Battle Against Sin: A Message from Romans

No one is perfect. It’s such an inane and trite statement, but it’s so utterly true that is has to be repeated almost as a personal mantra. We as people forget that our problems can’t be conquered in a day (or possibly ever on our own power) and as such become so fixated on this issue or other that we ignore our broken reality. We become slaves to perceptions of ourselves.

When I came to Christ, I experienced a pretty dramatic transformation. Lust, which once tied me down, no longer had any real power over me. That’s not to say I conquered the desires of fleshly pleasure. I dare say there is a lingering and errant thought from time to time. But through Him, that which once possessed me and stained my soul is nothing more than a reminder of the power of our wonderful Savior. He loved me and brought me to Him. I cannot express the depths of my gratitude for His work.

I may be free from the bondage of that sin (indeed, the price for all my sins has already been paid for two thousand years), but I still struggle with others. God’s forgiveness is great in that while I fight against the flesh He has already given unto me His love. There is nothing more beautiful or profound than what He is and what He has already done for us, his lowly and sinful creations.

The realization that lust is not to be my only earthly struggle is neither new nor surprising, but it remains a troublesome idea. I am (as are basically all humans to some degree or other) slothful, arrogant, jealous, greedy, idolatrous, and wrathful. I am quick to anger, slow to work, often materialistic, frequently envious, and misplace my mindshare on an almost daily basis.

This almost endless battle is tiring, but I refuse to give in. I will stumble. I may even fail. But I will not retreat from my problems or my sins. Each of us has been given this life for one purpose: to know, love, and serve Him who made us. How we do that, the journey we take, may be different, but the end goal is the same. He is my Creator and yours. He is my Savior and yours. He is my God and yours.

“Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have also obtained access through Him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:1-5)

Suffering (whether from your sin or another’s) builds character. It deconstructs humanity and reworks it into something more pleasing to our Lord. Rejoice in your battles against sin because success only brings you closer to God and the pleasures of the Spirit. Christ died so that you may be saved. We must die in the flesh so that we are reborn in the Spirit.

“For while we were still helpless, at the appointed moment, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!” (Romans 5:6-8)

Paul’s letter in Romans is, I think, the most direct statement of what Christ’s sacrifice means for us as Christians. By the actions of one man (Adam), we were cursed to live with our sin which is death. But by the Lord’s actions on the cross, we are saved.

“Since by the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. So then, as through one trespass there is condemnation for everyone, so also through one righteous act there is life-giving justification for everyone.” (Romans 5:17-18)

Some of you may be thinking that I’m being a little repetitive with these statements and the frequent, detailed passages from Romans. I, on the other hand, can think of no better way to get across this message than by repeating it earnestly. I harp on and reiterate the nature of sin, our need for a savior, and the struggle with ourselves because that is, in essence, what our lives boil down to by the close. Whether you’re a doctor or a carpenter, a billionaire philanthropist or a homeless man, all require the same Grace.

The Risen Lord is the only solution to the problems of death and sin. Praise and glory be to Him and our new life in His hands.

Thanks for reading, have a wonderful holiday, and peace be to you.