I love Paul’s approach. I think the effect of the encounter with Jesus on the way to Damascus was more profound than it appeared. Based on Paul’s testimony of his life before Christ he had been quite a proud man as a Pharisee and scholar. While he was on his way to Damascus, still savouring his success of destroying the church and planning what he was about to do next, his thoughts and vision were suddenly and powerfully interrupted by the revelation and voice of Jesus. I can imagine the humiliation and regret that followed. In an instant, after meeting this humble and powerful servant; the great teacher Jesus, Paul had no qualms in throwing overboard any pride in his own life and therefore became the great teacher he was. He therefore had no problem acknowledging his own weaknesses to make his learners understand principles of the Kingdom.
We all struggle with sin and do not always understand where to draw the line. Paul wrote down a clear explanation in Romans 7:7-25: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%207:7-25&version=NIV1984. When Paul spoke about the effects of sin on himself, it is meant for us to actually identify with him as we read this passage, and not judge him from the outside.
Paul mentioned that the law actually made sin to become sin. If someone does not know something is wrong, how can it be sin to them? Take for instance sex outside of marriage in some pagan families in the civilised World. Many of these people have never come into contact with the Bible. For generations it was nothing strange that the daughter brought her boyfriend into her parent’s house to live with her in her bedroom. Parents actually approve of the ability of their daughter to find a boy interested in having intercourse with her. The parents learned it from their parents, so why would it be wrong?
This is what Paul meant when he said that sin became sin through the law. However, if we look at the Christian and sin, we see that sin and the sinful nature are actually our active enemies. “For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death,” (Verse 11). The moment we know something is sin; sin will actively try and get us to sin. This is why, for instance, pornography is so rife and freely available on the Internet, for Jesus intensified the commandment of adultery by saying in Matthew 5:27-28: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Because Jesus said this, Satan and the sinful nature make every effort to get as many people as possible to disobey the Lord.
Paul used himself as an example with whom we can identify. Because he was only human he really struggled with sin, just as we do, but he used a practical illustration of his own experience with sin to teach his readers. “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature,” (Verses 15-18).
The difference between devoted Christians and the disobedient in this respect is that Christians classify their actions. Do our actions belong to the sinful nature and we resist it, or do they belong to the Spirit and we obey it? Whatever we do need to be measured by the Word of God (the law), and if the Word does not disapprove of it, we may do it and vice versa.
“So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin,” (Verse 25).
Lord, help me classify my actions.
Thank you Lord that your Word went out from your mouth, via your servant’s pen, and it will not return to you empty, but will accomplish what you desire and achieve the purpose for which you sent it.
Please pass this on if you think others may benefit by it.
No comments:
Post a Comment