Dear Friends,
We hope this week's devotional will encourage you in your spiritual walk. We give thanks to Rev. Richard Giesken, associate lecturer, for writing this devotional.
You are welcome to share this and include it in your church newsletters if you wish; we just ask that you please give credit to NTC and the author. Thank you!
Romans 7:15-25a (NRSV)
15 I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. 17 But in fact it is no longer I who do it but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that the good does not dwell within me, that is, in my flesh. For the desire to do the good lies close at hand, but not the ability. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it but sin that dwells within me.
21 So I find it to be a law that, when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, 23 but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched person that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God[a] through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, with my mind I am enslaved to the law of God, but with my flesh I am enslaved to the law of sin.
Devotional thought: Rescued by Christ
Many of us can relate to what Paul says in this passage. We desire to do what is right, yet we often find ourselves weak and falling short. This inner conflict can be disheartening and leave us feeling like a failure for losing control. It may be experienced in various ways, from something as simple as succumbing to the desire for a sweet temptation while trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, to more significant challenges like struggling with unresolved anger or fighting to forgive past hurts.
In this struggle, Paul reveals a profound truth: our inner desires, concealed from others, hold the key to our authentic selves. They provide a glimpse into who we truly are at our core. This insight should not be taken lightly. It signifies the importance of acknowledging and understanding our own desires, as they shape our thoughts, motivations, and actions. Often those desires are shaped by what we see and hear in our own cultures.
The good news is that God's power in Christ Jesus offers us liberation from this inner turmoil. We no longer need to pretend to be something we are not. By God’s grace found in Christ, we can experience a power to transform our very being. God's Spirit works within us, aligning our desires with those of Christ Himself.
This transformation is not about simply suppressing or denying our desires, but rather allowing them to be reshaped and redirected according to God's will. As we yield to the Holy Spirit, our inner desires are conformed to the likeness of Christ. We become more Christlike in our thoughts, attitudes, and actions. The turmoil of inner conflict is replaced with the peace and freedom that come from living in alignment with God's purposes.
Allow God to transform you from the inside out, shaping your inner desires to be more like Christ. In doing so, experience the joy and fulfilment of living authentically and wholeheartedly for God. This is what we call holiness.
Prayer:
Gracious God, you know our struggles to live according to your word. We confess that we do not always get it right, and sometimes are painfully unaware of our own failures in this regard. Thank you for the grace that we find in Jesus Christ, our saviour, for the forgiveness of sin and the power for transformation. Reveal to us places where we need to grow in grace. Cleans us and empower us by your Holy Spirit, that we may live authentically and wholeheartedly for you. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Revd. Richard Giesken
Associate lecturer (Biblical Studies and Missiology)