Live In Obedience

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL MONDAY OCTOBER 21, 2002
(Romans 7:8-25)

Well then, am I suggesting that these laws of God are evil? Of course not! No, the law is not sinful but it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known the sin in my heart--the evil desires that are hidden there--if the law had not said, "You must not have evil desires in your heart." But sin used this law against evil desires by reminding me such desires are wrong and arousing all kinds of foridden desires within me! Only if there were no laws to break would there be no sinning.

That is why I felt fine so long as I did not understand what the law really demanded. But when I learned the truth, I realized that I had broken the law and was a sinner, doomed to die. So as far as I was concerned, the good law which was supposed to show me the way of life resulted instead in my being given the death penalty. Sin fooled me by taking the good laws of God and using them to make me guilty of death. But still, you see, the law itself was wholly right and good.

But how can that be? Didn't the law cause my doom? How then can it be good? No, it was sin, devilish stuff that it is, that used what was good to bring about my condemnation. So you can see how cunning and deadly and damnable it is. For it uses God's good laws for its own evil purposes. The law is good, then, and the trouble is not there but with me, because I am sold into slavery with Sin as my owner.

I don't understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I can't. I do what I don't want to--what I hate. I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience proves that I agree with these laws I am breaking. But I can't help myself, because I'm no longer doing it. It is sin inside me that is stronger than I am that makes me do these evil things.

I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn I can't make myself do right. I want to but I can't. When I want to do good, I don't; and when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. Now if I am doing what I don't want to do, it is plain where the trouble is: sin still has me in its evil grasp.

It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love to do God's will so far as my new nature is concerned; but there is something else deep within me, in my lower nature, that is at war with my mind and wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. In my mind I want to be God's willing servant but instead I find myself still enslaved to sin.

So you see how it is: my new life tells me to do right, but the old nature that is still inside me loves to sin. Oh, what a terrible predicament I'm in! Who will free me from my slavery to this deadly lower nature? Thank God! It has been done by Jesus Christ our Lord. He has set me free.

How many mornings do you wake up and ask yourself why you did what you did last night? Paul summed up man's propensity to sin when he stated that "he did the things he didn't want to do, and didn't do the things he wanted to do". How many days have we started wondering why we do things we know we shouldn't, yet fail to do the things we know we should. This my friend is a struggle man has dealt with since the Garden of Eden. It has to do with our free will that God has given to us to make our own decisions.

God could have made us like robots. Preprogrammed to do exactly what He wanted. Instead, He gave us free will to make our own decisions. Ultimately the decision boils down to living a life of obedience or a life or rebellion. Every time we make a choice, we are choosing to live as an obedient child of our creator or as a rebellious one. In most situations, the choice is very clear and there is no doubt that we are either obeying or rebelling. There are some instances when it may not be as clear, and God has given us His Word to determine what it is He would have us do.

My only purpose for stating what many are afraid to say this morning is that many of you are not enjoying the fullness of God's blessings in your life. You don't enjoy that peace that passes all understanding or have the joy that someone in a relationship with Christ should have in their heart. All I can do is to encourage you today to take inventory of your life and the decisions you make each day. Are your choices in accordance with God's Word and a choice of obedience? Or have you chosen in some areas to live in rebellion?

God wants to bless you in ways you can't even imagine. But God cannot and will not bless disobedience. It may be very difficult for you, but He will help and give you the strength. I am praying that you will open your heart this day and begin to erase those parts of your life that are keeping you from knowing the fullness of His love and blessing. I am here for YOU!!! If you have a need, email me a bkeller@liveprayer.com and I will send you a personal response to your need. GOD LOVES YOU.... AND SO DO I! You are not alone, I will stand with you!

I love you and care about you. I am praying for you today. May His strength and grace be with you in great abundance this day. May this day be a day to honor Him in the greatest way you can, thru choosing to live as an obedient child. God bless you!

In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller

If I can help you in any way you can contact me through my personal email at bkeller@liveprayer.com.

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