Scripture to Read: Romans 7:9
As we read Romans 7, God continues to use Paul to address our sinful nature and how His Law shows everyone how wicked we are apart from Christ. Today, we read in Romans 7:9, I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died. As we read Romans 7:9, it actually sounds like Paul had “life” apart from God’s Law, but when Paul finally read the Law of God, that was what produced death to Paul’s soul. To better understand what God had Paul communicating, we need to read Romans 7:9 out of the New Living Translation, which says, At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life. Through the New Living Translation of the Bible, we can see that Paul was saying that he did not fully understand his sinfulness due to his lack of understanding of God’s Law. It was not that Paul was saying he was not sinful; he was saying he could not clearly define his sinfulness until God’s Law pointed to the sin in his life. There are areas of our lives that sometimes we think are not sinful. We will rationalize our sinfulness by saying, “That’s just the way I am,” or “My parents and grandparents were this way, and so I come by it honestly.” But when we examine God’s Truth, He points out our sinfulness, and we must then crucify our flesh and surrender completely to God.
Challenge & Application
What areas of your life has God, through His Word, shown you to be sinful?
How are you crucifying your flesh daily and choosing to walk in obedience to our Lord?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!