The struggle between wrong and right.

Romans 7:15 I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate


I think that one of the most common struggles that we face as Christians is the struggle between what we know we should be doing and what we are doing. In the book of Romans, verses 7:15-25, we can see where we're not the only ones who face this problem. In verses 15 and 16, Paul describes the problem: "For that which I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not wish to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that it is good." Does this sort of self-questioning sound familiar?

Notice in these verses, that there's only one player in these two verses, the "I," that is mentioned nine times. Notice also that this person has a good heart; he agrees with the law of God. But this good-hearted Christian has a behavior problem. He knows what he should be doing but, for some reason, he can't do it. He agrees with God but ends up doing the very things he hates. Once again, does this sound familiar?

Verses 17-21 show us the reason for this behavior problem: "So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which indwells me. . . . If I am doing the very thing I do not wish, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me." How many players are involved now? Two: sin and me. But sin is clearly not me; it's only living in me. Sin is preventing me from doing what I want to do. Sin is keeping me from the relationship with God that we all want and need.

Do these verses say that I am no good, that I am evil, or that I am sin? Absolutely not. They say that I have something living in me which is no good, evil, and sinful, but it's not me. If I have a sliver in my finger, I could say that I have something in me which is no good. But it's not me who's no good. I'm not the sliver. The sliver which is stuck in my finger is no good. I am not sin and I am not a sinner. I am a saint struggling with sin which causes me to do what I don't want to do.

Romans 6:12 informs us that it is our responsibility not to allow sin to reign in our lives. Sin will reign if we use our bodies as instruments of unrighteousness (Romans 6:13). We have to strive to get rid of the sin in our lives that we struggle with on a daily basis. Having said this, you need to remember that we need to draw our strength from God in this struggle because it's usually a fight we can't fight on our own. I tried for years to quit drinking, but it wasn't until I asked God for the strength was the desire taken away. Remember, Philipians 4:13 says "we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us," this includes getting rid of the sin in our lives. In fact, it was already done on the cross.

Praying that we all find the strength of Christ,
Pastor Mike