The law is good, then. The trouble is not with the law but with me, becasue I am sold into slavery, with sin as my master. I don’t understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate. I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience shows that I agree that the law is good. But I can’t help myself, because it is sin inside me that makes me do these evil things.
I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn, I can’t make myself do right. Iwant to, but I can’t. When I want to do good, I don’t. And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. But if I am doing what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing it; the sin within me is doing it.
It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all of my heart. But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
I read this passage last night in the bible (Romans 7:14-25 NLT). As a human we live in a sinful world, its tough enough morally making right decisions. Its even harder once we accept the Lord our God as our Saviour. I think it would be harder for someone who is not a believer to try to understand, but I think as a believer you understand what I am saying. In my bible theres explanations of passages. I liked the following corner stone, so I thought I would include it.
Living to please God may seem like a daunting task. And for some, it is. They struggle to live up to a list of do’s and don’ts. They try to obtain God’s favor through acts of kindness and compassion. They attempt to “appease” God for their sinful behavior by going to church or making a “confession.” But this passage- in fact, this entire chapter in Romans-lets you know that it is possible to live a life that is pure and pleasing to God.
The beginning verses of this chapter explain that once we enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ, God frees us from the “vicious circle” of sin and death through the power of his Holy Spirit. This terminology illustrates the basis of our freedom; In essence, the Holy Spirit you received by accepting Jesus Christ into your life has made you a “slave” of Jesus Christ-not a “slave” of your sinful nature.
