July 1st - Reflection

Romans 7:14-25 (NRSV)
I do not do the good I want

For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin. I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me.

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin.

Reflection
Jacob wrestled, Paul wrestled, King Saul wrestled, David wrestled, Peter wrestled, Thomas wrestled...who didn't wrestle, even Jesus wrestled. But the difference being is that Jesus won the fight for the rest of us. And I think that's the point here.

While we walk this life of sin and faith, we will wrestle with sin. We will find that sin is not what we want, but we do it anyway. Through faith we hope for an escape from this sin. And as we wrestle and fight we finally are broken down and lost to sin to come to the realization that we can't win this fight. We must turn to God for rescue in the fight. And that's when we suddenly realize that Jesus was given for us to win the fight. That Jesus is by our side in the fight. That Jesus is right there with us, blood running down his face, hands and feet bleeding, bruised and beaten by this very same sin, taking on the very sin we fight, and winning the battle.

Jesus wins the battle against sin, death and the devil for us, with us and in our stead! Through faith and hope in the power of Jesus we are gladly a slave to the law of God willing to fight and change from being a slave to the law of sin, because we have seen what Jesus endured to win that wrestling match for us.

Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, I give you all the praise and glory for coming into my life and taking care of what I could never take care of on my own...sin, death and the devil. You have won the victory. I place all my hope and life in you. Today, I go out to fight the battle of sin and death and the devil, knowing that on my own I will lose, but with your son Jesus, I have a champion at my side. --- Amen