Finding God's Love Amidst Struggles

In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, there are moments when we face profound challenges. Today, I want to share a personal journey that many of us might relate to—a struggle not with the belief in God, but in understanding how He can love us despite our imperfections.

A Moment of Reflection

This morning, as I found myself grappling with my faith, the question that weighed heavy on my heart was: "How can God love me, even though I have been such a sinner?" My past, filled with the shadows of war, and a lifestyle clouded by sin, it just seemed insurmountable for God to love me, in spite of all of these problems.

While doom scrolling through social media, I stumbled upon a video of a man I follow—a man who rarely shows his emotions, but here he was, crying his heart out. He was talking to a preacher, asking the very question I had been struggling with: "How could a God love him, a terrible sinner?" The preacher responded with a passage from Romans 7:24-25, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

Finding Solace in Scripture

Moved by this interaction, I felt a powerful urge to study my Bible. The Holy Spirit welled up inside me as I delved into Romans 7—a chapter that holds the answers I had been seeking for months. I've been running through scripture, dozens of them. This one chapter answered them all. Glory be to God.

Romans 7: Released From the Law, Bound to Christ

• Romans 7:1-3: The laws of the land only hold sway while we are alive. Paul uses the example of adultery to explain that a woman is not considered an adulterer if her husband dies. The law's jurisdiction is only for the living.

• Romans 7:4: When we accept Christ, we die to the sins dictated by earthly laws, allowing us to learn and follow the Laws of God, so we can work for God's kingdom. "

  You also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God."

• Romans 7:5-6: When we followed the laws of the land and committed sin unknowingly, we weren't committing sins. It's only when we learned what sins were that they became sinful acts. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we are released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit.

  "For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death."

• Romans 7:7-8: Without the law, we would not know what sin is. Paul explains that he wouldn't have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "You shall not covet." Sin seizes the opportunity afforded by the commandment to produce every kind of coveting.

  "For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, 'You shall not covet.'"

• Romans 7:9-11: Before the law, Paul was "alive." But when the commandment came, sin sprang to life, and he died. The commandment intended to bring life actually brought death. Sin, seizing the opportunity, deceived him and put the new man he had become to death. "

  I was once alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died."

• Romans 7:12-13: The issue lies not with the law but with sin. The commandment reveals sin, highlighting its true nature. Just because scripture identifies your actions or beliefs as sinful does not mean God's law is flawed. You must transform and strive to emulate Jesus."

  So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good."

• Romans 7:14-20: Paul describes his struggle with sin. He wants to do good but finds himself doing the opposite. It is no longer he who does it but sin living in him. This inner conflict shows the power of sin and the need for God's grace.

  "For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing."

• Romans 7:21-23: Paul discovers a conflicting law within himself, battling against the law of his mind and trapping him in the law of sin that operates inside him. Despite his efforts to conquer sin, he continues to fall into it. The deeper his understanding of God's Law, the more he appears to sin.

  "So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me."

• Romans 7:24-25: In his wretched state, Paul cries out for deliverance. Thanks be to God, who delivers us through Jesus Christ our Lord. Although Paul is a slave to God's law in his mind, he is also a slave to the law of sin in his flesh.

  "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

Truths and Answers

• God's Laws and Human Laws: While earthly laws govern our actions, God's laws lift us to a higher plane. Accepting Christ allows us to transcend earthly judgments and live in His grace. Even death is not a greater penalty than the loss of the love of our Father and God.

• Understanding Sin: Sin deceives us, and without knowledge of the law, we do not realize our actions are sinful. God’s forgiveness, through the sacrifice of Jesus, shows His glory and goodness. "This is why God forgives and gave His Son, to show us His glory."

• The Battle Within: Our journey is a constant struggle between the desire to do good and the sin that lives within us. Yet, through Christ, we are delivered from this struggle. There is a law working against the good in my soul, a sin deceiving my perception of reality.

A Message from Life Church

Today, our preacher touched upon a similar theme, referencing Romans 6. He reminded us that we are no longer slaves to sin, but servants of righteousness. The evil in this world will always fight against our efforts to do good, but with God’s grace, we can overcome.

Conclusion

In moments of doubt and struggle, remember that God's love is unwavering. No matter our past sins, through Jesus Christ, we are redeemed and made whole. "Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 7:25)