O Wretched Man that I Am

 Romans 7:18 gives us one of the most important revelations in the Bible. It states...For I know that in me (that is in my flesh,) dwells no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not...

What a statement! What an honest confession! What a revelation! In fact, this is the revelation of all revelations! This revelation tops the list!

Understanding this scripture is equivalent to the moment at which a pregnant mother's water breaks, for then she knows that the baby is on its way and sure to be born. After we come to an understanding that in our flesh dwells no good thing, we are surely on our way to delivering and birthing the very Christ-life. We must know what we are up against. We must identify our enemy. It is US!!! It is our flesh, our carnal mind, and the sin nature that we inherited from Adam. We inherited a corrupt nature that continually comes short of the glory of God. Realizing that our carnal mind is the enemy of God is probably about 98% of the battle (the other 2% being... realizing that God's divine nature is our power source, and learning to partake of His divine nature). Romans 8:6,7 states...For to be carnally minded IS DEATH; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the CARN AI. MIND IS ENMITY AGAINST GOD: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be ... This revelation on the surface seems to be very discouraging and could leave us with no hope. It causes a person to say ... O WRETCHED MAN THAT I AM! WHO SHALL DELIVER ME FROM THE BODY OF THIS DEATH? That is a good question that we must ask ourselves. We must then see ourselves as wretched outside of the life of God, but we are not left without hope. The apostle Paul said that we are to thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Thank Hirn for what?

Romans 8:1,2 states...There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus...vs. 2...For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus HAS MADE ME FREE FROM THE LAW OF SIN AND DEATH ...We are to see ourselves as no longer under condemnation, IN CHRIST, walking after the Spirit, and FREE. Once you know the bad news, that there is no good thing in your flesh, you can have your eyes opened to the GOOD NEWS, which is IN CHRIST JESUS our Lord.