“For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it.” (Romans 7:18, NRSV)
Throughout your life, your spiritual side will often do battle with your human weaknesses. Your spiritual compulsions will be to be pure, to be virtuous and holy before God, to be righteous in your actions, and to be faithful to God. Your human weaknesses, your human will, your flesh, will rebel against your spiritual side. Your human, fleshly, compulsions will be to be lazy, get rich quick, be selfish, be pampered, be noticed, follow your lusts, and find human fulfillment. These competing parts of your life will often clash. Then, your mind and heart have to decide which motivation to follow: will you do what is right by God or will you follow your baser, fleshly, human instincts?
It doesn’t matter how faithful or religious you are, or how many years you have been a Christian; this battle between your spiritual and fleshly sides will force your mind and heart to take make some decisions. Will you follow your soul and do things you know are right? Will you be loving? Will you be faithful? Or will you follow your baser instincts, and succumb to your self-centered human ways? You can tell yourself right now that you will always choose to be faithful. Sadly, there will be times your selfish weaknesses will have their way. Usually, your soul will then feel sad, down, broken, betrayed, or burdened.
Every human being deals with this spiritual vs. flesh competition. You are not alone. Even the Apostle Paul, a man dedicated to Christ with all his will, dealt with this issue. He wrote in Romans 7:18 that “nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh”. Paul knew that his human compulsions and desires were at odds with being holy. No matter how faithful he was to Christ, his fleshly human desires sometimes got the best of him. As Paul explained, “I can will what is right, but I cannot do it.”. There were times when Paul knew what he SHOULD do. Still, he succumbed to his fleshly desires in those fateful moments, failing to do what was right. He knew what God wanted but just couldn’t bring his actions in line with his soul. Instead, he did what was wrong, what went against God, or what was not loving.
“Roger Simms, hitchhiking his way home, would never forget the date—May 7. His heavy suitcase made Roger tired. He was anxious to take off his army uniform once and for all. Flashing the hitchhiking sigh to the oncoming car, he lost hope when he saw it was a black, sleek, new Cadillac. To his surprise the car stopped. The passenger door opened. He ran toward the car, tossed his suitcase in the back, and thanked the handsome, well-dressed man as he slid into the front seat. “Going home for keeps?” “Sure am,” Roger responded. “Well, you’re in luck if you’re going to Chicago.” “Not quite that far. Do you live in Chicago?” “I have a business there. My name is Hanover.”
After talking about many things, Roger, a Christian, felt a compulsion to witness to this fiftyish, apparently successful businessman about Christ. But he kept putting it off, till he realized he was just thirty minutes from his home. It was now or never. So, Roger cleared his throat, “Mr. Hanover, I would like to talk to you about something very important.” He then proceeded to explain the way of salvation, ultimately asking Mr. Hanover if he would like to receive Christ as his Savior. To Roger’s astonishment the Cadillac pulled over to the side of the road. Roger thought he was going to be ejected from the car. But the businessman bowed his head and received Christ, then thanked Roger. “This is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me.”
Five years went by, Roger married, had a two-year-old boy, and a business of his own. Packing his suitcase for a business trip to Chicago, he found the small, white business card Hanover had given him five years before. In Chicago he looked up Hanover Enterprises. A receptionist told him it was impossible to see Mr. Hanover, but he could see Mrs. Hanover. A little confused as to what was going on, he was ushered into a lovely office and found himself facing a keen-eyed woman in her fifties. She extended her hand. “You knew my husband?” Roger told how her husband had given him a ride when hitchhiking home after the war. “Can you tell me when that was?” “It was May 7, five years ago, the day I was discharged from the army.” “Anything special about that day?” Roger hesitated. Should he mention giving his witness? Since he had come so far, he might as well take the plunge. “Mrs. Hanover, I explained the gospel. He pulled over to the side of the road and wept against the steering wheel. He gave his life to Christ that day.” Explosive sobs shook her body. Getting a grip on herself, she sobbed, “I had prayed for my husband’s salvation for years. I believed God would save him.” “And,” said Roger, “Where is your husband, Mrs. Hanover?” “He’s dead,” she wept, struggling with words. “He was in a car crash after he let you out of the car. He never got home. You see—I thought God had not kept His promise.” Sobbing uncontrollably, she added, “I stopped living for God five years ago because I thought He had not kept His word!”” (J. Kirk Johnston, Why Christians Sin, pp. 39-41).
