Romans 7:18-25; Psalm 119:66, 68, 77, 93-94; Luke 12:54-59 Who will deliver me from this mortal body? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Rom 7:24-25) How to interpret the present time (Lk 12:56) Sometimes it’s hard to be honest with ourselves. There are some truths about us that we really don’t want to face. And one of those truths is that our good intentions are not always enough when it comes to following God’s laws. Part of us doesn’t like facing the fact that we need Jesus and his grace. We’d rather forget that our ability to be righteous or holy comes through the cross and not through our efforts or good intentions alone. Paul provides a good dose of honesty in today’s passage. In no uncertain terms, he tells us that even though we may want to do good, we can’t if we rely only on ourselves. In fact, we find ourselves at times doing the very things we don’t want to do - the things we know aren’t right. And so we end up crying out with Paul, “What’s wrong with me?” Of course, we know what is wrong. Sin is a very powerful force, and the simple fact of our baptism isn’t enough for us to be completely free of its grasp. Yes, God has freed us from slavery to sin. We are all a new creation in Christ, and his life in us has changed everything. But that change won’t take root and flourish in us unless we choose to yield to him and the new life he has given us. It’s only as we practice leaning on Christ and drawing our strength from his love and grace that we will find true freedom from sin, not just good intentions. Narrowing to the Gospel perspective, how good are you at reading warning signs? Jesus expects his disciples to accurately read the signs of the times! Farmers and seafarers know the importance of spotting weather conditions for planting and safe travel. A lot of effort is made today, with the help of science and technology, to discern potential natural dangers, such as tropical storms, hurricanes, floods, tornados, earth quakes, and erupting volcanoes, so that people can be warned to take shelter before disaster hits. Our need for accurately discerning spiritual danger is even more necessary if we want to avoid a spiritual crisis or a moral disaster. Jesus used a vivid illustration to point out the urgency of getting right with God before it is too late. If you got into serious trouble with your neighbour and did something that could get you severely penalized (like being thrown into jail and loosing everything you owned), would you not try to settle the case out-of-court to avoid the worst consequences? None of us has the power and strength of will for overcoming sin and evil on our own. We stand in constant need of Gods grace, help, strength, and protection. That is why scripture uses vivid language to describe God as our rock, refuge, fortress, and mighty defense. We are also vulnerable to Satans lies and deceptions as well as our own spiritual blind spots for recognizing sin and moral weakness in our own lives. That is why we need Gods help and discernment for distinguishing between truth and error, right and wrong, good and evil. Fortunately the Lord Jesus, who is a just judge, is also a merciful advocate who pleads for us at the right hand of the Father in heaven. The light of Jesus Christ reveals what is in our hearts and his grace frees us from the tyranny of sinful habits, hurtful desires, and harmful addictions. Gods call is urgent and his grace is available for total freedom and transformation in Christ. If we want to turn away from sin the Lord is ready to give us the grace and help we need to choose for his way of love and holiness. But the problem is if we are ready for his saving grace and healing action in your life. What sinful areas in your life are the most stubborn? What do you do when you become frustrated by your failures to follow God? Are you tempted to grit your teeth and try harder to fix it yourself? Don’t do it! Rather, confess the truth about yourself, and turn to Christ. Thank him in the midst of your powerlessness, and surrender to him as Paul did. Come to him, and trust him to bring this good work in you to completion. “Father, thank you for saving me. Help me to keep trusting in your saving power. And, Lord Jesus, flood my heart with your love and free me from all that would keep me from doing your will. Transform my mind that I may discern what is right and have the courage to choose what is good and pleasing to you.” Amen.
Posted on: Fri, 25 Oct 2013 07:03:05 +0000
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