Welcome to Real-ity Based Blogging

Before you read this, go ahead and look first at Romans 7 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.

I don’t normally do this, but because I think this passage is really difficult I’m going to put here my notes from the devotional guide that goes along with this blog. If there is anyone out there in cyberspace who wants a devotional guide contact me at matthewreal@yahoo.com .

This chapter bears an uncanny resemblance to some of Dr. Seuss’s works. But the keys to the chapter are:

The Law (the commands of the OT) has power only in life.

Through the death of Christ, and our dying to self when we accept him, we are beyond the power of the Law’s condemnation.

The Law is a powerful tool to show us when we are outside God’s plan for our lives.

Praise God for the Law, and Praise God for freedom from the Law through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ!

Having said that, I’m going to be personal and maybe hit you where you live with the next words. So beware.

Key Verse(s): Rom 7:7

But I can hear you say, "If the law code was as bad as all that, it's no better than sin itself." That's certainly not true. The law code had a perfectly legitimate function. Without its clear guidelines for right and wrong, moral behavior would be mostly guesswork. Apart from the succinct, surgical command, "You shall not covet," I could have dressed covetousness up to look like a virtue and ruined my life with it. (The Message)

Title: The Bad News that Makes Jesus Good News

Observation: This convoluted argument of Paul makes many points about the law and grace. But what God has put my mind on is that the Law, God’s teaching, allows us to know what is right and wrong. While some issues are flexible (such as considering one day holy or not, eating meat or not, etc.) many more issues are firmly settled by God’s code.

And some are pretty easy. The commandment against physically making an idol to worship has never really tempted me. But others, particularly those I continue in sin unthinkingly, are really destructive even if I do not acknowledge them as sin. This is why Jesus is such good news, that God points out what is sin in the Bible and Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit give us the power to overcome that sin. We are no longer trapped, but freed to face down our biggest fears (and sin) and have victory over them.

Application: What God has taught me is sin through the Bible is that my habit of overeating is sinful. This may not be revelation to those of you who have seen me, but for years I was unable to acknowledge the truth of this sin. Rick Warren says that if there is a sin in your life you can’t talk about, your out of control. Clearly I have been. When I was confronted with my weight (not the sin, eating is, but I hid that pretty well from most people) I would get defensive and point out the log in the confronters eye. I could not acknowledge the truth of it. And it may be that God extended his grace to me to this time to deal with it, that previously there was other sin in my life that he wanted to deal with first. God doesn’t tend to overwhelm us with our sin, he works usually (at least in my life) in one area or two at a time. But I write this to challenge myself (and any readers) to take seriously what God says and to see if there is an area in your life you have rationalized as acceptable that God wants you to have victory over. Addiction isn’t pretty, but acknowledging it before our gracious Heavenly Father (who obviously knows already!) is one of the first steps to victory.

Prayer: Lord, give me victory over my sin of overeating. Teach me to be faithful in this area of my life. I acknowledge that I have sinned before you and that you have forgiven me, freeing me from going back, giving me the freedom to live unfettered by that which had a hold on me. Help me in moments of temptation, and allow me to be faithful, especially for my son, so that I can be a model to him and live to see him grow into a man of faith. Help me Lord!

In Jesus Name,
Amen.