One Story That Leads to Jesus, Day 296
Romans 7
7Now, dear brothers and sisters—you who are familiar with the law—don't you know that the law applies only while a person is living?G2228G50G80G1063G2980G1097G3551G3754G3551G2961G444G1909G3745G5550G21982For example, when a woman marries, the law binds her to her husband as long as he is alive. But if he dies, the laws of marriage no longer apply to her.G1063G1135G5220G1210G3551G435G2198G1161G1437G435G599G2673G575G3551G4353So while her husband is alive, she would be committing adultery if she married another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law and does not commit adultery when she remarries.G686G3767G1437G435G2198G1096G2087G435G5537G3428G1161G1437G435G599G2076G1658G575G3551G846G1511G3361G3428G1096G2087G4354So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God.G5620G3450G80G5210G2532G2289G3551G1223G4983G5547G1519G5209G1096G2087G1453G1537G3498G2443G2592G23165When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death.G1063G3753G2258G1722G4561G3804G266G3588G1223G3551G1754G1722G2257G3196G1519G2592G22886But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.G1161G3570G2673G575G3551G599G599G1722G3739G2722G5620G2248G1398G1722G2538G4151G2532G3756G3821G11217Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, "You must not covet."G5101G2046G3767G3551G266G3361G1096G235G1097G3756G1097G266G1508G1223G3551G1063G5037G1492G3756G1492G1939G1508G3551G3004G1937G3756G19378But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power.G1161G266G2983G874G1223G1785G2716G1722G1698G3956G1939G1063G5565G3551G266G34989At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life,G1161G1473G2198G5565G3551G4218G1161G1785G2064G266G326G1161G1473G59910and I died. So I discovered that the law's commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead.G2532G1785G3588G1519G2222G3427G2147G3778G1519G228811Sin took advantage of those commands and deceived me; it used the commands to kill me.G1063G266G2983G874G1223G1785G1818G3165G2532G1223G846G61512But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good.G5620G3303G3551G40G2532G1785G40G2532G1342G2532G1813But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God's good commands for its own evil purposes.G3767G18G1096G2288G1698G3361G1096G235G266G2443G5316G266G2716G2288G3427G1223G18G2443G266G1223G1785G1096G2596G5236G26814So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin.G1063G1492G3754G3551G2076G4152G1161G1473G1510G4559G4097G5259G26615I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate.G1063G3739G2716G1097G3756G1063G3739G2309G5124G4238G3756G235G3739G3404G5124G416016But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good.G1487G1161G4160G5124G3739G2309G3756G4852G3551G3754G257017So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.G3570G1161G3765G1473G2716G846G235G266G3611G1722G169818And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can't.G1063G1492G3754G1722G1698G5123G1722G3450G4561G3611G3756G18G1063G2309G3873G3427G1161G2716G2570G2147G375619I want to do what is good, but I don't. I don't want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.G1063G3739G18G2309G4160G3756G235G2556G3739G2309G3756G5124G423820But if I do what I don't want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.G1161G1487G3739G4160G5124G1473G2309G3756G2089G3765G1473G2716G846G235G266G3611G1722G169821I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.G2147G686G3551G3754G1698G2309G4160G2570G2556G3873G169822I love God's law with all my heart.G1063G4913G3551G2316G2596G2080G44423But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.G1161G991G2087G3551G1722G3450G3196G497G3551G3450G3563G2532G163G3165G163G3551G266G3588G5607G1722G3450G319624Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?G5005G444G1473G5101G4506G3165G1537G4983G5127G228825Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.G2168G2316G1223G2424G5547G2257G2962G686G3767G3563G1473G846G3303G1398G3551G2316G1161G4561G3551G266
Romans 8
8So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.G686G3568G3762G2631G1722G5547G2424G4043G3361G2596G4561G235G2596G41512And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.G1063G3551G4151G2222G1722G5547G2424G1659G3165G1659G575G3551G266G2532G22883The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.G1063G3551G102G1722G3739G770G1223G4561G2316G3992G1438G5207G1722G3667G266G4561G2532G4012G266G2632G266G1722G45614He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.G2443G1345G3551G4137G1722G2254G4043G3361G2596G4561G235G2596G41515Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.G1063G5607G2596G4561G5426G3588G4561G1161G2596G4151G3588G41516So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.G1063G5427G4561G5427G2288G1161G5427G4151G5427G2222G2532G15157For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will.G1360G4561G5427G2189G1519G2316G1063G5293G3756G5293G3551G2316G3761G1063G14108That's why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.G1161G5607G1722G4561G3756G1410G700G23169But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)G1161G5210G2075G3756G1722G4561G235G1722G4151G1512G4151G2316G3611G1722G5213G1161G1536G2192G3756G4151G5547G3778G2076G3756G84610And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God.G1161G1487G5547G1722G5213G4983G3303G3498G1223G266G1161G4151G2222G1223G134311The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.G1161G1487G4151G1453G2424G1537G3498G3611G1722G5213G1453G5547G1537G3498G2227G2532G2227G5216G2349G4983G1223G846G4151G1774G1774G1722G521312Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.G686G3767G80G2070G3781G3756G4561G2198G2596G456113For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.G1063G1487G2198G2596G4561G3195G599G1161G1487G2289G4151G2289G4234G4983G219814For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.G1063G3745G71G4151G2316G3778G1526G5207G231615So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, "Abba, Father."G1063G2983G3756G2983G4151G1397G3825G1519G5401G235G2983G4151G5206G1722G3739G2896G5G396216For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children.G4151G846G4828G2257G4151G3754G2070G5043G231617And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.G1161G1487G5043G2532G2818G2818G3303G2316G1161G4789G5547G1512G4841G2443G4888G2532G488818Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.G1063G3049G3754G3804G3568G2540G3756G514G4314G1391G3195G601G1519G224819For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.G1063G603G2937G553G602G5207G231620Against