24 October | EVERYONE
"O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" Romans 7:24
This is the desperate cry of a man who longs to walk in God’s path; but discovers that within him, there is an irresistible force that pushes him towards strange paths contrary to the will of God. It is as if inside him live two people struggling to take control of his life. "For what I am doing, I do not understand,” says Paul, “for what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. […] But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me” (Romans 7:15, 17).
Paul speaks of another person dwelling within him. The expression "the sin that dwells in me" refers to the sinful nature that we are all born with after the entrance of sin. These are the tendencies that lead us to evil. With our minds, we desire to serve God and walk in His ways, but the evil nature usually controls us.
Is there hope? Yes, there is. The apostle concludes by saying: “I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (v. 25). When a person surrenders to Jesus Christ, He immediately takes control of their mind and heart; and as a person walks with God, their sinful nature loses control of their life. It is true that it will be present until the day that Christ returns, but it will not be strong in the face of the power of Jesus Christ, to the extent that we feed the new nature.
Feeding is a time-consuming process. It is a constant, daily action. It is not limited to the weekly act of going to church, gathering with other Christians, and listening to a sermon. That is all part of the life of a child of God, but the feeding of the spirit goes far beyond that. It is more of a daily, constant action. It is talking with God and feeding on His Word, learning from Him, and following in His footsteps, while at the same time ceasing to feed the carnal nature. This process is a daily and constant struggle, but the promise is that we can emerge victorious.
Take Action
It is in our nature: No matter how many good resolutions we make for ourselves, we fall back again into the same or similar mistakes that often cause harm. How can we get out of this vicious cycle? Only resting in the power of God! Sing "O Wretched Man That I Am!" (if possible, with your family).