Devotion - Tuesday, April 5

Romans 7:13-25 is a sobering section of Paul's letter. Here he uses lines which have the potential to confuse us; he shares statements which describe us perfectly.

He writes, "For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do."

Paul speaks of a war within himself. At his core he wills what is right; but in his members he sees another law at work. He knows what he ought to do, but he does not find himself consistently doing it.

All of this is couched in his discussion of "The Law." He says that there is one law in effect with regard to his intentions; another law which directs his actions. "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?"

Perhaps you can relate to Paul's struggle. I know that I can. And like him I become disgusted with myself that I simply can't seem to do what it is that I know I ought to do. But words once spoken can never be retraced; actions will be interpreted by the one who observes them.

Paul's solution to the problem is Christ. Christ is the one who will deliver him. Christ is the one who can deliver me, and you.

The law requires that I do things right. The law insists that I not transgress. Christ invites me to begin with an acknowledgment of that which I find myself incapable of doing. Christ promises to respond to this confession with forgiveness.

It is not an excuse for continuing to do evil and it is not a get-out-of-jail card I can use whenever I want. But it is the assurance that if I place my confidence in Christ I have an escape clause. I have a way of acknowledging that it is not my intention to do harm nor is it my desire to cause unrest. It is an opening encounter in which there is the expressed hope that whatever transpires, it will be interpreted in light of the one who completes what we find to be beyond our reach.

I will forever fail to do what I really intend to do. For this, we express remorse. And we ask that we might be forgiven, in the name of the one who came to offer forgiveness to us all.