Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

August 4
Monday


ALL WE NEED
TO KNOW

READ:
Romans 7:18-25
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For I know that in me
(that is, in my flesh)
nothing good dwells.
__Romans 7:18
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In a Fernando Ortega rendition of "Just As I Am," Billy Graham's voice can be heard faintly in the back-ground. Dr. Graham is reminiscing about an illness during which he believed he was dying. As he mused on his past, he realized what a great sinner he was and how much he continues to need God's daily forgiveness.

Billy Graham was putting an end to the notion that apart from God we're okay. We can feel good about ourselves, but that confidence must come from the knowledge that we're greatly loved children of God (John 3:16), not that we're very good children (Rom. 7:18).

The first step in becoming a truly "good" person as a follower of Christ is to stop pretending that we're good on our own and to ask God to make us as good as we can be. We will fail many times, but He will keep growing us and changing us. God is faithful and__in His time and in His way__He'll do it.

In his final years, the writer of "Amazing Grace," John Newton, suffered from dementia and lamented the loss of his memory. yet he confided, "I do remember two things: I am a great sinner, and Jesus is a great Savior." When it comes to faith, those are the only things anyone needs to know. __David Roper

``````````````````````The Lord has promised good to me,
``````````````````````````His word my hope secures;
``````````````````````He will my shield and portion be
`````````````````````As long as life endures. __Newton
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God's grace accepted is God's peace experienced.

***********************************Today's Bible Reading __ Romans 7:18-25********************************
18 For I know that in me
(that is, in my flesh)
nothing good dwells; for to
will is present with me, but
how to perform what is
good I do not find. 19 For
the good that I will to do, I
do not do; but the evil I will
not to do, that I practice.

20 Now if I do what I will
not to do, it is no longer I
who do it, but sin that
dwells in me.

21 I find then a law, that
evil is present with me, the
one who wills to do good.

2 For I delight in the law of
God according to the
inward man. 23 But I see
another law in my
members, warring against
the law of my mind, and
bringing me into captivity
to the law of sin which is in
my members. 24 O wretched
man that I am! Who will
deliver me from this body
of death? 25 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.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
The Christian life is one of struggle with sin and growth in holiness.
On this side of heaven, we will not be totally freed from this
struggle (James 3:2; 1 John 1:88-2:1). In today's text, the apostle Paul
writes of the war between good and evil that wages within him.
Elsewhere Paul explains, "For the flesh desires what is contrary to
the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in
conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you
want" (Gal. 5:17 NIV). Yet we can take comfort in the fact that Jesus
delivers us from this "body of death" (Rom. 7:24).