Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a You Tube video of the group Unspoken singing … Call It Grace, poignantly declaring the reality of God’s perfect and powerful grace white-washing our sin and saving us in spite of our sin.
Highlight Passage: Romans 7:18-19 [NKJV] …
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.
… Paul was far from perfect; but definitely forgiven … read on to Romans 8:1 !!
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Highlight Context – Romans 7:14-25 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul’s admission of imperfection and failure.
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Reference Passage #1 … Ephesians 2:8-10 [ NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul, like all Christians, saved by grace, thru faith, unto good works.
Reference Passage #2 … 1st Timothy 1:15 [ NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul declares himself saved, even though admitting to be the “worst of sinners.”
My Journal for Today: … Our Daily Bread author, Jennifer Schuldt, referenced a book by a Christian writer who came to Christ because of the witness of very imperfect Christians. She wrote: In his book Jumping Through Fires, David Nasser tells the story of his spiritual journey. Before he began a relationship with Jesus, he was befriended by a group of Christian teens. Although most of the time his buddies were generous, winsome, and nonjudgmental, David witnessed one of them lie to his girlfriend. Feeling convicted, the young man later confessed and asked for her forgiveness. Reflecting on this, David said that the incident drew him closer to his Christian friends. He realized that they needed grace, just as he did.
I really love the way the Apostle Paul staged the reality and truth of God’s amazing … saving … grace in the greatest victory chapter in all of the NT, … Romans 8, … when he writes of his own failures and imperfections in Romans 7. Take a few minutes to read and meditate on Romans 7:14-25 and then all of Romans 8.
Do you identify, perhaps even empathize, with the Romans 7 passage? Sure you do! We all do, don’t we? … But then there is the truth and reality of Romans 8. … And does Paul calling our attention to the victory of Romans 8 over our imperfections in Romans 7 cause you to praise our Lord, as it does me?
I hope so, … nay, … I pray so!! Because, as Christians, we can choose to live in Romans 7 or Romans 8. How about you? Where’re you going to live today?
My Prayer Today: O, Heavenly Father, … Lord Jesus, … I choose to live in Romans 8 today. Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled Our Daily Bread, distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
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