Mrs. Hanover did not know her husband had been saved. She was convinced God did not keep His promise to bring the gospel message to her husband. Without that knowledge, she became resentful toward God. She rejected her faith. For five years, she needlessly went on her selfish way, ignoring her spiritual side. Instead of trusting that God would bring the gospel some way to her husband, she succumbed to doubt and grief. Only when Roger Simms enlightened her did Mrs. Hanover see the truth. In a thoroughly human way, she had assumed her worst fears. She rejected the possibility that God would come through. For five years, she was in darkness.
Thankfully, when you follow your fleshly side and reject doing what is right, God has a way for you to work it out. First, you need to repent. You need to make things right. You need to find your way back to God. It helps to admit to yourself and others that you failed to do what was holy. Then, you need to atone for your sin, accept the forgiveness Christ bought for you on the cross, and fall in step with God’s direction. Doing so will not only clean the mess in your soul caused by poor choices, but it will also bring you into a much deeper relationship with God in Christ.
When the fleshly side wins over your decisions, its all too easy to become disheartened and filled with regret. When your eyes are open to the fact that you let God down, you might feel sad and depressed. You might even wonder if God still loves you. At points like this, its all too easy to believe Satan’s lies such as “You will never go to Heaven”, or “You are unredeemable” or “You don’t deserve to be forgiven”. If you listen to these lies, you will fail again. Don’t do it! Trust that Jesus died for you on that cross. Trust that God wants to forgive and restore you. Find your way back to God.
You will fail. You will sin. You will mess things up, even though you know Jesus. You can desire to do what is right but fail to do it. That’s why you need Jesus! Submit yourself to Jesus today! Acknowledge the ways you have let your baser instincts lead you to sin. Openly admit to God how you falter. Then, get ready for forgiveness and grace! If you honestly return to God with a whole heart, God will cleanse you from your sin and restore you. God knows your weakness. God knows you will fail. Still, God wants you to be obedient, to repent when needed, and to trust in HIS grace.
Will you?
It doesn’t matter how faithful or religious you are, or how many years you have been a Christian; this battle between your spiritual and fleshly sides will force your mind and heart to take make some decisions. Will you follow your soul and do things you know are right? Will you be loving? Will you be faithful? Or will you follow your baser instincts, and succumb to your self-centered human ways? You can tell yourself right now that you will always choose to be faithful. Sadly, there will be times your selfish weaknesses will have their way. Usually, your soul will then feel sad, down, broken, betrayed, or burdened.
Every human being deals with this spiritual vs. flesh competition. You are not alone. Even the Apostle Paul, a man dedicated to Christ with all his will, dealt with this issue. He wrote in Romans 7:18 that “nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh”. Paul knew that his human compulsions and desires were at odds with being holy. No matter how faithful he was to Christ, his fleshly human desires sometimes got the best of him. As Paul explained, “I can will what is right, but I cannot do it.”. There were times when Paul knew what he SHOULD do. Still, he succumbed to his fleshly desires in those fateful moments, failing to do what was right. He knew what God wanted but just couldn’t bring his actions in line with his soul. Instead, he did what was wrong, what went against God, or what was not loving.
“Roger Simms, hitchhiking his way home, would never forget the date—May 7. His heavy suitcase made Roger tired. He was anxious to take off his army uniform once and for all. Flashing the hitchhiking sigh to the oncoming car, he lost hope when he saw it was a black, sleek, new Cadillac. To his surprise the car stopped. The passenger door opened. He ran toward the car, tossed his suitcase in the back, and thanked the handsome, well-dressed man as he slid into the front seat. “Going home for keeps?” “Sure am,” Roger responded. “Well, you’re in luck if you’re going to Chicago.” “Not quite that far. Do you live in Chicago?” “I have a business there. My name is Hanover.”
