Man Versus Himself
We woke up this morning with a cold house once again! Our new furnace less than twenty-four hours old was not working. Fortunately the problem was a lose connection that was easily fixed. That was relief to us and the repairman, who has seen us all too often this week.
After a breakfast out with Debbie, we found out that her car needs just under $4,000 in repairs. So we have another decision to make, on her vehicle. I’m glad to have son in the used car business. So Debbie used my car for her patient calls and I enjoyed a laid back day at home. Fortunately at this time, I’m not in the hospital.
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “This, then, is my condition: on my own I can serve God’s law only with my mind, while my human nature serves the law of sin.” Romans 7:25
In our world of reality TV we find many interesting shows. Some of those are survival shows. The one I am thinking of is “Man versus Wild” or something like that. It is interesting to see how someone placed in a remote location uses his skills to confront surviving and living in the wild.
However, we see in Romans that one of the greatest challenges is “man verses himself” or a “woman versus herself.” The battle within can be as daunting as any battle for survival in the natural world. Paul puts forward some lengthy explanations about a dilemma that can be observed in mankind since the beginning of time, especially as the law is given to God’s people and they pledge their obedience, but consistently come up short.
People on their own, in spite of their good intentions and willpower, are not capable of consistently pleasing the Lord. His righteous standard is too high, and human nature is too weak. Paul summarizes it well when he says, “I serve God in my mind, but my actions serve my human nature.” And contrary to what many people want to admit, our human nature is not a godly nature, it is a sinful nature. We can try as hard as we want, but we all eventually “fall off the wagon” and violate God’s standard of perfection. That is called sin.
There is no escape, there is only one remedy, it is a “heart transplant” and a “new beginning or new birth.” As the Apostle Paul ponders this predicament, he asks the question, “Who will rescue me from this body that is taking me to death?” (Romans 7:24) Consider that for a moment. If your only hope of happiness in this life and an eternal destiny that avoids God’s judgment is your ability to “make it on your own” and you realize that you find yourself in an eternal “catch 22” what do you do? Just like the drug addict, we are all addicted to sin. We can’t help ourselves.
So Paul responds to his own question with a burst of hope and good news, “Thanks be to God, who does this through our Lord Jesus Christ! “ (Romans :25) I can’t, He can! I’m not good enough, Jesus was! And when I come to Christ, God does two things. He gives me credit for Christ’s righteousness. Wow, that’s like someone taking the test for you, doing your work, but you get the credit. But in this case, it is okay…it is the only way.
“This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” (Romans 3:22) “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.“
(2 Corinthians 5:21) Peter puts it this way, “Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God.” (1 Peter 3:18)
Then Christ places in our hearts the Holy Spirit. A new spirit by which we live in order to serve God, not just from our mind, but our hearts as well. As a result we are not condemned, but set free…not judged, but forgiven!
“Those who live as their human nature tells them to, have their minds controlled by what human nature wants. Those who live as the Spirit tells them to, have their minds controlled by what the Spirit wants. To be controlled by human nature results in death; to be controlled by the Spirit results in life and peace.” (Romans 8:5,6)
Man against himself is a lost cause. But the spirit of Christ against the human nature always wins. Our call is to surrender our lives to Christ, to invite His nature into our lives and then to live by that nature. That is what Paul says in Galatians 5:16-18 “let the Spirit direct your lives, and you will not satisfy the desires of the human nature…If the Spirit leads you, then you are not subject to the Law.” The law bring death, Christ’s Spirit brings life, choose life!