Inner Conflict

July 10

I Chronicles 23-24

Psalm 79:1-4

Proverbs 17:18-20

Romans 7

Inner Conflict

“For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the working out of the good is not.  For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one working it out, but sin which dwells in me.  I find then the principle that in me evil is present—in me who wants to do good.”  Romans 7:18-21 LSB

A couple of days ago we discussed the reality that there is nothing we can do to earn our salvation.  We are dead in our sin and we cannot do anything to change that.  It is only by believing in Jesus and accepting His free gift of eternal life that we are made alive and able to walk in the new life He provides.  The idea that we can clean ourselves up and be good enough to earn our way into salvation is ludicrous.  Unfortunately, there is another common perception that many Christian denominations teach that is just as destructive and misleading.  They agree that there is nothing we can do to earn our salvation, it is by grace alone through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9), but they think that once we are saved you have to earn your keep in order to stay saved.  They argue that after you are saved you have to be good or you can lose your salvation.  Today’s passage is Biblical proof that is a foolish belief.  The apostle Paul clearly lays out that even after we are saved, sin still dwells in us.  We have the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us but we are still human, flesh and blood, with the propensity to sin.  No matter how much we try to be good and how much we want to be good, we just aren’t capable of living a sinless life.  We cannot do anything to save ourselves and we are not capable of keeping ourselves saved.  Thankfully, through the process of sanctification, the Holy Spirit progressively transforms us.  As we draw closer to Him, we slowly become more like Him.  Those areas of sin that plague us become less and less dominant and we are able to have victory over them.  But this side of heaven, we will never reach perfection. 

Some would point to James 2 to argue that works are essential to faith so therefore after we are saved we have to work in order to get to heaven.  James and Paul are not in disagreement.  James is not arguing that we have to work in order to be saved.  He is saying that works are proof of your salvation.  James and Paul are talking about two sides of the same coin.  Both men would agree that salvation is by faith in Jesus through the grace of God alone.  And they would both agree that once you are saved, you can’t lose your salvation.  What James is emphasizing is that when you have been saved, the Holy Spirit dwells in you and you are transformed into a new creature.  As a result of that transformation, you begin to act differently.  Your life changes and your faith is demonstrated through your actions.  Those actions don’t save you or keep you saved, but rather they are evidence of the faith that is within you.  God’s grace and mercy does not stop after salvation.  He knows we are but flesh and He picks us up and helps us get back on track each time we fall.  Rest in the assurance of your relationship with Jesus.  (John 10:28-29)