Do I do or do not?
by Anne Hansen
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I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do (Romans 7:18b,19a).
Read Romans 7:13–25
Does anyone else have to read and reread this passage from Romans to try to work out what Paul really means? One can feel the struggle that Paul is experiencing with sin and his inability to consistently do what he knows is right. The word ‘do, does, doing’ appears 16 times in this short passage – no wonder confusion occurs.
For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing. 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 (Romans 7:19,20).
Poor Paul! Poor us! Even though we have been washed clean from all sin and forgiven from all our wrongdoing through baptism, that doesn’t mean we will no longer sin now. We have this internal conflict that rages between the power of sin and our desire to do good. It is a conflict between our sinful nature and wanting to do God’s will. Salvation is not the issue; we are delivered from the penalty of sin, but this doesn’t eliminate the ongoing battle we experience against sin’s influence. So, how can we deal with this and try to live within the boundaries God would like us to live in?
If we read forward to Romans 7:25: ‘Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!’ This is our answer. Our mindset and attitude must be godly. It must allow our thoughts and actions to be always in sync with the Spirit who helps us act as Jesus desires. Fill your heart and mind with God and let him control your thoughts and actions. Not easy? Absolutely not … but we can try, ask for forgiveness and try again. There is no limit to God’s love and forgiveness – this will never run out or run dry! God knows we are sinners, and we will keep on sinning, and that’s why he sent Jesus.
So, live knowing you are forgiven, but don’t give up trying to do better!
Loving God, thank you for loving and forgiving me, despite all the sinning I constantly do. Help me to try, with the help of your Spirit, to fill my life with the goodness and love that can only come from you. Amen.
For 19 years, Anne has been the Lutheran Tract Mission Development Officer. She lives in Noosa with her husband, Mark (a pastor), has three grown children – Jonah, Christian and Emma – and is a proud new mother-in-law to Brooke. She enjoys walking, reading, gardening and playing pickleball.
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