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7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. 9 Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.

13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate, I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

 

In my Bible, this section is subtitled “The Law and Sin”. Paul draws their attention to the difference between the Law (Ten Commandments and other imbedded in the Jewish religion) and seeking to not sin. We can read the Commandments and rightly say that we do not murder or steal or commit other sins. We probably follow the letter of the law yet maybe miss the point of the law. This is what Paul is telling the Romans. You may be old enough to remember Jimmy Carter famously admitting that he had “lust in his heart” and it was a struggle for him to uphold his faith. At the time, he was running for President in 1976. While he ultimately won the election, his admission was interpreted as a weakness that might make him unworthy of the presidency. In our text, Paul makes a similar admission about his sins.

 

There is often a tendency to interpret a law looking for that fine line where we are barely abiding to the law. We are not perfect, far from it sometimes. Overcoming sin and evil is a struggle that we must work on every day.

 

Tomorrow, we celebrate the 250th birthday of our nation. Our nation has persevered through both good and bad times, times of plenty and times of war. Our country has not been perfect; our leaders have been flawed. In spite of our shortcomings, this is still the beacon of freedom and justice and liberty. We need to work to keep building our history to strive to be the best we can be.

 

Dear Lord, we thank you for the blessings that you have given us and our nation. Continue to bless us as we strive to make the best use of the gifts you have given us. Amen

 

Barry Dougherty

barryd72@aol.com

 

Prayer Concern - For strength to continue to resist evil and sin.

 

Additional readings - Zechariah 2:6-13 and Psalm 145:8-14