace of God, we are preserved and we can persevere!

Have you done something terrible – something you cannot bear to carry?  Are you today sick with shame, with guilt and with fear because you did something filthy and stupid?   Are you ready to admit:  I cannot carry the dead body of my human weakness alone anymore?

You are a believer, right?  Well, having faith is good. It helps and it saves through Jesus Christ.  

But it’s not enough. 

Someone must help you to persevere in faith! And there is help available!  You need God’s mercy and grace. Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord we can be rescued from the body of death we carry around! (Rom 7:25).  Jesus can rescue us!  Only Jesus can!!

You DO NOT HAVE TO DO SOMETHING STUPID TODAY!

Call on the Name of Jesus!  Ask him to rescue you from the dead body you carry around - today, and every day. Ask him in the morning to rescue you, and thank him every night that he preserved you for another day that you persevered!  

You need God to live for God!

You need God to take the guilt, the shame and the fear away!  You need to battle with Jesus on your side.   And you need your fellow Christians who want to pray and battle with you!

GOD PRESERVES YOU FOR HIS KINGDOM. That is why you will be able to persevere!

Vasbyt Boet!