Romans 7 stands, for me, as a reminder that with all of the spiritual transformation at work in the life of the Christian there is still a profound struggle deep within. This struggle is so pervasive in our lives that it requires divine intervention to get us through it. Paul, in his own inimical style, put it this way "the good I wish to do I cannot do and the evil I wish to avoid is the very thing that I do." How many times in your journey of faith have you found yourself doing the very thing you abhor? How many times in your journey of faith have you found yourself balking at doing the right thing?
We do not come to our spiritual rebirth in Jesus Christ as completed products. When I chose to become a Christ follower that was the beginning of my spiritual journey and transformation not the end. I suspect I will not see the end of this journey and struggle until I see Jesus face to face. From the moment of my conversion (March 8, 1973) I began a journey of transformation that will take my entire life time. On that journey I have grown, failed, battled and lost, battled and won, and have made progress and experienced victory over the things that once held me back.
The goal of this journey is for all of us to become like Jesus Christ. I have a long way to go. However, I share in St. Paul's understanding and recognize, as he did, in the painful question at the end of Chapter 7 of Romans "who will rescue me from this body of sin and death?" And the answer: "thanks be to God for Jesus Christ who gives us the victory."
I'm going on to a transformed life. Here's to the inner struggle that shows I am making progress!
Dr. BJ
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