If you know me, you know Paul is my favorite Biblical writer. In my mind’s eye, I can see his history lessons and learn from his experiences. I feel Romans 7:14-25. He was speaking of me when he wrote it.… let me chase a rabbit. Think about Paul for a moment. He was educated on the law. A Pharisee. So, in many minds, he would be someone who would not struggle with following what God had laid out. But perhaps because he knew more about the Law, he felt the guilt of it all the more?
He does lay out that the overall trouble is not with the Law, it is with us. We are slaves to sin. It is in our nature. One of my favorite musical artists is Keith Green. He sings a song called Romans 7. It is a gut punch of reality, him singing the words of this chapter. “The very things I hate, I end up doin’. Things I wanna do, I just don’t do.”—gets me every time. Keith Green’s music impacted me at a pivotal time in my life. He, like Paul, directed me back to Christ.
We have all had a point in our lives where we find ourselves doing things that we shouldn’t or falling back into old habits that we can’t seem to get out of. We beat ourselves up and cry out much like Paul had. But we have his great example. He never gave up. He recognized that he was going to fail. But he also recognized who Jesus was and he turned to Him. In verse 25, Paul exclaims, “Thank God! The answer is Jesus Christ our Lord!” The great news is so can we. When we fall into that trap of feeling like a failure, we can turn to Christ!! Glory to God!!
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Moments for the Heart 