Perhaps chapter 7 of Romans confuses you somewhat. I find the sentence structures convoluted, and it seems like (at times, anyway) that Paul is really struggling to say what he wants to say. Then, for a moment, it becomes clear. Then, it's a struggle again.
Since Paul is talking about the relationship between sin and the law, between our desire for God and our temptations to do evil, it's perhaps understandable that his language sounds like a struggle. Because there's a struggle going on inside us: the struggle to do good, and the knowledge that we have done evil, and our guilt before God.
Many people have assumed that what Paul is writing is a sort of confessional, that he is saying, "this is what it was like for me before I followed Jesus." But actually, he is not writing about himself, but his "I" is meant to be EveryMan. He is not telling his story; he is telling all our stories. We are in bondage to sin, struggling to do the right thing but failing at every turn and in every way imaginable. We are spiraling out of control. What are we going to do?
The good news is: "what are we going to do?" is not even the right question. There is nothing for US to do. The question is not "what are we going to do?" but "what is God going to do?" And the answer is,
Thanks be to God, who has given us the victory through out Lord Jesus Christ.
Chapter 8 follows as one of the most soaring chapters in all of scripture. The chapter begins: Now there is no more condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. God has ended the struggle. God does not condemn us.
By grace God's spirit dwells in us, and helps us to turn to God again and again. By grace God's spirit dwells in us, and helps us through our suffering, helps us in our weakness, and proclaims to us, holds on to us, so that we know that God's love will never let go of us, no matter what happens to us. Even death can't separate us from God's love.
This is such a long way from the struggle just one chapter ago, in chapter 7, but it is the movement of our lives, every day, and every time we confess our sin. We move from our awareness of our bondage to experiencing the gift of freedom again. That is the power of God in Christ.
No comments:
Post a Comment