“Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death” Romans 7:24
This verse is especially true to me today. If you spent the day with me, I am ashamed to say I wouldn’t appear much as a Christ follower. We are told in Romans 6:8, “Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.” As believers, we understand that Jesus will not just be with us in our eternal life but that He will be with us day to day. For this reason, we will live a life that is holy in the present. This was not so of me. I fell greatly into the sin of anger and it is only now as I am sitting on my bed, reading my Bible, have I even paused to think about my sinful heart. Has that ever happened to you? When we only stop to consider our sin and rebellion after the dust settles and when our busy days wind down?
Sin is such an interesting enchantress. It promises you so many things but when you have had your full, and the distractions have quieted down, you realize its fulfillment leaves you feeling alone and like a failure. You recognize that it works like a warrior to those around you, harming everyone it comes into contact with. The power of its ruin is without measure.
It is for this reason the gospel and grace are so very precious to me. Without grace on days like this, I would be left drowning. That is the power the grace of Jesus holds in the life of a believer. He physically rescues us, holding us above the waters of despair, regret, shame, and fear, that seek to overcome and overwhelm us. But the grace of God causes us to see ourselves rightly, gives us the conviction to repent and whispers hope to us when failure is so very present. It is both beautiful and wonderful to this broken sinner. Jesus is so very good. In those moments where our sin is laid before us and guilt and shame begin to weigh heavy on us, remember that the grace of God, through Jesus Christ is there to draw you back to Him and remind you that you are forgiven and free.
In Lamentations 3:22-23 we are reminded that the mercies of God are renewed every morning- “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” In the Christian’s life, the mark of the life of Jesus is the Holy Spirit. No matter how much you or I have failed, know that He presently lives within us and that we are forgiven and loved. What a beautiful truth.
My heart still aches with the knowledge that I hurt my Lord and those I love. It is a good thing to hurt about because like Paul, it leaves me exclaiming, “For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” I know that the Lord’s grace has covered my sin at the cross. And it why I declare, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” I am reminded of how precious the gospel is on days such as this. I see clearly how much I need a present, living, interviewing and active Savior who makes intercession for me. What an incredible truth about our glorious God. There are so many wrong roads we travel that in the end, leave us no better than before. In Jesus, there is no end…only beginnings and newness of life. It is for this reason, that we praise Him all our days. He is worthy, amen and amen!
Take heart if you are in a similar place today, or the next time that you are…His grace is sufficient.