A Romans 7 Moment

Originally posted in my notes -  Oct. 11, 2008

________________________________________________________

Romans 7:15 "For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. " 

I can now imagine the tone of voice Paul had when saying the above statement. I heard it from the back seat while driving to town yesterday:

Mayda (age 2): "Mommy I picked my face!" (she has a scab on her cheek which she won't leave alone)

Me: "Honey, don't pick that or it won't heal."

Mayda: "I did it, and it already hurts, and the blood will come out!"

Have we ever said: "I didn't want to do it but I just couldn't help it" ? We want so badly to be perfect as God desires of us, but yet it is impossible. This would be disheartening...

The chapter ends with this: "Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin." 

This is such a great lead in to Romans 8, which is of course the chapter that gets all the attention:

"Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." (Rom. 8:1-4) 

And so, we aren't perfect, but Christ is, and he has given us the ability to be "in Him." His identiy covering over ours, fulfilling our shortcomings. So that when God looks at those who have accepted Christ, He sees Christ.

I know this is basic stuff, and maybe everyone is yawning now, but I still stand amazed daily at the gift. I struggle daily with the growth. I want to be perfect... thank Heaven there is a provision for the fact that I'm not.

Mayda 2008 (see the rainbow?)