its will, all creation was subjected to God's curse. But with eager hope,G1063G2937G5293G3153G3756G1635G235G1223G5293G1909G168021the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay.G3754G2937G846G2532G1659G575G1397G5356G1519G1391G1657G5043G231622For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.G1063G1492G3754G3956G2937G4959G2532G4944G891G356823And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.G1161G3756G3440G235G846G2532G2192G536G4151G2532G2249G846G4727G1722G1438G553G5206G629G2257G498324We were given this hope when we were saved. [If we already have something, we don't need to hope for it.G1063G4982G1680G1161G1680G991G2076G3756G1680G1063G3739G5100G991G5101G1679G2532G167925But if we look forward to something we don't yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.]G1161G1487G1679G3739G991G3756G553G1223G5281G55326And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.G1161G5615G4151G2532G4878G2257G769G1063G1492G3756G5101G4336G2526G1163G235G4151G846G5241G5228G2257G4726G21527And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will.G1161G2045G2588G1492G5101G5427G4151G3754G1793G5228G40G2596G231628And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.G1161G1492G3956G4903G1519G18G3754G25G2316G5607G2822G2596G428629For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.G3754G3739G4267G4309G2532G4309G4832G1504G846G5207G1519G846G1511G4416G1722G4183G8030And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.G1161G3739G4309G5128G2564G2532G2564G2532G3739G2564G5128G1344G2532G1344G1161G3739G1344G5128G1392G2532G139231What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?G5101G2046G3767G2046G4314G5023G1487G2316G5228G2257G5101G2596G225732Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't he also give us everything else?G3739G1065G5339G3756G2398G5207G235G3860G846G3860G5228G2257G3956G4459G5483G3780G4862G846G2532G5483G2254G395633Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself.G5101G1458G2596G2316G1588G2316G134434Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us.G5101G2632G5547G599G1161G3123G2532G1453G3739G2076G2532G1722G1188G2316G3739G2532G1793G5228G225735Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?G5101G5563G2248G575G26G5547G2347G2228G4730G2228G1375G2228G3042G2228G1132G2228G2794G2228G316236(As the Scriptures say, "For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.")G2531G1125G3754G4675G1752G2289G3650G2250G3049G5613G4263G496737No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.G235G1722G3956G5125G5245G1223G25G224838And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love.G1063G3982G3754G3777G2288G3777G2222G3777G32G3777G746G3777G1411G3777G1764G3777G319539No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.G3777G5313G3777G899G3777G5100G2087G2937G1410G5563G2248G575G26G2316G1722G5547G2424G2257G2962
Psalms 136
136Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.H3034H3068H2896H2617H57692Give thanks to the God of gods. His faithful love endures forever.H3034H430H430H2617H57693Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His faithful love endures forever.H3034H113H113H2617H57694Give thanks to him who alone does mighty miracles. His faithful love endures forever.H6213H1419H6381H2617H57695Give thanks to him who made the heavens so skillfully. His faithful love endures forever.H8394H6213H8064H2617H57696Give thanks to him who placed the earth among the waters. His faithful love endures forever.H7554H776H4325H2617H57697Give thanks to him who made the heavenly lights—His faithful love endures forever.H6213H1419H216H2617H57698the sun to rule the day, His faithful love endures forever.H8121H4475H3117H2617H57699and the moon and stars to rule the night. His faithful love endures forever.H3394H3556H4475H3915H2617H576910Give thanks to him who killed the firstborn of Egypt. His faithful love endures forever.H5221H4714H1060H2617H576911He brought Israel out of Egypt. His faithful love endures forever.H3318H3478H8432H2617H576912He acted with a strong hand and powerful arm. His faithful love endures forever.H2389H3027H5186H2220H2617H576913Give thanks to him who parted the Red Sea. His faithful love endures forever.H1504H5488H3220H1506H2617H576914He led Israel safely through, His faithful love endures forever.H3478H5674H8432H2617H576915but he hurled Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea. His faithful love endures forever.H5287H6547H2428H5488H3220H2617H576916Give thanks to him who led his people through the wilderness. His faithful love endures forever.H3212H5971H4057H2617H576917Give thanks to him who struck down mighty kings. His faithful love endures forever.H5221H1419H4428H2617H576918He killed powerful kings—His faithful love endures forever.H2026H117H4428H2617H576919Sihon king of the Amorites, His faithful love endures forever.H5511H4428H567H2617H576920and Og king of Bashan. His faithful love endures forever.H5747H4428H1316H2617H576921God gave the land of these kings as an inheritance—His faithful love endures forever.H5414H776H5159H2617H576922a special possession to his servant Israel. His faithful love endures forever.H5159H3478H5650H2617H576923He remembered us in our weakness. His faithful love endures forever.H2142H8216H2617H576924He saved us from our enemies. His faithful love endures forever.H6561H6862H2617H576925He gives food to every living thing. His faithful love endures forever.H5414H3899H1320H2617H576926Give thanks to the God of heaven. His faithful love endures forever.H3034H410H8064H2617H5769
Dublin, OH
—you who are familiar with the law—don't you know that the law applies only while a person is living?G2228
