My Mind is Willing, My Flesh is Weak

Paul continues to make the case that death and sin are directly proportional to each other. Here he is making a distinction between good and sin where one leads you to the kingdom of heaven and the other leads to death. The bible teaches us that death will come to us all. In the book of Revelation John talks about the first resurrection and the second death (Revelation 20:6). The second death will come to those who do not believe or receive the Lord Jesus Christ. The second death comes as death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire.

Paul goes on to say that it is sin that brings death to us, not the law. The law is the instrument for which death will occur because as we learned the law opens our eyes to sin recognizing it as such, sin! Some believe Paul is talking about himself here and his own experiences both as a Pharisee and as a Christian. Others believe this will apply to others who are struggling with sin. I believe this applies to all of us. Whether you are a believer or non-believer sin will hit us all.

We all struggle with sin in our lives. We struggle with intentional sin and unintentional sin and yes there are quantifiable differences between the two. Intentional sin is when you strive to live your life in a sinful way knowing that the things you are involved with go against God’s desire for our lives. This includes waking up with a deceitful heart, waking up angry at others, your heart is filled with hatred and your mind is filled with immoral thoughts and lustful desires. You allow Satan to influence your behavior and your way of thinking. Getting involved in things that are diametrically opposed to God’s teachings. And by the way, enjoying it, looking forward to hurting others either emotionally, financially or physically. Unintentional sin is living the life that God has mapped out for you and me. The life that is filled with biblical principles that we desire to follow. The decisions we make based on our biblical knowledge between good and evil. Following God and sharing His grace and mercy and forgiveness, love, joy and all the other attributes associated with God and His son Jesus with others.

Intentional and unintentional sin resides in all of us. The difference between the believer and the non-believer is the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. The Holy Spirit will remind us and quite honestly convict us of the sin that we commit in a way that really gets our attention. I liken it to our spiritual proverbial hair standing on the back of our necks going up when we are committing or about to commit sin. God understands our internal struggles and reminds us through the Holy Spirit where to turn when our mind becomes weak and our flesh becomes strong. The bible teaches us in (Matthew 6:22) the eye is the lamp of the body, if the lamp is good the whole body will be full of light.

It is only through Jesus Christ, the word of God and our desire to want to change our lives that we will be set free from our sin. Walking with Christ is not an easy task but the reward is absolute and worth it. That reward is living in heaven for eternity. The alternative is to continue on the path you are on as a non-believer and to your second death living in the lake of fire for eternity.

We are reminded through scripture that living in sin is the path of destruction and only through the law are we able to see it. As we discussed many times, the law will not forgive sins nor does it have saving capabilities. It points out the sin in our life and through God’s grace we have been given a mediator in Jesus Christ to forgive us of our sins. We know the difference between good and evil, we understand God’s principles and how He instructs us to live. The point is sin is all around and if you focus on your sin more than you focus on God and His word, you will fail more often than you will succeed. But with Christ leading your life, living in the principles that are defined in the bible we can have a more robust life honoring the Triune God not only in this life but for eternity.

My prayer is that we will see the light. That light is Jesus Christ. I pray that we not only see the light but that we make the decision to follow Him so He may lead us and through the Holy Spirit we are more righteous every day. I pray that everyone who answers the call to serve the Lord Jesus Christ allow the Holy Spirit to change the way we think, talk, act and love. My prayer is that the hearts will soften, the minds will change and our lives will be given completely over to the Lord. In Jesus Mighty Name Amen! Amen!