"I know that nothing good lives in me,
that is, in my sinful nature.
For I have the desire to do what is good,
but I cannot carry it out.
. . .What a wretched man I am!
Who will rescue me from this body of death?
Thanks be to God--
through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
Romans 7:18, 24-25a
Monday was the big day; it marked the beginning of the change, the start of a new way of eating, the onset of "The Diet." All the preparations had been made, fresh fruits and vegetables stocked the refrigerator, whole grain products lined the shelves and lean meats stood at attention in the freezer, waiting for their turn to be consumed. The plan was in place, enthusiasm was mounting and soon the pounds would start melting off.
Then temptation came, rearing it's ugly head in the form of a mid-morning craving for donuts. Thoughts of last week's freshly-made cinnamon rolls floated through my mind as the scent of bacon wafted past my nostrils. Why is it so hard to stick to this diet! I have the desire, I know what I need to do, but it seems I have no resistance to temptation. How will I ever lose this weight when I can't even get through the first few hours of my diet without thoughts of how I can cheat?
Anyone who has ever gone on a diet knows that the moment you deprive yourself of a certain food, that is the very thing that you want. If I tell myself I am cutting out potato chips, for instance, I will suddenly grow this strong urge to munch on Ruffles, even if I haven't eaten them in awhile.
This is a good example of how my sin nature works. The moment I make an effort to follow God's laws, evil rears it's ugly head. I may have the desire or urge to do what I know is right in God's eyes, but there is no power within myself to stand up to the temptation to do my own thing instead.
If the law had the ability to save me, there would have been no need for Jesus. Instead, God gave His law so that I would know how despicable my efforts to obey are. I fail time and time again! To add insult to injury, God placed His law within my heart and mind, leaving me no doubt as to how wretched a woman I am. (Jeremiah 31:33) What hope is there for me, a sinner?
Jesus is my only hope. As the One who took my place on the cross, taking the punishment meant for my sin, He made a way out of this miserable cycle, giving me a new way to live.
Effort?
One of my favorite television shows as a youngster was "Leave it to Beaver." This family sitcom took place in the late 1950's and highlighted the lives of Beaver, his brother Wally and their parents, Ward and June Cleaver.
Many times, the two brothers would get in trouble because of a scheme Wally's sneaky friend, Eddie Haskell, would mastermind. Eddie usually came out smelling like a rose while his unfortunate friends would bear the brunt of the punishment.
Eddie didn't care about the welfare of his buddies but only desired to carry out his destructive plans. Even though Wally and the Beaver were pretty good kids and wanted to do the right thing, it seemed as long as that conniving schemer was around, Wally and the Beaver had no chance of staying on the straight and narrow.
In a similar way, I may desire to do what pleases God, but as long as my sin nature is around, I'm doomed for failure. Since I can't get away from my flesh, I must find another way to live. As a follower of Christ, I can no longer depend upon my effort to do what I think is right.
Clearly then, making a resolution to stop swearing will not curb my propensity for cursing. Neither will declaring my intention to cease from worry stop my incessant anxiety. I can't expect to stop looking at pornography just because I don't want to do it anymore. There has to be more to living a godly live than just my attempts at improvement.
Hope to end the cycle of sinful patterns in my life must come from somewhere beyond my own effort.
Anything Goes?
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority began using the infamous slogan, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" in 2005. While this effective ad campaign may have increased revenue for the city known for gambling, entertainment and wild living, it is not a good motto by which to live my life.
Sometimes I do, however, adopt this way of thinking when I realize my efforts don't make a dent in my sinful behavior. Instead of increasing my exertion, which I know will not yield fruit, I may be tempted to take my approach to the opposite extreme. In doing so, I figure that since my sins are forgiven, I can live any old way I want to live and let the blood of Jesus cover me.
This kind of mindset is dangerous, to say the least. Not only am I taking too light of a view of sin, but I am also minimizing the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for me. Every time I fail to reach God's standard of perfection, I deserve death. My transgressions against a holy God are serious enough that He demands the ultimate penalty. Every time I fail to follow His ways, I deserve up God's wrath.
As much as God hates sin, though, that's how much He loves me. His love drove Him to make a critical sacrifice in placing His wrath for my sin upon His own Son. As the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus' death on the cross was enough to atone for the sin of all mankind. This, however, was not a painless act. The agony that Jesus endured for my sake goes way beyond anything I can imagine.
Not only was Jesus beaten, scourged, humiliated and tortured, but He also endured separation from His Father. As the sins of the world came upon Jesus, God turned His back on His beloved Son. Perhaps the pain of this break in the unity He normally experienced with His Father was even more excruciating than the physical pain of dying a tortuous death. Love is what drove God to commit this unthinkable sacrifice.
How, then, can I possibly think that sin is not a big deal? Even if it's just what I call a "little sin," that transgression still was a part of what drove Jesus to the cross. Clearly, then, living a life where anything goes is not a way to live my life for Jesus.
Hope for an eternity with a holy God and His Son who sacrificed so much for me must drive me away from living as if sin does not matter.
New Way
Since I have no ability within myself to adhere to the Law that God gave, yet sin is plainly not to be dealt with lightly, how should I live my life to please God? It seems I'm doomed if I try, and doomed if I don't.
The answer lies in not what I do, but whom I follow. Under the new covenant prophesied by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:33), I am now able to do what God wants. Instead of relying on my own effort, I find that as I follow my Shepherd, I am led toward His righteousness. (Psalm 23:3) He enables me to continue down this path that leads to life, and staying in relationship with Him allows His fruit to be borne in me. (John 15:5-8) In this way, Jesus works in me to accomplish what is pleasing to Him. (Hebrews 13:20-21)
Instead of trying to have a quiet time every morning, then, I find that I so desire to spend those moments with God that I rise early of my own accord with joy and anticipation of what He will tell me.
As a replacement for not taking a stand against sexually explicit, violent or indecent images that filter into my mind through television, movies and the Internet, I find that my conscience is so disturbed by what I see that I eagerly and willingly dispose of anything in my possession that does not please God.
When I usually have no problem with cheating on my taxes, justifying to myself that the government takes enough already and that I deserve to keep a little more for myself, I suddenly find that the previously rational explanation no longer makes sense and I desire to follow the letter of the law.
Jesus changes me from the inside out when I submit to His work in my life, leading me to live my life in the new way of the Spirit.
Just as going on a diet seems to set me up for failure, committing myself to doing what God wants will not earn me His favor. Taking on a form of cheap grace, however, and letting it all hang out is also not the answer to finding God's path. Instead, it is found by seeking Him with all of my heart and letting Him do the work through me. Then, I will find that I am walking in the New Way that pleases God.
As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can keep close to my Shepherd and not go off on either tangent that leads away from Him.
How do I depend on my own effort to do better for God?
When do I find myself giving up on taking a stand against sin and just letting it go?