After talking about many things, Roger, a Christian, felt a compulsion to witness to this fiftyish, apparently successful businessman about Christ. But he kept putting it off, till he realized he was just thirty minutes from his home. It was now or never. So, Roger cleared his throat, “Mr. Hanover, I would like to talk to you about something very important.” He then proceeded to explain the way of salvation, ultimately asking Mr. Hanover if he would like to receive Christ as his Savior. To Roger’s astonishment the Cadillac pulled over to the side of the road. Roger thought he was going to be ejected from the car. But the businessman bowed his head and received Christ, then thanked Roger. “This is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me.”
Five years went by, Roger married, had a two-year-old boy, and a business of his own. Packing his suitcase for a business trip to Chicago, he found the small, white business card Hanover had given him five years before. In Chicago he looked up Hanover Enterprises. A receptionist told him it was impossible to see Mr. Hanover, but he could see Mrs. Hanover. A little confused as to what was going on, he was ushered into a lovely office and found himself facing a keen-eyed woman in her fifties. She extended her hand. “You knew my husband?” Roger told how her husband had given him a ride when hitchhiking home after the war. “Can you tell me when that was?” “It was May 7, five years ago, the day I was discharged from the army.” “Anything special about that day?” Roger hesitated. Should he mention giving his witness? Since he had come so far, he might as well take the plunge. “Mrs. Hanover, I explained the gospel. He pulled over to the side of the road and wept against the steering wheel. He gave his life to Christ that day.” Explosive sobs shook her body. Getting a grip on herself, she sobbed, “I had prayed for my husband’s salvation for years. I believed God would save him.” “And,” said Roger, “Where is your husband, Mrs. Hanover?” “He’s dead,” she wept, struggling with words. “He was in a car crash after he let you out of the car. He never got home. You see—I thought God had not kept His promise.” Sobbing uncontrollably, she added, “I stopped living for God five years ago because I thought He had not kept His word!”” (J. Kirk Johnston, Why Christians Sin, pp. 39-41).
Mrs. Hanover did not know her husband had been saved. She was convinced God did not keep His promise to bring the gospel message to her husband. Without that knowledge, she became resentful toward God. She rejected her faith. For five years, she needlessly went on her selfish way, ignoring her spiritual side. Instead of trusting that God would bring the gospel some way to her husband, she succumbed to doubt and grief. Only when Roger Simms enlightened her did Mrs. Hanover see the truth. In a thoroughly human way, she had assumed her worst fears. She rejected the possibility that God would come through. For five years, she was in darkness.
Thankfully, when you follow your fleshly side and reject doing what is right, God has a way for you to work it out. First, you need to repent. You need to make things right. You need to find your way back to God. It helps to admit to yourself and others that you failed to do what was holy. Then, you need to atone for your sin, accept the forgiveness Christ bought for you on the cross, and fall in step with God’s direction. Doing so will not only clean the mess in your soul caused by poor choices, but it will also bring you into a much deeper relationship with God in Christ.
When the fleshly side wins over your decisions, its all too easy to become disheartened and filled with regret. When your eyes are open to the fact that you let God down, you might feel sad and depressed. You might even wonder if God still loves you. At points like this, its all too easy to believe Satan’s lies such as “You will never go to Heaven”, or “You are unredeemable” or “You don’t deserve to be forgiven”. If you listen to these lies, you will fail again. Don’t do it! Trust that Jesus died for you on that cross. Trust that God wants to forgive and restore you. Find your way back to God.
You will fail. You will sin. You will mess things up, even though you know Jesus. You can desire to do what is right but fail to do it. That’s why you need Jesus! Submit yourself to Jesus today! Acknowledge the ways you have let your baser instincts lead you to sin. Openly admit to God how you falter. Then, get ready for forgiveness and grace! If you honestly return to God with a whole heart, God will cleanse you from your sin and restore you. God knows your weakness. God knows you will fail. Still, God wants you to be obedient, to repent when needed, and to trust in HIS grace.
Will you?