Dwell & Delight in the Word Намуна

TAKING OUR STUDY DEEPER:

In verse 3 “likeness of sinful flesh masterfully links Jesus closely with humanity because of His incarnation, but maintains a distinction between His body and that of everyone else. He had real flesh, but it was not sinful flesh. Condemned sin in the flesh means that Jesus, through the medium of His sacrificed body, pronounced judgment on sin and broke its power. The law could only pronounce judgement but could not ‘execute’ sin.”

A NOTE OF ENCOURAGMENT
From Trillia Newbell

I was a very active and involved student in high school and college, participating in anything from band to track and field and just about everything in-between. But while I excelled at many of these pursuits, I was never the best. Most often I came in second. And the interesting thing about my consistent second place was that it was not due to lack of effort or desire. I wanted to be first. I never missed track practice. I did everything I could to make myself better, but it did not seem to make any difference.

These days, I can look back with a healthier perspective and appreciate both my accomplishments and the skills I acquired. But back then the fact that I just couldn’t seem to make that coveted top spot was a huge frustration to me.

I wonder if sometimes we approach the Christian life the way I approached my activities back in school. We pursue and strive and run until we are weary, but we never can seem to make ourselves perfectly clean, totally pure, always loving, perfectly obedient. Our striving never leads us to perfection...so we end up feeling like failures. We may even be tempted to give up trying to live the way Jesus taught us to. If we can't ever get it right, what's the point?

Thank God for Jesus. He is the only One who could make a way for us to the Father—by making the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf. A fresh knowledge of our need for salvation through Jesus can transform how we walk through this life of ours. Walk in Him, walk by the Spirit, and put away any striving in your own flesh.