Why Do I Keep Doing That?

If you’ve ever failed at something you value, you know that frustrated, sick feeling of not measuring up or feeling less than you are.

Romans 7 tells us we’ll fail every time we try to live the Christian life independently. In Romans 6, we learned to present ourselves to God and trust Him to live the Christian life through us. When we don’t do that, we feel its sobering effect.

The apostle Paul said he failed at the Christian life. It didn’t wreck his salvation, but he wasn’t happy and had no joy or power in his life. He shares in Romans 7 the two systems that failed him and what God taught him about victory.

#1 No One Measures Up to the Law

The Law is a mirror; it reveals who we are, sinners. If you have a dirty spot on your face, the mirror shows it to you, but it won’t remove it. It just condemns you. The Law, a list of standards that Jews lived by, kept Israel in line for 1500 years.

However, if you use the Law as a guideline for the Christian life, it shows you how you’re not measuring up. Maybe you think that you can make God pleased with you if you follow a set of rules. But you’re setting yourself up for failure. The Law will never lead to life. If a judge sentenced you to die, you shouldn’t ask him how you will live.

The successful Christian life is Jesus living His life through you today. All the Law does is show you how much you need God.

#2 The Struggle of Two Natures

When Jesus Christ saved you, He gave you a new nature that wants to follow after God, but your old nature drags its feet. It doesn’t want to serve God or pray or worship.

Here’s a radical thought: You can’t depend on your new nature. To say you want to live for Christ won’t get you anywhere. You need to turn your life over to the Holy Spirit, yield to Him, and let Him do what you can’t do for yourself.

Generations of saints have never understood this and accepted defeat as normal Christian living. They are satisfied to continue on the low level of a sad, crushed life. God doesn’t want us to arrive in heaven by that route.

Too often, we try to please God by doing something in our own strength. We might get very busy and think God will reward us for our effort. Yet we’re doing it without any vital connection with the Lord. But no good comes from our old nature, and there’s no power in the new nature. Paul calls himself (and us) wretched—exhausted in the struggle.

This chapter is Paul’s S.O.S. to God, and God delivers him. More detail of how God does it is in chapter 8, but here’s a hint: Both salvation and sanctification come through Jesus Christ; He provides everything we need.

Next: We’re going to what many call “the greatest chapter in the Bible.”