in my flesh.

I can will what is right, but I cannot perform it.

(I have the intention and urge to do what is right,

but no power to carry it out).

For I fail to practice the good deeds I desire to do,

but the evil deeds that I do not desire to do are

what I find myself doing.

Now if I do what I do not desire to do, it is no

longer I doing it but the sin principle that dwells

in me.

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is

right and good, evil is ever present with me and

I am subject to it.

For I endorse and delight in the Law of God in my

innermost self.

But I discern in my bodily members a different law

at war against the law of my mind and making me

a prisoner to the law of sin that dwells in my body.

O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me out

of this body of death? I thank God through

Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself

serve the Law of God,

but with the flesh the law of sin.

(Romans 7.18-25).

We all face the same dilemma.

The most we can muster up and the best we can

do is still short of the glory of God.

There must be a willingness to do good an to obey

God in us.

The Law points us in that direction.

However, due to the EGO, the selfish human nature

it is humanly impossible to fulfill

the righteous requirements of the Law.

Thus, everyone fails and falls short of the glory of God.

We must surrender any idea or false notion

that human endeavor, enterprise or effort can

impress God.

The sinful nature is present even when we try to do our best.

The solution to this problem is to realize God’s answer.

It is loud and clear.

We need to recognize with St. Paul our most fundamental

flaw:

“O wretched man that I am!”

The sooner you recognize your problem the better.

The need for deliverance is clear!

“Who shall deliver me out of this body of death?”

There is nothing we can humanly do to escape this

body of death.

The sooner we realize this the sooner we understand

THE WAY OUT:

“I THANK GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD!”

Yes. This is THE ONLY WAY out of our collective and individual

predicament.

We are not what we should be and we are what we should not be.

We try to be good and do good,

but we have a serious and deadly problem.

We are only men and women.

We are totally helpless and mortal.

On the other hand, Jesus Christ is MAN and GOD.

He is fully God and fully man.

He is totally divine and completely human.

He is unique. He is able. He can. Yes.

He truly can.

He is the Only Person who stands astride the physical

and the spiritual.

He has passed from death to life.

He has conquered sin and death.

He has the victory. He is the door.

He is the key. He is the only way.

He is the end of the death sentence which

comes from the Law.

He is Life eternal.

In God’s total freedom to be and to create,

He has made it possible for us to be identified

with Him.

Yes we are wretched on our own.

Yes we are saved through Him.

We are what we should be only in Him.

That’s why Jesus says that He is the vine and we

are the branches. We can live as we abide in Him.

Fully and abundantly. Forever.

Apart from Him we are nothing.

With Him and through

Him we have His victory!

HALLELUJAH! THANK YOU LORD JESUS FOREVERMORE!

to do, it is no longer I who do it,

but sin that dwells in me.

So I find it to be a rule of action

within my being that when I want

to do what is right and good, there

is evil in me, though I desire to do good.

For I delight in the Law of God

according to the inward man.

But I see another law in my members,

at war against the law of my mind,

making me a prisoner to the law of

sin which is in my members.

O wretched man that I am!

Who will deliver me from this

body of death?

I thank God! He will through Jesus

Christ our Lord!

So then, with the mind I myself

serve the Law of God, but with the

flesh the law of sin.

( Romans 7.20-25).

Please consider these points:

1) This dual nature presents a dilemma.

2) Flesh versus mind ( carnal versus

spiritual) continue to be in conflict.

3) The only way out of this dilemma

is to submit to the Lordship of Jesus.

4) The divine rescue mission is

accomplished by Jesus Christ our

Lord and Savior who died to deliver us

from our sins and rose to grant us

eternal life with Him, with The Father

and with the Holy Spirit.