Sinful Nature
14We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
Bee's Thoughts:
All of us have experienced what Paul experienced, including children.
The sinful nature in us since the fall of man never give up in causing us to sin. However, the law of God in us, after we have become Christians, causes us to rebel against the law of our sinful nature. For non-Christians, they don't feel this battle, though at times their conscience does prick them.
There are still struggle within me between good and evil. I need God's strength to overcome my sinful nature.
Dear Lord,
I pray that You will fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that He will overflow in my life and squelch the sinful nature that is waiting to make me sin. Let me love with purity and please You.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Tommy's Thoughts:
There are many Christian out there who are struggling the way Paul described in today’s passage. At one hand, we are trying hard to obey God’s commands and on the other we felt helpless in overcoming sin. We may feel lost or trying to find excuses to our actions.
We learned from Paul that becoming a Christian does not stamp out all sin and temptation in our lives, in fact, our fight become even harder. But, we shouldn’t give up or discouraged when we fall but to know God will lovingly reaches out to lift us up again.
Instead of overcoming sin with our own strength, Paul teaches us to fight them together with Christ by our side. He will help us not to give in to sin when we seek Him with a humble heart. We also need to know that thank God for giving us freedom and power over sin through Christ.
Dear Father, thank You for reminding me that Satan and the power of sin are defeated enemies because of what Christ has done for us. Teach me not to fight any sin by my own strength but to take hold of the power of Christ, who has conquered sin once and for all. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
