Taking A Stand For Christ

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL
(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.

Taking a stand. In today's politically correct society, taking a stand on any subject can be dangerous. Someone will be offended. Therefore, as a society and people, we have learned how to believe in many things, but take a stand on nothing. We give lip service to the things we say we believe, but when it comes time to stand up and be counted, to really take a stand, often we are nowhere to be seen.

This is most evident in the church. This is not a blanket slam against every church, because there are some tremendous churches doing great things for God every day. But the collective church as a whole has refused to take a stand against the very things it states it believes. You do not have to be a biblical scholar to understand that we are living in the last days. If not now, when? Those of us who have put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, recognize that He is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life." Then why are we so hesitant to proclaim that message to a world dying in sin and desperately looking for answers? We are the people with THE answer, yet we refuse to speak up.

I want to encourage you today, and challenge you to think about how many times just in the last week, you had an opportunity to take a stand for God and did not do it. Mostly, these come in the multitude of decisions you make. The greatest witness you have is how you live your life, not just by the words you say, but the life you lead. People are always watching you. The most effective way to take a stand for Christ is in the way you lead your life, not just in church on Sundays but every hour of the day, seven days a week. Taking a stand is living for Him 24/7 regardless of who is watching.

God really loves you. Take a stand for Him today. He is worthy of your honor.

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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