May 31, 2018

DIAMONDS IN THE MUD

Romans 7:17-20

But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

Encouraging Words

So, what is encouraging about this corundum that Paul presents about his (our) struggle with sin? The encouragement comes from what the Eastern Orthodox church has taught for over 2000 years. Sin is what we do, it is not what we are or our nature. Here is a note about this passage from the Orthodox Study Bible:

“Man is not sinful by nature. The Orthodox Church rejects any teaching that man has a “sin nature” or that man's nature is depraved to the core. This passage clearly shows that sin is something distinct from our nature. Because we are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26), there is an indelible goodness in our nature that can never be undone. While we can become immersed in sin, we know that it is still not part of our nature, but a foreign force that dwells in us. Thus, sin is what we do, not what we are.”

Once this truth. is embraced our whole outlook on life shifts as we begin to see our lives as people created in the image of God, as diamonds covered with the filth of our sinful actions waiting to be washed clean by the blood of our precious Lord. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!