From the Pastor |
ROMANS 7: 15-25
Back in the early part of the 20th century, is a British newspaper asked a group of prominent authors and thinkers of the time period an intriguing question: “What’s wrong with the world?” The most infamous response was a simple reply from the English writer and philosopher, G. K. Chesterton: Dear Sirs, I am. Yours, G. K. Chesterton When we think of all that is wrong with the world today… how many of us really come to the conclusion that the answer is… us! It makes me wonder if that is what our scripture reading from Romans is telling us though. It was about 25-30 years since the crucifixion, the Christian faith has spread across the empire all the way to Rome. It seems that a lot of people, in many places have accepted the teachings of Jesus… accepted Jesus as Lord and savior. They heard the message of Jesus… they have accepted it and been baptized. But there are still problems… Even within the church community… it seems like after embracing the faith… the struggles began. We have seen from history that the early Christians had much to fear. Like Christ… they were rejected and persecuted. They had to struggle just to survive… but this is NOT the struggle Paul speaks of today. The struggle that they all (even Paul) faced is internal. Christians were experiencing a divided self… an inner struggle. It almost seems like Paul is answering the query “What is wrong with the world?” by saying “I am! The problem is within me!” Paul intimates that the problem stems from our human nature… that the very nature of being human is sin. Just because they have accepted Christ… just because they have been baptized in Jesus’ name… does not mean they are now made perfect. It does not mean that they no longer have to worry about sin. Even though they now know what God’s commandments are… even though they know what is good and right… even though they may want to do good… knowing and wanting is not enough. Sin still gets in the way. This was true for Paul himself: “For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 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: 18-19] Paul warns the Roman congregation that sin and evil are not only in the world… but also in every person… even those who have accepted and now follow Jesus. Being baptized does not exempt them from having to deal with sin… it does not automatically eliminate sin from their lives. They are still human… they are still a part of the world… they will still struggle everyday with the desires of the flesh… their selfish wants and desires EVEN as they long to do what is good and right. Paul wants them to understand that sanctification… becoming perfect in Christ… is a never ending process… one that requires daily conscious effort. So what does this have to do with us… almost 2000 years later? Well… that’s pretty easy, isn’t it? Just look around you… We certainly do not have to look very far to see evil and sin in this world. It is all around us… it is seen in the news, on the streets… every day. Evil and sin can be seen everywhere… we see it reflected in the greed and selfishness of our society… in poverty and injustice… corruption… war and violence… human trafficking… abuse… the ecological destruction of God’s creation. Let’s face it… the list goes on and on. But you know what? We can also see it reflected in us… in you and me… We need Paul’s message now more than ever because just like Paul… we too experience the reality of a divided self. We, too, struggle daily with the temptations of sin. We have heard the teachings of Christ… we have learned his commands… we have accepted them and been baptized into the Christian Community… yet… like Paul… we still fail to do what is just and right and good. We still, far too often, find ourselves doing what we know we should not be doing… saying what should not be said… Paul recognized his human-ness… he realized that even though he had “come to Christ” as they say… even though he was an Apostle… a Christian leader… there was a battle raging inside him… A battle between what is right and what is wrong… between good and evil. It was a battle between God's will and Paul's human, sinful nature. It is a battle we can understand because we live with it raging inside of us every day. It is the battle between always doing what is right and the temptation to embrace a moment of pleasure or profit. Rationalizing that it “won’t hurt anyone” or “no one will know.” It is a battle that does not cease simply because we too have “come to Jesus.” There is so much sin and evil in this world… but sin and evil are not only done by non-believers. This is the reminder Paul gives us today. Throughout the history of the Christian Church… even up to this very day… great evil has been done by its members. Christians have given in to the temptations of sin… sometimes in small ways… sometimes in horrible ways… Followers of Christ are NOT immune to it. Our human nature is to sin. We cannot overcome it… it calls to us… reaches for us… brings us down. None of us are perfect… even Paul fell short and struggled with sin. His reminder of this fact demonstrates that, while we need to take responsibility for our words and actions… we need to be able to have compassion for both others AND ourselves because we ALL fall short of God’s standards. But, there is HOPE! As Paul said “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” [Romans 7:25] We need Christ Jesus… For human beings cannot defeat sin… cannot win out over the struggles we face on our own. Our faith in Christ is that only power that is great enough… strong enough to conquer the power of sin. Through Jesus, we are forgiven and set free… day by day, we are able to experience his power over sin through his growing presence in our hearts. Christ has overcome sin… he too calls to us… reaches out to us… Christ lifts us up. Jesus is our salvation… our help and our rescue. Christ died so that our sins might be forgiven… He rose from the dead so that we might live… truly live. This division within ourselves is something we need to be aware of… we need to consciously live our faith in the daily choices we make… even those that seem insignificant… for they not only impact the world, but they impact our lives and our hearts and our souls. This means we need to allow our faith to guide our decisions… everything from what we eat and what we wear… to how we conduct ourselves both personally and in business… even in how we vote… We need to live simply and with generosity… to let go of our consumer instinct to hold onto more than we need while others struggle to survive. Paul reminds us that we have to make the conscious, daily choice to do what is good and right and just… to live according to the Law of God… the Law of love. As followers of Jesus… we need to consciously work to overcome this struggle of self, because even for Christians… the lure and power of sin can seem overpowering, but Praise be to God… there is Hope… Because of God's Love… God’s Presence and God’s Power there is hope. Our freedom from sin comes through Christ Jesus… through him we receive the strength we need to withstand temptation… and through him we are forgiven even when we fall short… When we find ourselves wanting to do what is right but failing…. For God has delivered us, and will continue to deliver us, from our slavery to sin and death… because God does not look to condemn us, but rejoices in our acceptance and reliance on his grace.
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Yeon Shin
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