God’s grace is stronger than my sin

Oh how is struggle with sin! Many times I feel like Jekyll and Hyde. I have an enemy within me. It’s powerful and ruthless. It despises my new desires to love and serve my King. Theologians call it “indwelling sin”.

“¹⁵ For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. ¹⁶ Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. ¹⁷ So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. ¹⁸ For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. ¹⁹ For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. ²⁰ Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

 ²¹ So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. ²² For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, ²³ but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. ²⁴ Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Romans 7:15-24

Indwelling sin is a “law” (Romans 7:21) “²¹ So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.” Every urge and inclination in me is trying to force me to fulfill its demands and bow in submission to its evil.

“But hasn’t Christ defeated sin in the Christian?” you ask. Yes, praise God! “³⁶ So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36. Jesus has overthrown its rule, weakened its power, and killed its root. Yet, sin is still a force present in the Christian until he dies.

Indwelling sin is like a raging river. I wasn’t aware of it before God saved me because I was surrendered to its force and was carried along by its control. Now, as a believer, I must swim upstream against its current and strain under its strength.

Indwelling sin consistently fights against the Christians desire to obey God.  It’s an enemy that never rests, BUT neither does God’s grace, which is stronger than the Christians sin. This is my hope against such an enemy.

God’s grace is stronger than my sin

Grace is rooted in its source, and the source is my King. He loves me. He is for me. He is all-powerful. He is present with me. He controls all things. And thus, His marvelous grace follows His good character.

“² For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2

“¹⁴ For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” Romans 6:14

Miles