“Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin” Romans 7:5.
Many people offer excuses for their poor behaviour to the point they want others to believe it is someone else’s fault that they act as they do. Adam and Eve consciously choose to take the forbidden fruit but when confronted Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent. It is true that it is our nature to sin, but it should not be our excuse. Paul shares that we are rescued by Jesus from the death caused by the sin we can’t seem to avoid doing. Jesus can help us overcome our nature and bring eternal life to our seemingly hopeless and helpless situation.
We should be careful not to get tricked by the fact sin is in our nature suggesting we can’t help but sin. We know we can have victory over sin with the help of God. We can pray for help in overcoming sin, but we must include some sort of action on our part. I recently read that it is OK to pray and ask God to help us lose weight. However, we should not be surprised if He does not answer because we are unwilling to exercise or diet. Just the same, He will answer our prayer to gain victory over sin if we make the effort to recognize what offends Him and then strive not to offend while seeking forgiveness when we do. It may seem inevitable that we will sin, but it should not be our excuse to do so. Seek God’s heart and then seek His help.
Let’s pray: Holy God. It is my desire to live a life pleasing to you, but I admit I seem not to be able to do so; forgive me for my transgression. Jesus. Thank you for the hope of the cross that has allowed my sins to be cleansed. Holy Spirit, prompt me before I fall and continue to guide me on that path that leads to righteousness. Amen.
Blessings
Anton Topilnyckyj
Prayer Coordinator