22 October 2021

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, 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. Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

From Romans 7:18-25, NRSV

In giving this honest admission of his own struggles with his conscience, Paul touches something that is at the core of all of us. For the most part, people want to do that which is good and yet we find ourselves falling into choices that go against our better judgement even when we know these are not to our ultimate benefit. Like Paul, there are times for all of us when we are confronted by our own “wretchedness”. Paul reminds the Roman Christians – and us too – that we do not need to remain in a state of wretchedness. We are recued from this spiritual death by God through the salvation gained by Christ’s life, death and Resurrection.

• • Why do you suppose Paul writes so honestly of his own struggles with doing good?
  • Have you ever identified with Paul’s feelings of wretchedness and, if so, how have you been able to move on from this?

Pray for those who are feeling the weight of the consequences of their sin and who feel unable to see a way forward.