Pastor’s Pen
September, 2024
A common struggle for all Christians is the daily battle we face between our old sinful nature and our new nature in Christ. Thankfully we have the spiritual power to make a choice through the Spirit of Christ who lives within us. In other words Jesus in you!
Our Struggle is not with other people but between our old nature and new nature. It seems sometimes to be the fault of others but it really is a spiritual battle.
Please read Romans 7:15-25 in your bible.
Here Paul describes his own personal struggle. It sounds so much like our lives today doesn’t it?
He describes the inner conflict between his/our desire to follow God’s law and his/our sinful nature.
He states, "For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin" (Romans 7:14, NIV). As Christians are forgiven and alive forever spiritually through Christ, but Jesus said in John 16;33“In this world you will have trouble but take heart, I have overcome the world.”
Paul speaks to the dual nature of the believer's experience. While we may desire to do good and follow God's commands, there is an opposing force within us—our sinful nature—that pulls us in the opposite direction. This leads to a situation where we find ourselves doing what we do not want to do and failing to do what we desire.
Paul's words, "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" (Romans 7:19, NIV). This resonates with many believers. This is the tension between our new life in Christ and our old sinful nature.
Paul cries out in despair, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?" (Romans 7:24, NIV). This exclamation reflects the agony of a believer caught in the battle between their desire for righteousness and the reality of their sinful nature.
Despite the apparent hopelessness of this struggle, Paul offers a word of hope and thanksgiving: "Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:25, NIV). Here, Paul points to the ultimate solution to this spiritual struggle—the grace and deliverance found in Jesus Christ.
The recognition of our inability to overcome sin on our own leads us to depend wholly on Christ. It is through Jesus that we find deliverance from the power of sin and death. In Christ, we have the ability to give our lives daily to His control and have Victory!
Thanks Be to God!Pastor Dexter
