I love Paul’s writings. So practical! So honest! In Romans 7 he exposes what we like to keep as a closely guarded secret. It’s this: “I’m not the model believer I appear to be. There are problems with my heart I don’t even want to admit, or that I blatantly hide in an attempt to appear more righteous than I actually am.” Our inborn pride strongly resists any admission of failure. After all, people might discover what we’re really like!
       Paul knew that if we are ever to successfully walk in God’s purpose we must first come to a sound understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And since the gospel impacts every facet of a person’s life, a good grasp of who we are in Christ requires that we be aware of at least three very important things: First of all, God’s purpose and plan for our life. Secondly, our own nature as human beings. And finally, the implications of being redeemed in Christ, but still impacted by a worldly environment dominated by sin.

From Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

As Christians, wouldn’t it be wonderful if sin was no longer a problem? If sin wasn’t an issue, wouldn’t it be a lot easier to wholeheartedly live for Jesus? Great thought!—just not within the realm of reality. Still, what could possibly be wrong with wanting complete freedom from sin’s influence so that single-minded devotion to God might be a bit less stressful?
Well, we need to think about what letting us slide through life in the comfort and security of sinlessness would ultimately achieve. It’s only possible outcome would be a good life here, with the added hope of even a better eternal life in heaven. What’s wrong with that, you might ask? The trouble with this notion is that, while nice, it doesn’t line up with God’s plan. He has a much greater purpose for our lives, because our destiny with Him in heaven is so much more than just a wonderful place to spend eternity.

From Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

How do you feel about yourself? Are you happy with who you are? Or do you sense the need for change in your heart? Most of us do. It’s frustrating, though, when change doesn’t come quickly. It causes us to lose hope that it ever will.
        It’s different with God. He has a purpose in allowing painful circumstances. That’s because He needs to deal with the weakness of our flesh. He must go deep within our nature to rebuild our character—a true change of heart. And this is a process He can accomplish by no other means than time and suffering.
       God’s purpose for creating us as He has sheds a lot of light on why He allows sin to be a problem. Understanding our freedom from the power of sin is so important! Why? Because through it God offers us unfettered relationship with Himself—in spite of ourselves—the true source of transformation.

From Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

Is our heart capable of genuine change? I can see how I truly have changed, initially through my born-again experience, and then more slowly over the many years since. But in many ways I’m the same person I’ve always been. I see it when I’m confronted by something that challenges the self-will still residing at the deepest levels of my being. Our flesh seems to be incapable of fundamental change—controllable maybe, but not entirely changeable.
        Paul agrees that this is so in his teaching in Romans 7. On the other hand, The Bible implies that we have the power to change our heart by our choices. Can both be true? I think they can. The transformed lives of millions of Christians prove that the heart can indeed change. But unfortunately, there are millions more whose attitudes and behavior shed doubt on it. What’s the difference between the two? Choice. Decisions made in response to our circumstances hold the key.

From Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

Why do Christians often run to non-biblical sources to gain what they believe to be profound wisdom? Think about it: the Bible contains a wealth of information regarding God’s nature, His purpose for His creation, and His amazing plan to bring us into conformity with His will—all culminating in sharing His glory with us eternally. Yet for many this doesn’t seem to be enough. So they pursue wisdom not only from secular sources but also the teachings of other religions.
       Let’s ask this question: How can anything of enduring relevance be gained from those who believe in many gods—or even those who believe that there is but one God, yet reject Christ’s divinity? The answer clear: NOTHING! These philosophies and belief systems merely result in human wisdom at best, and at worst demonic deception. Get to know your Bible intimately and the urge to seek further enlightenment will disappear.

What Christian doesn’t yearn to be free from the nagging presence of sin? In one degree or another, our humanity traps us in a repetitive cycle of failure—just the grinding reality of a redeemed life pitted against our self-serving flesh in a sin-riddled world. Thankfully, God has made provision for our sin! But what did He provide, really?
        Many argue that in Christ we possess the power to become holy in our walk with God—by choosing obedience over sin. Well, shooting for holiness in this way is a noble pursuit, but the strategy is flawed. Why? Because the purpose of Christ’s redeeming sacrifice is to impart God’s own righteousness to us, in spite of our sinful nature.
       Because we now belong to Him, we don’t need to earn God’s favor. We already have it! God showers His grace on us, and in so doing His righteousness becomes our own. By His grace alone we are given the unbridled capacity for intimacy with God, in spite of the weakness of our flesh.

From Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

Self-interest, ugly as it may be, is actually a gift of God. It helps us make our way in this world. Having a healthy sense of self-worth—feeling significant—motivates us to reach toward God’s purpose for our life. It’s rooted in the fact that we truly are valuable.
       God showed me this in an unusual way. Next door to us lived a child with Down Syndrome. He functioned at the level of a three-year-old, though he was much older. But his condition allowed him to speak freely from the heart—totally without pretense. Every time I saw this young man, he asked, “Do you love me?” Now we wouldn’t dare express ourselves like this, but isn’t this need at our very core? “Am I significant to you? Am I deserving of your love?” Self-interest—a gift of God? Yes! Because an inconsequential life is tough to bear, and one that is meaningless is practically a death sentence.

From Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

Jesus said His kingdom is like someone who discovers hidden treasure, or a valuable pearl, and immediately recognizes the magnitude of his find. It’s about surrendering everything to gain this amazing salvation, but I think there’s even more to it than that. Why? Because what we first find so precious has the tendency to lose value in our eyes.
       One day I was struck by how oblivious the owner of the treasure was to its true worth. Are we like that? Are we like the owner of the field who neglected to notice what was so easily uncovered by some passerby, or akin to the merchant so lax in his trade that he failed to recognize the true value of the pearl he owned?
       Have we forfeited our treasure in Christ for something less meaningful? In the weakness of our flesh, it’s not uncommon to fall short of a single-minded pursuit of Christ. There are reasons a zealous heart slips into complacency, and understanding them is extremely helpful in trying to rekindle that lost fire.

From: Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

“Wisdom shouts in the street…Turn to me and I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.” so says the first chapter of the book of Proverbs. It is God shouting this message. Just imagine it—the Creator of all things calling, calling, not as a whisper, but as a roar! And He continues to cry out today. Yet because God does not threaten immediate judgment on those who ignore Him, His call goes largely ignored, drowned out by the clamor of self-interest.
       The message goes on to say, “Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand no one paid attention,” you will be ignored “when distress and anguish come upon you.” God promises blessing for those who respond to Him, and judgment for those who refuse. Which will be your heritage? Choose wisely; choose life—eternal life in Jesus our Lord!

As I began to learn about God as a new Christian, I saw that sin is a big issue for believers. The Bible has dozens of warnings about sin, most which point to my personal responsibility to say “no” to it. But saying “no” was the very thing I was having trouble with! The more I learned, the more confused I seemed to get. What really baffled me was Paul’s account of his own struggle with sin.
       Yet why not be confused? Regarding human weakness, Paul said, “If I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.” What in the world did he mean by that? Could he actually be shirking off personal responsibility for sin? There’s no question that Paul recognized his duty to wrestle against his flesh in resisting sin. He’s not excusing sin, but rather trying to get to the root of the problem in the believer’s life. Shouldn’t we be doing the same?

From Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself