A reason why we keep sinning

As Christians—and even just as people made in God’s image—there’s something in us that wants to do good. Romans 7 calls this the law of our mind, which desires to do the law of God. But here’s the surprising thing: this very desire to do good can actually hinder us in our Christian life.

Paul, in Romans 7, shares from his personal experience. He wanted to do good, but found that he couldn’t. Something stronger inside him kept dragging him down. He discovered a more powerful law operating in his body—a law he couldn’t overcome on his own. It’s called the law of sin, and we all inherited it because of the fall of man.

If we don’t realize how to escape this, we’ll end up in the same frustrated place Paul did in Romans 7:24:

“Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24, Recovery Version)

This is why we desperately need what Romans 8 reveals. Our desire to do good—no matter how sincere—won’t set us free. Only the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus can do that:

“For the law of the Spirit of life has freed me in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and of death.” (Romans 8:2, Recovery Version)

This is hard for many believers to accept because we naturally want to do good for God. But the Christian life isn’t about promising to do better. It’s about fleeing to our spirit, where Christ lives, and walking according to the spirit, not the flesh:

“That the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit.” (Romans 8:4, Recovery Version)

When turn and live in our spirit, the Christian life becomes spontaneous! It is a matter of learning to turn to our spirit and switch on this most powerful law: the law of the Spirit of life… which frees us! 

So let’s not settle for being outwardly religious—trying and failing again and again. Let’s live inwardly by the Spirit and truly experience the freedom Christ gives.