Romans 7:18-25

18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have
the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the
good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now
if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in
me that does it.
 21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.
22For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23but I see another law at work
in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making
me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24What a wretched
man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God—
through Jesus Christ our Lord!
 So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a
slave to the law of sin.

Meditation
1. There is no use looking for a “secret” to the spiritual life that exempts us from
trouble and conflict, defeat and doubt, despair and inadequacy.  No doubt we
are “at war” (v23).  There are fierce difficulties with the resurrection life.  Have
I uttered the cry as Paul did: “Who will rescue me”?
2. Read slowly:
God uses failure, sickness, breakdown, sin, personal tragedy, and sorrow to reduce
His people to usefulness.  Unless the servant of God learns to depend utterly on
God and to forsake self-dependence of any kind, he or she remains too strong to be
of much value.  – Robert C. Girard
3. Prayer
Lord, I come humbly to you and admit that I am weak, cold and easy to fall
into sin.  Depending on myself, I will only be worse and sink deeper. Thank
you for your salvation and the continued deliverance that I will be able to
overcome sin and temptation.  Thank you, Lord.

Personal Note:
We all need a saviour.  At various times in my life, I have choose different things to "save me" and rescue my self esteem.  In the past, I chose to rely on myself to save myself.  I tried to save myself by being a smart student, having a high paying job, appearing to be cool and popular, and seeking to feel secure from having a girlfriend.  Of course, when I depended on those things instead of depend on God, I failed, broke down, sin,  and I went into sorrow and defeat.  I repented and realized that on my own strength, I will keep on doing what is evil in the eyes of God.  My only hope is in Jesus Christ my personal Lord and saviour.

I admit that I am far from perfect.  I am weak and easy to fall into sin.  It is your grace and your continual leading that allow me to overcome sin and temptation.  I thank you God for your love and mercy.