Thursday 10 July 2008
- Bible Book:
- Romans
"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." (v.18-20)
Background
In the book of Acts, Peter, speaking to the leaders of the veryyoung Church in Jerusalem, described the Jewish Law as "a yoke ...which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear" (Acts 15:10).Peter was responding to a very important issue that arose withinthe early Church. How should followers of Jesus, who were not Jews,be treated? In today's passage, Paul is responding to the sameissue with the Church in Rome.
The 'Law' comprised the first five books of the Old Testament andcontained the tradition and rules for the people of God. It was thedocument that not only described a Jew and their origins, butkeeping its rules was what made that person right with God. Butdoes this mean that Christians are free from the Law? This is whatPaul is concerned with in this letter to the Romans.
The Law is God's law. It forbids sin and describes how a person isput right with God. However, Paul thinks slightly differently aboutit ... The Law itself has no fault, but what is not right is thatreligion, seen as keeping the Law, can put us right with God.
Paul's first argument is that the Law is only valid in earthlylife, so when a man and woman marry the marriage is only validuntil one or the other dies. Second, the Law and sin are not thesame thing - once Paul became aware of the Law it raised up allkinds of sins in him. When a parent says to a child "Don't do that"it creates the desire in the child to do it. Thirdly, the result ofthe first two is that it creates a conflict within Paul that itappears futile to resist. But the struggle is not futile since itis Jesus Christ who wins the victory for him.
Paul is describing something we all experience. We want to be good,but the more we work at it the more aware we become of ourweakness. Being linked to Jesus is our only hope of salvation.
To Ponder
Paul appears to be speaking about himself and hisown vices and struggles. Can we ever be really free from any kindof craving? What kind of things in your life do you want to get ridof?
What are the qualities we see in others that leadus to call them good people?