Delivered from Death - Thursday's Lesson

Read Romans 7:21–23. How have you experienced this same struggle in your own life, even as a Christian?

In this chapter Paul is describing how this man wants to do Good but he finds that evil is present with him. I am sure that this has been the experience of us all at one point in our Christian journey. We know what we should be doing or not doing but at the same time we find ourselves doing the evil rather than the good.

Paul here is describing the struggle between our minds and our actions. In our minds we understand theoretically what is right , but practically we do something totally different. This can be a vicious frustrating cycle, but there is hope for anyone who may ever feel this way.

How can we be rescued from this difficult situation we find ourselves in? Rom. 7:24, 25.

In this passage we find that our deliverance comes from Jesus Christ. Jesus can help us with this condition that Paul is describing in Romans 7.

Prayer: Father thank you for Jesus Christ. We often find ourselves struggling to do the good that we know to do please grant us victory in Jesus. Grant us your saving power. Thank your for your mercy and grace in Jesus name amen.

"If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me" (Rom. 7:16, 17). What struggle is presented in these verses.

The struggle presented in these verses is the struggle with the sinful human nature. There are things that we do which we know that we should not do according to God's law. As Paul says when we do those tings we testify that the law is good. Naturally we want to do what is bad. The Holy Spirit convicts us through our conscience and we know when we have done something wrong. This is the struggle presented in these verses.

What points that Paul had already made did he repeat for emphasis? Rom. 7:18–20.

Here again we see Paul making the point that if he wants to do good but is unable to do it then it is not him which does it. Paul says that it is the sin within him that keeps him from doing the good that he would like to do.

In this passage there is an acknowledgement of what is good , but at the same time there is a lack of power to do that good. The fact that the man in this passage knows what is good reveals that the Holy Spirit is as work in his life. The conflict comes in with the sin in him. The sin in him does not want to do the good so there is a struggle with this man.

Are you having the victories over self and sin that Christ promises us? If not, why not? What wrong choices are you, and you alone, making?

We must realize that all the choices that we make help or hurt our spirituality. When we refuse to obey what God has explicitly told us then we are damaging our spiritual perceptions. The more and more we refuse God the more difficult it becomes to choose the right. The best time to obey and do the right thing is always today.

Prayer: Father thank you for all that you have done. Help us to continue to choose you daily and to turn away from evil. Please grant us strength and power to be Christians. Thank you in Jesus name amen.