All Access - Day 11 - April 26

READ – Romans 8:1-11

In the previous chapter, the Apostle Paul laments that he is unable to do what he wants to do. The Jewish Law, which Paul desperately tried to follow, required perfection. And when that perfection was violated, it required sacrifice in order to repair one’s relationship to God. Try to be good in order to be one with God… fail … offer a sacrifice … repeat. It was a discouraging cycle leading Paul to declare, “what a miserable person I am!”

That’s what makes the opening words of chapter 8 so amazing:

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

Christ’s sacrifice on the cross – his once for all time, life-giving sacrifice – reconciles each Christian with their heavenly Father. It purchases forgiveness, and ensures access to God. Access that is guaranteed by the Holy Spirit living within each follower of Jesus.

Not only that, but the Holy Spirit enables every believer to resist temptation. Paul writes that, “…you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do … through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature.” When your willpower to resist sin runs out, you have access to God’s. He lives inside you, after all!

All Access - Day 10 - April 25

READ – Romans 7:14-25

This might be one of the most despairing passages in the New Testament. Paul – this giant of the Christian faith – is nakedly transparent about his struggle with sin: “I want to do what is good but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.”

We’ve all been there, haven’t we?

We’re all addicts. 

You might not be addicted to the needle or the bottle. (Or you might be.) But all of us seem to have an unhealthy addiction to sin. We try to stop, but fail. We try to replace these unhealthy urges with positive alternatives, but we can’t seem to succeed in that, either. Like Paul, we can sink into despondency, crying out, “Oh what a miserable person I am!” 

And yet we have cause for great hope. Like Paul we can also say, “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Because, when your willpower fails you have access to His.

All Access - April 24 - Day 9

READ – Romans 7:7-13

I like the explanation the Life Application Bible includes with this section:

“Sin is real, and it is dangerous. Imagine a sunny day at the beach. You plunge into the surf; then you notice a sign at the pier: ‘No swimming. Sharks.’ Your day is ruined. Is it the sign’s fault? Are you angry with the people who put it up? The law is like the sign. It is essential, and we are grateful for it – but it doesn’t get rid of the sharks.”

There will always be a thrill seeker who is willing to run the risk of being eaten by the shark. He will plunge into the waves, willingly taking the chance that he will be attacked. In fact, he enjoys the danger. His pulse quickens with the knowledge that he is doing something he knows he shouldn’t do.

Isn’t that just like sin? The pulse races as you gossip / steal / lie / lust – knowing that the sin goes against God’s will. There is an unholy exhilaration that contradicts the inevitable letdown at the realization you’ve disappointed your Heavenly Father. 

That, writes Paul, is what the Law does. It defines sin. It points out what is right and what is wrong. And, in so doing, it reveals the forbidden fruit that humankind has found tempting since Eve plucked the first deadly fruit from the garden tree