Patrikin – Kinship through The Father

The Apostle Paul spent three chapters in his letter to the Romans identifying the source of their pain.

Something was lodged in their bodies that was, actually, the real cause of their problems.

“I know that good doesn’t live in me–that is, in my body..if I do the very things that I don’t want to do, then I’m not the one doing it anymore.  Instead it is sin that lives in me that is doing it. – Romans 7:18-20 CEB

We are not “miserable sinners saved by grace”, we are saints redeemed by the blood of Christ.  Though renewed, forgiven, justified, and changed on the inside, there is something on the outside, in our bodies, still causing a problem.  Sin (not “sins”) is lodged there, like a thorn in the flesh, dragging us down.

The real us, has been cleaned, and choosing to believe our bodies are crucified with Christ, we stand before God renewed.  As we live with God’s power to say, “No!” to our bodies when they pull us the wrong way, we act more and more like Jesus.  When we lay down our bodies to be with Jesus all the struggle is over.  When he returns and changes our bodies to be like his there will be no problems at all.

This is not a “devil makes me do it” mentality, quite the opposite!  If the problem was me, it would be hard to fight against myself, but since the problem is something outside of me, I can defeat it!  God and I can defeat anything!