Romans 7:15-21 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 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.
Everyone (Christians and non-Christians) born has sin in them. The bible has made it clear in Romans 7:20 “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.”
Therefore when a Christian focus on their self-effort and will-power to do good, often they will most likely ended up doing Romans 7:15 “For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”
The more you focus yourself and depend on your own strength to do good and be right with God, you will end up failing and disappointed with yourself.
However, the bible has offered a solution.
Romans 7:24-25 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
The solution is to stop focusing on yourself and turn your attention to Jesus.
1 John 4:17 “This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.”
Colossians 2:9-10 “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness.”
Once you understood your new identity, the burden of achieving to live right and doing good to please God will be gone. Because Jesus has already achieved it and imparted it to everyone who believes in him and his finished work. When you are identified with Jesus, you will slowly change and become like him. In another words, we will become lesser and Jesus will become more. None of us, but all of Christ.
Everyone (Christians and non-Christians) born has sin in them. The bible has made it clear in Romans 7:20 “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.”
Therefore when a Christian focus on their self-effort and will-power to do good, often they will most likely ended up doing Romans 7:15 “For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”
The more you focus yourself and depend on your own strength to do good and be right with God, you will end up failing and disappointed with yourself.
However, the bible has offered a solution.
Romans 7:24-25 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
The solution is to stop focusing on yourself and turn your attention to Jesus.
- Find out how perfect is Jesus in God’s sight. (1 John 3:5 “But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.)
- Find out how much is Jesus accepted by God. (Mark 16:19 “After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.”)
1 John 4:17 “This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.”
Colossians 2:9-10 “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness.”
Once you understood your new identity, the burden of achieving to live right and doing good to please God will be gone. Because Jesus has already achieved it and imparted it to everyone who believes in him and his finished work. When you are identified with Jesus, you will slowly change and become like him. In another words, we will become lesser and Jesus will become more. None of us, but all of Christ.
